A confectionery forming, stamping and cutting apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of candy forming printing cutting device, the device includes support frame, the upper portion of support frame is provided with through-hole, and heating mechanism and support table are respectively mounted on the both sides of through-hole, and printing cutting mechanism is installed above support table. Printing cutting mechanism includes mounting bracket and the first driving member and the second driving member parallelly arranged on mounting bracket, and printing base and printing head are connected to first driving member, and tool holder and blade are connected to second driving member. The guiding groove of guide frame and the avoidance groove are provided with on support table corresponding blade position. The device realizes the integration of candy printing and cutting continuous operation, with production efficiency high, cutting precision good, printing head replacement convenient, clear and uniform embossing and other advantages, suitable for different thickness candy printing and cutting, can be widely applied in candy processing field.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of candy processing equipment technology, specifically a candy forming, printing, and cutting device. Background Technology

[0002] In the candy production process, continuously extruded candy strips often need to be printed and cut into pieces to form finished candy products with specific patterns and specifications. In traditional candy processing methods, printing and cutting are usually carried out in separate steps, requiring multiple positioning and conveying processes. This not only results in low production efficiency but also easily leads to printed patterns shifting or uneven cut piece sizes due to multiple positioning errors.

[0003] In existing technologies, candy forming and cutting devices use hydraulic cylinders to drive a pressure plate to cut candy blocks into small pieces. However, such equipment typically suffers from the following shortcomings: the printing and cutting functions are separated, making it difficult to complete both processes continuously at the same workstation; the cutting process lacks guidance and protection for the blades, leading to blade misalignment after prolonged use, affecting cutting accuracy and blade life; the printing heads are mostly fixed structures, making replacement inconvenient and unable to flexibly adapt to the production needs of different printing patterns; furthermore, printed candy blocks are prone to sticking to the printing head due to increased temperature, affecting printing clarity and causing product defects. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention discloses a candy forming, printing, and cutting device, including a support frame, on which an electrical control box is mounted on the upper surface of the bottom of the support frame. A through hole is formed in the middle of the upper part of the support frame, and a heating mechanism and a support platform are respectively mounted on both sides of the through hole on the support frame. A printing and cutting mechanism is mounted on the support frame above the support platform. The printing and cutting mechanism includes a mounting frame fixedly connected to the support frame, and a first driving member and a second driving member are fixedly connected in parallel on the mounting frame. The first driving member is close to the through hole, and a printing base is fixedly connected to its working part. The bottom of the printing base has a mounting groove in which a printing head is mounted, with the printing surface of the printing head facing downwards and located directly above the support platform. The second driving member is away from the through hole, and a blade holder is fixedly connected to its working part. A blade is fixedly connected to the blade holder, with the blade edge facing downwards. A guide frame is fixedly connected to the support platform corresponding to the blade. A guide groove is formed on the upper surface of the guide frame, and a clearance groove is formed on the support platform below the guide groove. The blade is located directly above the guide groove and the clearance groove. The heating mechanism, the first driving component, and the second driving component are controlled by the electrical control box.

[0005] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a mounting base is fixedly connected to the lower surface of the support frame for fixing the device on the working surface of the production line.

[0006] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the heating mechanism includes a tray fixedly connected to the support frame, a heating frame fixedly connected to the tray, and a screw fixedly connected to the center of the upper surface of the electric heating component. The screw passes through a hole in the heating frame and is tightened with a nut. The electric heating component is located above the tray, and its lower surface is higher than the upper edge of the through hole. The electric heating component is electrically connected to the electrical control box.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the upper surfaces of the tray and the support platform are flush with the lower edge of the through hole, and the candy strip passes through the through hole and moves on the upper surfaces of the tray and the support platform.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, both the first driving member and the second driving member are cylinders.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the printing base has an internal threaded hole on its side, and the printing head is fixedly connected to the printing base by a screw tightened in the internal threaded hole.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a cooling chip and a pressure sensor are installed in the mounting groove at the bottom of the printing base, and the back of the printing head presses against the cooling chip and the pressure sensor. The cooling chip and the pressure sensor are electrically connected to the electrical control box.

[0011] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: By mounting the printing head and blade parallel to each other on the same mounting frame and driving them separately by a first drive and a second drive, the printing and cutting processes can be completed sequentially during the continuous conveying of candy strips, eliminating the need for intermediate transfer and secondary positioning. This effectively improves production efficiency and ensures the relative accuracy of the printed pattern and the cutting position. A guide frame is set on the support platform, with a guide groove on the guide frame and an avoidance groove below the guide groove. This ensures that the blade is precisely guided when cutting, preventing blade deviation. The avoidance groove ensures that the blade can completely cut the candy strip without damaging the blade edge, extending the blade's lifespan. The printing head is fixed to the mounting groove of the printing base by side screws. Loosening the screws allows for quick replacement of printing heads with different patterns, adapting to the needs of multi-variety, small-batch production. A cooling plate is installed in the mounting groove to cool the printing head during the printing process, preventing the candy from sticking to the printing surface due to heat. A pressure-sensitive sensor monitors the printing pressure in real time, ensuring printing clarity and consistency. The electrical control box automatically adjusts the drive stroke based on sensor feedback, thus adapting to the production of candies of different thicknesses. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a side front view of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the support platform and guide frame structure of the present invention; Figure 4 This is an exploded view of the printing block cutting mechanism structure of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a split view of the heating mechanism structure of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the printing base structure of the present invention.

[0013] In the diagram: 1 Support frame, 2 Heating mechanism, 20 Tray, 21 Electric heating component, 22 Heating rack, 23 Nut, 24 Screw, 3 Printing cutting mechanism, 30 Mounting frame, 31 First driving component, 32 Second driving component, 33 Printing base, 34 Printing head, 35 Knife holder, 36 Blade, 37 Internal threaded hole, 38 Cooling element, 39 Pressure sensor, 4 Support platform, 5 Electrical control box, 6 Guide frame, 7 Guide groove, 8 Clearance groove, 9 Mounting base, 10 Candy strip, 11 Through hole. Detailed Implementation Example 1

[0014] like Figures 1 to 6 As shown, this invention is a candy forming, printing, and cutting device, including a support frame 1. A mounting base 9 is fixedly connected to the lower bottom surface of the support frame 1 for fixing the device onto the operating table of the candy production line. An electrical control box 5 is mounted on the upper bottom surface of the support frame 1. The electrical control box 5 integrates a PLC controller and drive circuitry for controlling the operation of the entire machine.

[0015] A rectangular through hole 11 is provided at the middle of the upper part of the support frame 1 for the candy strip 10 to pass through. A heating mechanism 2 and a support platform 4 are respectively installed on both sides of the through hole 11 on the support frame 1. The heating mechanism 2 includes a tray 20 fixedly connected to the support frame 1, a heating frame 22 fixedly connected to the tray 20, and a screw 24 fixedly connected to the middle of the upper surface of the electric heating component 21. The screw 24 passes through a hole in the heating frame 22 and is tightened by a nut 23, thereby suspending and fixing the electric heating component 21 above the tray 20. The electric heating component 21 can be an electric heating tube or an electric heating plate, with its lower surface higher than the upper edge of the through hole 11 so that the candy strip is heated and softened when passing through from below. The electric heating component 21 is electrically connected to the electrical control box 5, which controls the heating temperature and starts / stops. The upper surfaces of the tray 20 and the support platform 4 are flush with the lower edge of the through hole 11, ensuring that the candy strip 10 can move smoothly on the upper surfaces of the tray 20 and the support platform 4 after passing through the through hole 11.

[0016] A printing and cutting mechanism 3 is mounted on the support frame 1 above the support platform 4. The printing and cutting mechanism 3 includes a mounting frame 30 fixedly connected to the support frame 1. A first driving component 31 and a second driving component 32 are fixedly connected in parallel to the mounting frame 30. Both are cylinders, and their extension and retraction are controlled by an electrical control box 5. The first driving component 31 is located near the through hole 11, and its working part, i.e., the end of the cylinder piston rod, is fixedly connected to a printing base 33. A mounting groove is opened at the bottom of the printing base 33, and a printing head 34 is installed in the mounting groove. The printing surface of the printing head 34 faces downward and is located directly above the support platform 4. An internal threaded hole 37 is opened on the side of the printing base 33. The printing head 34 is fixedly connected to the printing base 33 by screws tightened in the internal threaded hole 37. The printing head 34 can be quickly replaced by loosening the screws.

[0017] A cooling chip 38 and a pressure sensor 39 are installed in the mounting slot at the bottom of the printing base 33. The cooling chip 38 can be a semiconductor cooling chip, with its cooling surface facing the back of the printing head 34; the pressure sensor 39 is a thin-film pressure sensor. The back of the printing head 34 presses against the cooling chip 38 and the pressure sensor 39, and the cooling chip 38 and the pressure sensor 39 are electrically connected to the electrical control box 5.

[0018] During the printing process, the control box 5 controls the cooling element 38 to be energized for cooling, continuously cooling the printing head 34 to prevent the sugar from sticking to the printing surface due to heat. The pressure sensor 39 detects the contact pressure between the printing head 34 and the sugar strip surface in real time and feeds the signal back to the control box 5. When the detected pressure value deviates from the set range, the control box 5 automatically adjusts the extension stroke of the first drive component 31 to ensure constant printing pressure and consistent printing clarity.

[0019] The second driving member 32 is positioned away from the through hole 11. Its working part, i.e., the end of the cylinder piston rod, is fixedly connected to a blade holder 35. A blade 36 is fixedly connected to the blade holder 35, with the cutting edge of the blade 36 facing downwards. A guide frame 6 is fixedly connected to the support platform 4 corresponding to the blade 36. A guide groove 7 is formed on the upper surface of the guide frame 6, the shape of which matches the contour of the blade 36. Below the guide groove 7, an avoidance groove 8 is formed on the support platform 4. The blade 36 is located directly above the guide groove 7 and the avoidance groove 8. When the second driving member 32 drives the blade 36 downwards, the blade 36 first enters the guide groove 7, and under the guidance of the guide groove 7, precisely cuts into the avoidance groove 8, completing the cutting of the sugar strip.

[0020] The working principle of this invention is as follows: During operation, the heated and softened candy strip 10 is inserted through the through hole 11 and continuously conveyed forward along the upper surface of the tray 20 and the support platform 4. The candy strip 10 first passes under the heating mechanism 2, where the electric heating component 21 heats the surface of the candy strip to maintain it at a suitable forming temperature. When the candy strip continues to advance to the printing station on the support platform 4, the electrical control box 5 controls the first drive component 31 to extend, driving the printing head 34 to press down and imprint a predetermined pattern on the upper surface of the candy strip. Subsequently, the candy strip advances to the cutting station, where the electrical control box 5 controls the second drive component 32 to extend, driving the blade 36 to descend, cutting the candy strip into pieces with the cooperation of the guide groove 7 and the clearance groove 8 of the guide frame 6. This cycle is repeated to achieve continuous integrated operation of printing and cutting.

[0021] When you need to change the printed pattern, simply loosen the screws on the side of the printing base 33, remove the original printing head 34, replace it with a printing head 34 with the desired pattern, and then tighten the screws again.

[0022] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "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. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and 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 this invention. In addition, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0023] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation", "connection", and "linking" 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; they can refer to the internal connection of two components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention can be understood through the specific circumstances.

[0024] Components and electronic control parts not described in detail in this article are existing technologies.

[0025] While the specific embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and modifications or variations without creative effort are still within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A candy forming, printing, and cutting device, comprising a support frame (1), wherein an electrical control box (5) is mounted on the upper bottom surface of the support frame (1), characterized in that, A through hole (11) is provided at the middle of the upper part of the support frame (1). A heating mechanism (2) and a support platform (4) are respectively installed on the support frame (1) on both sides of the through hole (11). A printing cutting mechanism (3) is installed on the support frame (1) above the support platform (4). The printing cutting mechanism (3) includes a mounting bracket (30) fixedly connected to the support frame (1). A first driving member (31) and a second driving member (32) are fixedly connected in parallel on the mounting bracket (30). The first driving member (31) is close to the through hole (11), and a printing base (33) is fixedly connected to its working part. A mounting groove is provided at the bottom of the printing base (33), and a printing head (34) is installed therein. The printed surface of (34) is facing down and located directly above the support platform (4). The second drive member (32) is away from the through hole (11), and a blade holder (35) is fixedly connected to its working part. A blade (36) is fixedly connected to the blade holder (35). The blade (36) has its cutting edge facing down, and a guide frame (6) is fixedly connected to the support platform (4) corresponding to it. A guide groove (7) is provided on the upper surface of the guide frame (6). An avoidance groove (8) is provided below the guide groove (7) on the support platform (4). The blade (36) is located directly above the guide groove (7) and the avoidance groove (8). The heating mechanism (2), the first drive member (31), and the second drive member (32) are controlled by the electrical control box (5).

2. The candy forming, printing, and cutting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support frame (1) has a mounting base (9) fixedly connected to its bottom lower surface.

3. The candy forming, printing, and cutting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heating mechanism (2) includes a tray (20) fixedly connected to the support frame (1), a heating frame (22) fixedly connected to the tray (20), a screw (24) fixedly connected to the middle of the upper surface of the electric heating component (21), the screw (24) passing through the hole opened on the heating frame (22) and being tightened by a nut (23), the electric heating component (21) is located above the tray (20), and its lower surface is higher than the upper edge of the through hole (11), the electric heating component (21) is electrically connected to the electrical control box (5).

4. The candy forming, printing, and cutting device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The upper surfaces of the tray (20) and the support platform (4) are flush with the lower edge of the through hole (11). The candy strip (10) passes through the through hole (11) and moves on the upper surfaces of the tray (20) and the support platform (4).

5. The candy forming, printing, and cutting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both the first driving component (31) and the second driving component (32) are cylinders.

6. The candy forming, printing, and cutting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The printing base (33) has an internal threaded hole (37) on its side, and the printing head (34) is fixedly connected to the printing base (33) by tightening a screw in the internal threaded hole (37).

7. The candy forming, printing, and cutting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A cooling chip (38) and a pressure sensor (39) are installed in the mounting groove at the bottom of the printing base (33). The back of the printing head (34) presses against the cooling chip (38) and the pressure sensor (39). The cooling chip (38) and the pressure sensor (39) are electrically connected to the electrical control box (5).

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