An automatic feeding and discharging porridge cooker system and method

Abstract

The application provides a kind of automatic feeding and discharging porridge pot system and method, belongs to the field of intelligent making of porridge, the porridge pot is sealed container, top is provided with feeding port, bottom is provided with discharge port, feeding port and discharge port are provided with movable switch, the top of porridge pot is also connected with water inlet pipe and steam pipe, water inlet pipe and steam pipe are provided with movable switch, movable switch is the valve that can be opened and closed based on electrical control, wherein, the movable switch on the discharge port includes tee pipe, one end of tee pipe is connected with porridge pot, the other end of tee pipe is connected with piston valve, the other outlet of tee pipe is discharge port, wherein the piston valve is reciprocated on the upper port of discharge port by the action of electric push rod, and drives discharge port to discharge porridge, the inside of porridge pot further includes refrigeration layer and temperature monitoring unit, refrigeration layer is provided with refrigeration pipeline, and refrigeration is realized by inputting cold air.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This manual relates to the field of intelligent porridge making, and in particular to a porridge cooker system and method with automatic feeding and discharging. Background Technology

[0002] Porridge, a thick, porridge made from grains such as rice, millet, beans, or corn, is an indispensable part of people's daily lives. Currently, commercially available pre-packaged porridge is produced through complex manual processes such as cooking, bottling, and sealing, resulting in high labor costs and high labor intensity, which urgently need improvement.

[0003] Chinese Patent Publication No. CN108542255A discloses an invention entitled "An Integrated Porridge Cooking and Dispensing Machine." The machine features a control instrument fixed to a base plate and connected to a control terminal. This control instrument is electrically connected to a flow meter and a solenoid valve. A water pipe is fixed to the side of the base plate, with a flow meter and a solenoid valve connected sequentially from the inlet to the outlet. The outlet of the water pipe is connected to a water inlet on the lid of the porridge cooking pot. The porridge cooking pot is fixed to the base plate, and electric push rods are located on both sides of the pot, fixed to the base plate and connected to the control terminal. The output end of each electric push rod is connected to a stirring device fixing plate, and a stirring device is fixed in the middle of the plate. This machine can automatically complete the processes of rice filling, water filling, porridge cooking, sealing, and dispensing, eliminating the need for manual stirring, sealing, and conveying. It boasts a high degree of automation and enhanced practicality.

[0004] The aforementioned patent cannot integrate multiple types of porridge for simultaneous processing and sale, thus having certain limitations.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need for a control method and system for an automated porridge-making and vending machine that can integrate the processing and vending of various types of porridge, and digitally monitor the raw materials for different types of porridge to ensure the efficiency of the porridge-making machine. Summary of the Invention

[0006] One embodiment of this specification provides a control method and system for an automatic porridge-making and vending machine. This new generation of porridge-making machines achieves efficient integrated assembly by combining different types of rice, making efficient use of space, automatically weighing and loading the rice into the pot, and automatically measuring and serving it to the serving port after heating and cooking. The porridge pot receives ingredients and auxiliary materials through a feeding unit, cooks the porridge through a heating mechanism, and controls the serving speed through an electric discharge valve. The system includes a rice weighing bin assembly unit equipped with a weighing unit. One end of the rice weighing bin assembly unit is connected to the rice bin, and the other end is connected to a suction pump. The suction pump uses negative pressure to draw the ingredients from the rice bin into the rice weighing bin assembly unit. After weighing once by the weighing unit, a movable switch is provided at the bottom of the rice weighing bin, allowing the ingredients to fall into the feeding port of the porridge pot.

[0007] In some embodiments, an automatic feeding and discharging porridge cooker system is provided. The porridge cooker is a sealed container with a feeding inlet at the top and a discharging outlet at the bottom. Both the feeding inlet and the discharging outlet are equipped with movable switches. The top of the porridge cooker is also connected to a water inlet pipe and a steam pipe, both of which are equipped with movable switches. The movable switches are valves that can be opened and closed based on electrical control. The movable switch on the discharge port includes a three-way pipe. One end of the three-way pipe is connected to the porridge cooker, and the other end is connected to a piston valve. The other outlet of the three-way pipe is the discharge port. The piston valve reciprocates at the upper port of the discharge port through the action of an electric push rod, causing the porridge to be discharged from the discharge port. The porridge cooker also includes a cooling compartment and a temperature monitoring unit. The cooling compartment is equipped with cooling pipes, which are used to circulate cold air for cooling.

[0008] Furthermore, the system also includes a feeding unit, which includes a rice weighing bin assembly and an auxiliary material bin. The rice weighing bin assembly includes multiple feeding ports, at least one rice suction pump port, and at least one discharge port. Each feeding port is connected to a single rice bin through a feeding pipe, and each feeding pipe is equipped with an electric valve. The discharge port is equipped with a butterfly valve with a movable switch.

[0009] Furthermore, the auxiliary materials in the auxiliary material hopper are heated with steam and transported to the feed inlet of the porridge cooker via a transfer unit. The auxiliary material hopper also includes an auxiliary material cover, which is connected to a push rod mechanism via a holding mechanism. One end of the auxiliary material cover is provided with a brush mechanism, which is lower than the cover mechanism. When the auxiliary material cover comes into contact with the opening of the auxiliary material hopper, steam is introduced into the auxiliary material hopper for heating.

[0010] Furthermore, the auxiliary material transfer mechanism includes a lead screw, a linear bearing, and a transfer box. The transfer box moves back and forth on the lead screw via the linear bearing. At least one set of linear bearings and transfer boxes are provided on the lead screw. An electric valve plate is provided at the bottom of the transfer box. When the transfer box moves above the feed inlet of the porridge cooker, the electric valve plate opens.

[0011] Furthermore, a fixing plate is provided at the end of the tee furthest from the porridge pot, and a motor and a piston rod are provided on the fixing plate. A piston is provided at the end of the piston rod furthest from the motor. The width of the piston is greater than the cross-sectional area of ​​the discharge port pipe, and the length of the piston rod is no longer than the tee.

[0012] In some embodiments, a method for automatically feeding and discharging porridge in a cooking pot is also included, comprising the following steps: S1: Based on the food preparation signal, the corresponding amount of ingredients are obtained through the rice weighing assembly, and the auxiliary ingredients are heated with steam through the auxiliary material bin; S2: Obtain auxiliary materials through the auxiliary material transfer mechanism, and obtain food ingredients by opening the butterfly valve on the discharge port of the rice weighing bin assembly; S3: Obtain the water intake amount based on the weight of the ingredients and auxiliary materials, and then perform overheating and cooking. S4: Based on the temperature requirements of the food, when the food temperature is higher than the temperature inside the porridge pot, the heating unit is activated; when the food temperature is lower than the temperature inside the porridge pot, the cooling unit is activated. S5: When the temperature monitored by the temperature monitoring unit matches the required food temperature, activate the piston valve. S6: The piston rod completes the reciprocating motion within the tee according to the set number of times.

[0013] Furthermore, step S1 also includes the following steps: S11: Based on the food preparation signal, determine the type of side ingredients and obtain the location of the side ingredient box; S12: Close the auxiliary material cover and steam heat the auxiliary material according to the set time; S13: The bottom of the auxiliary material compartment is equipped with an auger, which transfers a set amount of auxiliary materials to the porridge pot according to the set number of rotations.

[0014] Furthermore, the temperature monitoring unit is located on the top of the porridge cooker. It is connected to the control panel and reads the temperature parameters at a set time. The set time is based on the temperature reading taken when the porridge cooker receives the food preparation signal after the cooking process is completed.

[0015] Furthermore, in steps S4 and S5, the temperature monitoring unit automatically sends temperature parameters according to the set frequency.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this invention are: 1. The bottom of the porridge pot is equipped with a piston discharge port. Compared with the existing technologies such as auger discharge and butterfly valve discharge, the piston push-pull method can ensure that the discharge port will not be blocked by the finished porridge, and can accurately control the discharge amount. 2. The porridge cooker not only quickly prepares porridge through dual heating, but also has a cooling function to meet the temperature requirements of more diners. Attached Figure Description

[0017] This specification will be further described by way of exemplary embodiments, which will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are not limiting; in these embodiments, the same reference numerals denote the same structures, wherein: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a porridge cooker according to some embodiments of this specification; Figure 2This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a porridge cooker according to some embodiments of this specification; Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a porridge cooker according to some embodiments of this specification; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the main frame according to some embodiments of this specification.

[0018] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Main frame; 2. Auxiliary material compartment; 3. Porridge pot; 4. Hot water compartment; 5. Refrigeration unit; 701. Outer shell of the porridge cooker; 702. Refrigeration pipe; 703. Piston; 704. Fixing plate; 705. Feed inlet of the porridge pot. Implementation

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments in this specification, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely some examples or embodiments of this specification. For those skilled in the art, these drawings can be applied to other similar scenarios without creative effort. Unless obvious from the context or otherwise specified, the same reference numerals in the drawings represent the same structures or operations.

[0020] It should be understood that the terms “system,” “device,” “unit,” and / or “module” used herein are one way to distinguish different components, elements, parts, sections, or assemblies at different levels. However, if other terms can achieve the same purpose, they may be replaced by other expressions.

[0021] As indicated in this specification and claims, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the words "a," "an," "an," and / or "the" do not specifically refer to the singular and may also include the plural. Generally speaking, the terms "comprising" and "including" only indicate the inclusion of expressly identified steps and elements, which do not constitute an exclusive list, and the method or apparatus may also include other steps or elements.

[0022] Flowcharts are used in this specification to illustrate the operations performed by the system according to embodiments of this specification. It should be understood that the preceding or following operations are not necessarily performed in exact order. Instead, the steps can be processed in reverse order or simultaneously. Furthermore, other operations can be added to these processes, or one or more steps can be removed from them. Example

[0023] An automatic feeding and discharging porridge cooker system is disclosed. The porridge cooker is a sealed container with a feeding inlet at the top and a discharging outlet at the bottom. Both the feeding inlet and the discharging outlet are equipped with movable switches. The top of the porridge cooker is also connected to a water inlet pipe and a steam pipe, both of which are equipped with movable switches. These movable switches are electrically controlled valves that can be opened and closed. The movable switch on the discharge port includes a three-way pipe. One end of the three-way pipe is connected to the porridge cooker, and the other end is connected to a piston valve. The other outlet of the three-way pipe is the discharge port. The piston valve reciprocates at the upper port of the discharge port through the action of an electric push rod, causing the porridge to be discharged from the discharge port. The porridge cooker also includes a cooling compartment and a temperature monitoring unit. The cooling compartment is equipped with cooling pipes, which are used to circulate cold air for cooling.

[0024] Furthermore, the system also includes a feeding unit, which includes a rice weighing bin assembly and an auxiliary material bin. The rice weighing bin assembly includes multiple feeding ports, at least one rice suction pump port, and at least one discharge port. Each feeding port is connected to a single rice bin through a feeding pipe, and each feeding pipe is equipped with an electric valve. The discharge port is equipped with a butterfly valve with a movable switch.

[0025] Furthermore, the auxiliary materials in the auxiliary material hopper are heated with steam and transported to the feed inlet of the porridge cooker via a transfer unit. The auxiliary material hopper also includes an auxiliary material cover, which is connected to a push rod mechanism via a holding mechanism. One end of the auxiliary material cover is provided with a brush mechanism, which is lower than the cover mechanism. When the auxiliary material cover comes into contact with the opening of the auxiliary material hopper, steam is introduced into the auxiliary material hopper for heating.

[0026] Furthermore, the auxiliary material transfer mechanism includes a lead screw, a linear bearing, and a transfer box. The transfer box moves back and forth on the lead screw via the linear bearing. At least one set of linear bearings and transfer boxes are provided on the lead screw. An electric valve plate is provided at the bottom of the transfer box. When the transfer box moves above the feed inlet of the porridge cooker, the electric valve plate opens.

[0027] Furthermore, a fixing plate is provided at the end of the tee furthest from the porridge pot, and a motor and a piston rod are provided on the fixing plate. A piston is provided at the end of the piston rod furthest from the motor. The width of the piston is greater than the cross-sectional area of ​​the discharge port pipe, and the length of the piston rod is no longer than the tee.

[0028] In some embodiments, a method for automatically feeding and discharging porridge in a cooking pot is also included, comprising the following steps: S1: Based on the food preparation signal, the corresponding amount of ingredients are obtained through the rice weighing assembly, and the auxiliary ingredients are heated with steam through the auxiliary material bin; S2: Obtain auxiliary materials through the auxiliary material transfer mechanism, and obtain food ingredients by opening the butterfly valve on the discharge port of the rice weighing bin assembly; S3: Obtain the water intake amount based on the weight of the ingredients and auxiliary materials, and then perform overheating and cooking. S4: Based on the temperature requirements of the food, when the food temperature is higher than the temperature inside the porridge pot, the heating unit is activated; when the food temperature is lower than the temperature inside the porridge pot, the cooling unit is activated. S5: When the temperature monitored by the temperature monitoring unit matches the required food temperature, activate the piston valve. S6: The piston rod completes the reciprocating motion within the tee according to the set number of times.

[0029] Furthermore, step S1 also includes the following steps: S11: Based on the food preparation signal, determine the type of side ingredients and obtain the location of the side ingredient box; S12: Close the auxiliary material cover and steam heat the auxiliary material according to the set time; S13: The bottom of the auxiliary material compartment is equipped with an auger, which transfers a set amount of auxiliary materials to the porridge pot according to the set number of rotations.

[0030] Furthermore, the temperature monitoring unit is located on the top of the porridge cooker. It is connected to the control panel and reads the temperature parameters at a set time. The set time is based on the temperature reading taken when the porridge cooker receives the food preparation signal after the cooking process is completed.

[0031] Furthermore, in steps S4 and S5, the temperature monitoring unit automatically sends temperature parameters according to the set frequency.

[0032] This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The bottom of the main frame is equipped with a hot water chamber and a refrigeration unit, which are used to provide hot water and cold air to the porridge cooker, respectively. The cold air passes through a refrigeration pipe in the inner wall partition, while the hot water is introduced into the porridge cooker through the feed pipe. The hot water can speed up the cooking time of the porridge. An induction cooker is installed at the bottom of the porridge cooker, and steam is also introduced at the top of the porridge cooker. The dual heating ensures that the grain porridge is cooked and opened up as soon as possible. In this embodiment, the auxiliary ingredients may also include pumpkin, mung beans, etc., to increase the richness of the porridge.

[0033] It should be noted that the storage compartment is provided for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of this specification. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications or variations based on the description in this specification, such as with the cup compartment assembly. However, these changes and modifications will not depart from the scope of this specification.

[0034] The basic concepts have been described above. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, the detailed disclosure above is merely illustrative and does not constitute a limitation of this specification. Although not explicitly stated herein, those skilled in the art may make various modifications, improvements, and corrections to this specification. Such modifications, improvements, and corrections are suggested in this specification and therefore remain within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments described herein.

[0035] Furthermore, this specification uses specific terms to describe embodiments thereof. For example, "an embodiment," "one embodiment," and / or "some embodiments" refer to a particular feature, structure, or characteristic associated with at least one embodiment of this specification. Therefore, it should be emphasized and noted that references to "an embodiment," "one embodiment," or "an alternative embodiment" in different locations throughout this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Moreover, certain features, structures, or characteristics in one or more embodiments of this specification can be appropriately combined.

[0036] Furthermore, unless expressly stated in the claims, the order of processing elements and sequences, the use of numbers and letters, or other names described in this specification are not intended to limit the order of the processes and methods described herein. Although various examples have been discussed in the foregoing disclosure of some embodiments of the invention that are currently considered useful, it should be understood that such details are for illustrative purposes only, and the appended claims are not limited to the disclosed embodiments; rather, the claims are intended to cover all modifications and equivalent combinations that conform to the spirit and scope of the embodiments described herein. For example, while the system components described above can be implemented using hardware devices, they can also be implemented solely using software solutions, such as installing the described system on existing servers or mobile devices.

[0037] Similarly, it should be noted that, in order to simplify the description disclosed herein and thus aid in the understanding of one or more embodiments of the invention, the foregoing description of embodiments in this specification may sometimes combine multiple features into a single embodiment, drawing, or description thereof. However, this method of disclosure does not imply that the subject matter of this specification requires more features than those mentioned in the claims. In fact, the embodiments contain fewer features than all the features of a single embodiment disclosed above.

[0038] Finally, it should be understood that the embodiments described in this specification are merely illustrative of the principles of the embodiments described herein. Other variations may also fall within the scope of this specification. Therefore, alternative configurations of the embodiments described herein are intended to be illustrative rather than limiting, and are considered consistent with the teachings of this specification. Accordingly, the embodiments described herein are not limited to those explicitly introduced and described herein.

Claims

1. An automatic feeding and discharging porridge cooker system, characterized in that, The porridge cooker is a sealed container with a feed inlet at the top and a discharge outlet at the bottom. Both the feed inlet and discharge outlet are equipped with movable switches. The top of the porridge cooker is also connected to a water inlet pipe and a steam pipe, both of which are equipped with movable switches. These movable switches are electrically controlled valves that can be opened and closed. The movable switch on the discharge port includes a three-way pipe. One end of the three-way pipe is connected to the porridge cooker, and the other end is connected to a piston valve. The other outlet of the three-way pipe is the discharge port. The piston valve reciprocates at the upper port of the discharge port through the action of an electric push rod, causing the porridge to be discharged from the discharge port. The porridge cooker also includes a cooling compartment and a temperature monitoring unit. The cooling compartment is equipped with cooling pipes, which are used to circulate cold air for cooling.

2. The automatic feeding and discharging porridge cooker system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The system also includes a feeding unit, which includes a rice weighing bin assembly and an auxiliary material bin. The rice weighing bin assembly includes multiple feeding ports, at least one rice suction pump port, and at least one discharge port. Each feeding port is connected to a single rice bin through a feeding pipe, and each feeding pipe is equipped with an electric valve. The discharge port is equipped with a butterfly valve with a movable switch.

3. The automatic feeding and discharging porridge cooker system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The auxiliary materials in the auxiliary material bin are heated by steam and transported to the feed inlet of the porridge cooker through a transfer unit. The auxiliary material bin also includes an auxiliary material cover. The auxiliary material cover is connected to a push rod mechanism through a holding mechanism. One end of the auxiliary material cover is provided with a brush mechanism, which is lower than the cover mechanism. When the auxiliary material cover abuts against the bin opening, steam is introduced into the auxiliary material bin for heating.

4. The automatic feeding and discharging porridge cooker system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The auxiliary material transfer mechanism includes a lead screw, a linear bearing, and a transfer box. The transfer box moves back and forth on the lead screw via the linear bearing. At least one set of linear bearings and transfer boxes are provided on the lead screw. An electric valve plate is provided at the bottom of the transfer box. When the transfer box moves above the feed inlet of the porridge cooker, the electric valve plate opens.

5. The automatic feeding and discharging porridge cooker system according to claim 4, characterized in that, A fixing plate is installed at the end of the tee furthest from the porridge pot. A motor and a piston rod are installed on the fixing plate. A piston is installed at the end of the piston rod furthest from the motor. The width of the piston is greater than the cross-sectional area of ​​the discharge pipe, and the length of the piston rod is no longer than the tee.

6. A method for automatically feeding and discharging porridge cookers, characterized in that, The automatic feeding and discharging porridge cooker system described in claim 5 includes the following steps: S1: Based on the food preparation signal, the corresponding amount of ingredients are obtained through the rice weighing assembly, and the auxiliary ingredients are heated with steam through the auxiliary material bin; S2: Obtain auxiliary materials through the auxiliary material transfer mechanism, and obtain food ingredients by opening the butterfly valve on the discharge port of the rice weighing bin assembly; S3: Obtain the water intake amount based on the weight of the ingredients and auxiliary materials, and then perform overheating and cooking. S4: Based on the temperature requirements of the food, when the food temperature is higher than the temperature inside the porridge pot, the heating unit is activated; when the food temperature is lower than the temperature inside the porridge pot, the cooling unit is activated. S5: When the temperature monitored by the temperature monitoring unit matches the required food temperature, activate the piston valve. S6: The piston rod completes the reciprocating motion within the tee according to the set number of times.

7. The method for an automatic feeding and discharging porridge cooker according to claim 6, characterized in that, S1 further includes the following steps: S11: Based on the food preparation signal, determine the type of side ingredients and obtain the location of the side ingredient box; S12: Close the auxiliary material cover and steam heat the auxiliary material according to the set time; S13: The bottom of the auxiliary material compartment is equipped with an auger, which transfers a set amount of auxiliary materials to the porridge pot according to the set number of rotations.

8. The method for an automatic feeding and discharging porridge cooker according to claim 7, characterized in that, The temperature monitoring unit is located on the top of the porridge cooker. It is connected to the control panel and reads the temperature parameters at a set time. The set time is based on the temperature reading when the porridge cooker receives the food preparation signal after the porridge cooker has finished cooking. The top of the porridge cooker is also equipped with a safety valve, which is used to monitor the steam pressure inside the porridge cooker. When the steam pressure is greater than the pressure standard value, the safety valve will automatically open to release the steam.

9. A method for an automatic feeding and discharging porridge cooker according to claim 7, characterized in that, In steps S4 and S5, the temperature monitoring unit automatically sends temperature parameters according to a set frequency. The water inlet pipe and steam pipe are connected to the stirring pipe inside the porridge cooker via a three-way valve. The stirring pipe is a multi-hole bent pipe, capable of performing, but not limited to, single-pass steam heating, single-pass water dilution of food, and single-pass water cleaning of the pot. Single-pass steam heating further includes determining the steam heating duration in the porridge cooker based on the food preparation signal. Single-pass water dilution of food further includes determining the amount of water to be added to the porridge cooker based on the food preparation signal and the weight of the ingredients. Single-pass water cleaning of the pot further includes determining the cleaning time by calculating the interval between two rounds of food preparation after one round of food preparation, and determining the water injection time based on the cleaning time. The working time mentioned above is inversely proportional to the number and diameter of the through holes in the stirring tube.

10. A method for an automatic feeding and discharging porridge cooker as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The aforementioned operating mechanisms are all derived from the system's hardware and software control, forming a functional software implementation for automatic operation and program scheduling. The operation control system is operated by a circuit integrated operator.

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