A lettuce root-cutting, grading, purifying, packaging and integrating machine

Abstract

The application discloses a lettuce root-cutting, grading, cleaning, packaging and integrating machine, wherein a screening assembly is located below an output end of a root-cutting assembly, a sorting assembly is located below an output end of the screening assembly and directly below the root-cuting assembly, a cleaning assembly is located directly below an output end of the sorting assembly, a draining assembly is located at an output end of the cleaning assembly, and a packaging assembly is located at an output end of the draining assembly, so that the lettuce is automatically subjected to root-cutting, single-leaf screening, visual sorting, eddy current cleaning, centrifugal draining, and continuous working operations of packaging, sealing, weighing and label pasting with the assistance of workers. The application has high automation integration degree, less manual intervention and stable processing quality, and can effectively meet the needs of large-scale production of clean vegetables. The multi-gear adjustable screening angle can make different sizes and different freshness degrees of the lettuce achieve a good single-leaf screening effect; the multiple nozzles with variable diameters and inclined axes form a ring-shaped eddy current, drive the leaves to continuously roll and suspend and clean, and realize omnibearing cleaning of the leaves.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of automated fruit and vegetable processing equipment, and particularly relates to an integrated machine for cutting, grading, purifying and packaging lettuce roots. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, most existing lettuce deep-processing equipment adopts a traditional horizontal linear or L-shaped split assembly line layout. Each functional unit is independently deployed, processes are dispersed, the overall equipment occupies a large area with low space utilization, and the connection between processing units is poor, with many transfer links, resulting in insufficient overall automation integration and continuous operation capability. Traditional lettuce processing often involves washing and packaging the entire lettuce head as a whole. This not only leads to many cleaning dead spots due to leaf stacking, making it difficult to guarantee cleanliness, but also results in the finished product being packaged as a whole head, which cannot meet the current demand for single-leaf consumption in catering, ready-to-eat meals, fresh raw food, and light meal side dishes. This leads to poor user convenience and low product market adaptability.

[0003] Existing conventional processing equipment is largely limited in function, mostly only capable of single-function cutting, washing, or loose sieving. It lacks a complete, integrated processing system that combines automated cutting and impurity removal, adaptive single-leaf sieving, visual defect removal, vortex precision cleaning, quantitative centrifugal draining, and refined packaging. This results in significant gaps in the equipment's processes, making it difficult to achieve integrated, closed-loop continuous production from whole lettuce raw material input to single-leaf finished product packaging. Furthermore, traditional washing processes often employ direct spraying, leading to poor cleaning uniformity, high water consumption, and a lack of a closed-loop water circulation structure, resulting in severe water waste. The equipment also lacks quantitative draining and uniform dehydration mechanisms, resulting in poor consistency between the dry and wet leaves of the finished product, making it prone to localized water accumulation, spoilage, and other problems, seriously affecting product quality and shelf life.

[0004] Currently, high-quality lettuce leaf processing still heavily relies on manual leaf breaking, sorting out damaged leaves, and manual bagging and packaging. This method is not only labor-intensive, inefficient, and costly, but also prone to secondary contamination and damage due to repeated manual handling of the leaves. Furthermore, it results in low product standardization and inconsistent finished product quality, failing to meet the requirements of large-scale, standardized, and clean industrial production. In summary, there is a lack in this field of integrated lettuce cutting, grading, purification, and packaging equipment that offers high space utilization, high integration, strong adaptability, energy efficiency, environmental friendliness, and the ability to package individual leaves. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention aims to solve the problems of low integration, inability to achieve full-process operation from whole lettuce to single leaf packaging, poor adaptability, water waste, and high dependence on manual labor in existing lettuce processing equipment. It provides an integrated machine for lettuce root cutting, grading, purification and packaging, which realizes automatic root cutting, single leaf screening, visual sorting, vortex washing and centrifugal draining of lettuce, and completes the full-process continuous processing of packaging, sealing, weighing and labeling with manual assistance, thereby improving processing efficiency and finished product quality, and reducing processing costs and space occupation.

[0006] The present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] This invention discloses an integrated machine for cutting, grading, purifying, and packaging lettuce roots, comprising a root-cutting assembly, a screening assembly, a sorting assembly, a washing assembly, a draining assembly, and a packaging assembly. The root-cutting assembly includes a root-cutting conveyor belt mechanism, a rotary cutting blade, and a root-cutting motor. An input baffle fixed to the frame is provided on one side of the input end of the root-cutting conveyor belt mechanism, and a gap exists between the input baffle and the root-cutting conveyor belt mechanism. The rotary cutting blade is located above the root-cutting conveyor belt mechanism, near the input baffle, and closer to the output end of the root-cutting conveyor belt mechanism than the input baffle. The rotary cutting blade is driven by the root-cutting motor, and the root-cutting conveyor belt mechanism is driven by a drive mechanism.

[0008] The screening assembly includes a DC geared motor, a circular cake screen, a rotating plate, and a sliding member; the circular cake screen is driven by the DC geared motor; the sliding member is hinged to the eccentric position of the circular cake screen and forms a sliding pair with the frame; the rotating plate is located below the output end of the root cutting transmission belt mechanism, one end of which forms a rotating pair with the open end of the screening baffle, the other end of which is supported by a support member, and the middle part is hinged to one end of a connecting rod, and the sliding rod hinged to the other end of the connecting rod forms a vertical sliding pair with the sliding member.

[0009] The sorting component is located below the opening end of the screening baffle and directly below the root cutting component. It includes a vision sensor, a pusher plate, and a sorting conveyor belt mechanism. The sorting conveyor belt mechanism is driven to rotate by a drive mechanism. The pusher plate is driven by a linear motor. The cleaning component is located directly below the output end of the sorting component, the draining component is located at the output end of the cleaning component, and the packaging component is located at the output end of the draining component.

[0010] Preferably, the root cutting drive belt of the root cutting drive belt mechanism is provided with multiple partitions arranged at intervals along the entire circumference; one end of the elastic pressure plate is fixed to the frame, and the other end contacts one of the partitions, forming an arc shape.

[0011] Preferably, a material drop pipe is provided below the root cutting transmission belt mechanism, the inlet of the material drop pipe is aligned with the rotary cutting blade, and the outlet is located on the side of the sorting component.

[0012] Preferably, the first root cutting baffle is arranged parallel to the input baffle and is located on the side of the output end of the root cutting transmission belt mechanism near the input baffle; the root cutting blade protective cover is located above the partition; the second root cutting baffle is horizontally placed above the rotating cutting blade; the cutting blade protective cover, the second root cutting baffle, and the first root cutting baffle are all fixed to the frame.

[0013] Preferably, the support member includes three pressure block groups arranged from bottom to top: a first pressure block group, a second pressure block group, and a third pressure block group. The first pressure block group consists of a first pressure block and a fourth pressure block; the second pressure block group consists of a second pressure block and a fifth pressure block; and the third pressure block group consists of a third pressure block and a sixth pressure block. Each of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth pressure blocks has multiple equidistant positioning holes. One of the positioning holes in the first, second, and third pressure blocks is aligned with the sieve. One of the light holes in the dividing frame is connected by bolts and nuts. One of the positioning holes of the fourth, fifth, and sixth pressure blocks is connected to another light hole in the screening dividing frame by bolts and nuts. The first and fourth pressure blocks extend into the screening dividing frame by equal lengths, the second and fifth pressure blocks extend into the screening dividing frame by equal lengths, and the third and sixth pressure blocks extend into the screening dividing frame by equal lengths. Only one of the pressure block groups one, two, and three extends into the screening dividing frame. The end of the rotating plate supported by the support member is placed on pressure block group one, two, or three.

[0014] Preferably, the waste leaf collection basket is located outside the frame and aligned with the push plate.

[0015] Preferably, the cleaning assembly includes a collection tank, a cleaning bucket, a water storage tank, and an ejector; the collection tank is fixed to the frame, with its input end located at the output end of the sorting conveyor mechanism and its output end located above the cleaning bucket; the cleaning bucket is placed on an outer frame, with an open top and a water outlet and a discharge port on its upper side wall; the outer frame is fixed to the frame; the ejector is fixed to the bottom of the cleaning bucket; the water storage tank is placed inside the outer frame, with the water outlet of the cleaning bucket connected to the water inlet of the water storage tank via a water pipe; the water inlet of the ejector is connected to the water outlet of a water pump, and the water inlet of the water pump is connected to the water outlet of the water storage tank; a drain outlet is provided on the lower side wall of the cleaning bucket, and a plug is provided at the drain outlet.

[0016] More preferably, the ejector has five nozzles evenly distributed circumferentially, the axes of the nozzles are inclined, and the cross-section of the water outlet end of the nozzle gradually decreases.

[0017] More preferably, the draining assembly includes a draining basket, a spin-drying bucket, a tilting frame, a disc motor, and a tilting motor; the spin-drying bucket and the outer frame form a rotating pair and are driven to rotate by the disc motor; the water outlet at the bottom of the spin-drying bucket is connected to the drain collection port in the water storage tank via a rotary joint; multiple electromagnets are evenly distributed circumferentially on the inner wall of the spin-drying bucket; the draining basket is placed on the spin-drying bucket, with a circular magnet attached to its outer wall, and is located below the discharge port of the washing bucket; a weight sensor is provided at the contact point between the draining basket and the spin-drying bucket. The tilting frame is located above the draining basket and is driven to reciprocate by the tilting motor. Two electromagnets are fixed on the tilting frame.

[0018] Preferably, the packing assembly includes a packing table, a guide plate, a bag-supporting rotating plate, a swing motor, a photoelectric sensor, a top support plate, and an air pump. The packing table is fixed to the frame. The guide plate consists of two parallel upright plates fixed to the packing table and positioned below the output end of the flipping frame. Two bag-supporting rotating plates are located at the output end of the guide plate on the packing table, each driven by a swing motor to swing back and forth. An air outlet is located below the two bag-supporting rotating plates on the packing table, and protrusions are fixed at both ends of the air outlet. The top support plate is placed in the air outlet, below the two protrusions, and its bottom is connected to the packing table via a compression spring, forming an air gap between the two protrusions. The air outlet of the air pump is connected to an air nozzle, which is positioned at the air gap. The photoelectric sensor is fixed to the packing table.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0020] 1. This invention adopts a vertical layout, breaking the limitations of traditional straight or L-shaped horizontal assembly line layouts. It makes full use of vertical space, effectively improves space utilization, significantly saves overall floor space, and has stronger scene adaptability.

[0021] 2. This invention enables automatic root cutting, single-leaf screening, visual sorting, vortex washing, and centrifugal draining of lettuce, and completes the entire continuous processing operation of packaging, sealing, weighing, and labeling with manual assistance. Compared with the segmented processing and process fragmentation of traditional equipment, this invention has a higher degree of automation and processing integration, which greatly improves the efficiency of lettuce processing, reduces the cost of manual intervention, and improves the quality of finished products.

[0022] 3. This invention features a multi-level adjustable screening angle, enabling lettuce of different sizes and freshness levels to be effectively screened into single leaves, demonstrating strong versatility. Simultaneously, the vibrating screening method achieves low-damage operation, stably and efficiently screening lettuce after root cutting into single-leaf states, effectively reducing the probability of leaf tearing and breakage.

[0023] 4. This invention employs multiple nozzles with varying diameters and inclined axes to create a ring-shaped vortex within the washing tub, causing the lettuce leaves to continuously tumble and suspend for thorough cleaning. This achieves comprehensive cleaning without any blind spots, completely removing mud, sand, and impurities from the leaves. Simultaneously, a water pipe with a one-way valve enables unidirectional recycling of the washing water, significantly reducing water consumption and promoting energy conservation and environmental protection. A drain outlet with a plug is located on the lower side wall of the washing tub for easy drainage and internal cleaning and maintenance.

[0024] 5. This invention uses a draining component with a weight sensor, which can quantitatively output lettuce leaves to the packaging component. Combined with the operation mode of electromagnet adsorption fixation, high-speed centrifugal water removal, and automatic flipping unloading, the draining uniformity is high and the dehydration effect is stable. This can effectively ensure the dryness and wetness consistency of the subsequent packaged products, avoid problems such as packaging dampness and deterioration caused by uneven moisture, and effectively improve the storage period and product quality of lettuce products. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional view of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 This is a side view of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 3 This is a top view of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 4 This is a structural cross-sectional view of the screening component in this invention.

[0029] Figure 5 This is another structural cross-sectional view of the screening component in this invention.

[0030] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional structural view of the screening component in this invention.

[0031] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the sliding component assembly of the screening component in this invention.

[0032] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the circular cake screen structure of the screening component in this invention.

[0033] Figure 9 This is a three-dimensional structural view of the cleaning component and the draining component in this invention.

[0034] Figure 10 This is a side view of the cleaning component and the draining component in this invention.

[0035] Figure 11 This is a side view of the sprayer of the cleaning component in this invention.

[0036] Figure 12 This is a top view of the sprayer of the cleaning component in this invention.

[0037] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the bag-supporting turntable of the packaging component in this invention when it is located at the storage station.

[0038] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the bag-supporting rotating plate of the packaging component in this invention located at the bag-supporting station.

[0039] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram showing the assembly positions of the swing motor and air pump of the packaging component in this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0040] The present invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0041] like Figure 1 As shown, a lettuce root cutting, grading, purification, and packaging integrated machine includes a root cutting component 1, a screening component 2, a sorting component 3, a washing component 4, a draining component 5, a packaging component 6, and a drive mechanism 7. The screening component 2 is located below the output end of the root cutting component 1; the sorting component 3 is located below the output end of the screening component 2, and directly below the root cutting component 1; the washing component 4 is located directly below the output end of the sorting component 3; the draining component 5 is located at the output end of the washing component 4; and the packaging component 6 is located at the output end of the draining component 5. Both the root cutting component 1 and the sorting component 3 are driven by the drive mechanism 7.

[0042] like Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the root-cutting assembly 1 includes a root-cutting conveyor belt mechanism 102, a rotary cutting blade 107, and a root-cutting motor 109. The root-cutting conveyor belt mechanism 102 is located on the top of the frame, and multiple partitions are arranged at intervals along the entire circumference of the root-cutting conveyor belt mechanism 102. One end of the elastic pressure plate 103 is fixed to the frame 8, and the other end contacts one of the partitions. It is arc-shaped and is used to provide pressure to the lettuce to prevent it from moving during the root-cutting process. The input end of the root-cutting conveyor belt mechanism 102 is provided with... A vertically placed input baffle 101 is provided, with a gap between the input baffle 101 and the root cutting conveyor belt mechanism 102. A rotary cutting blade 107 is located above the root cutting conveyor belt mechanism 102, near the input baffle 101, and closer to the output end of the root cutting conveyor belt mechanism 102 than the input baffle 101. The rotary cutting blade 107 is driven to rotate by a root cutting motor 109, the housing of which is fixed to the frame 8. The root cutting conveyor belt mechanism 102 is driven to rotate by a drive mechanism 7. A discharge pipe 108 is provided below the root cutting conveyor belt mechanism 102, with its inlet aligned with the rotary cutting blade 107 and its outlet located on the side of the sorting assembly 3. The first root cutting baffle 106 is arranged parallel to the input baffle 101 and is located on the side of the output end of the root cutting transmission belt mechanism 102 near the input baffle 101; the root cutting blade protective cover 104 is located above the partition; the second root cutting baffle 105 is horizontally placed above the rotating cutting blade; the input baffle 101, the cutting blade protective cover 104, the second root cutting baffle 105 and the first root cutting baffle 106 are all fixed to the frame 8.

[0043] like Figures 1 to 8As shown, the screening assembly 2 is located below the output end of the root cutting transmission belt mechanism 102, and includes a DC geared motor 205, a screening shaft 217, a circular cake screen 206, a first pressing block assembly, a second pressing block assembly, a third pressing block assembly, a rotating plate 210, a sliding member 216, and a linear slide rail 218. The screening shaft 217 is supported inside the motor protective cover 202 by a deep groove ball bearing 203 and a thrust ball bearing 204. Specifically, the deep groove ball bearing 203 can be supported on a deep groove ball bearing mounting plate 214, and the thrust ball bearing 204 can be supported on a thrust ball bearing circular mounting plate 213. Both the grooved ball bearing mounting plate 214 and the thrust ball bearing circular mounting plate 213 are fixed to the motor protective cover 202; the screening shaft 217 is connected to the output shaft of the DC geared motor 205 via a coupling 215; the circular cake screen 206 is fixed to the screening shaft 217; the sliding member 216 is supported on the cylindrical protrusion fixed to the circular cake screen 206 via a deep grooved ball bearing 211, and forms a sliding pair with the linear slide rail 218 fixed on the slide rail mounting plate 201; both the slide rail mounting plate 201 and the motor protective cover 202 are fixed to the frame 8; the pressing block group one, pressing block group two, and pressing block group... The three pressure blocks are arranged from bottom to top. Pressure block group one consists of a first pressure block 207 and a fourth pressure block 219; pressure block group two consists of a second pressure block 208 and a fifth pressure block 220; and pressure block group three consists of a third pressure block 209 and a sixth pressure block 221. Each of the first pressure block 207, second pressure block 208, third pressure block 209, fourth pressure block 219, fifth pressure block 220, and sixth pressure block 221 has multiple equidistantly arranged positioning holes. One positioning hole in each of the first pressure block 207, second pressure block 208, and third pressure block 209 passes through a clear hole in the screening baffle frame 212. The fourth pressure block 219, the fifth pressure block 220, and the sixth pressure block 221 are connected by bolts and nuts to another open hole in the screening baffle 212. The first pressure block 207 and the fourth pressure block 219 extend into the screening baffle 212 by equal lengths, the second pressure block 208 and the fifth pressure block 220 extend into the screening baffle 212 by equal lengths, and the third pressure block 209 and the sixth pressure block 221 extend into the screening baffle 212 by equal lengths. Only one of the pressure block group one, pressure block group two, and pressure block group three extends into the screening baffle 212. The rotating plate 210 is located below the output end of the root cutting transmission belt mechanism 102. One end of the rotating plate forms a rotating pair with the open end of the screening baffle 212, and the other end is placed on the pressure block group one, pressure block group two, or pressure block group three. The middle part is hinged to one end of the connecting rod, and the sliding rod hinged to the other end of the connecting rod forms a vertical sliding pair with the sliding member 216. The rotating plate 210 is placed on the pressing block assembly one, pressing block assembly two, or pressing block assembly three. The angle of the rotating plate 210 can be adjusted, and by adjusting the angle, lettuce of different sizes and freshness can be sieved into single leaves with better results. The DC geared motor 205 drives the sieving shaft 217 and the circular cake sieve disc 206 to rotate. The circular cake sieve disc 206 drives the sliding part 216 and the rotating plate 210 to move back and forth along the linear slide rail 218.

[0044] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the sorting component 3 is located below the open end of the screening frame 212, and includes a vision inspection device 301, a pusher plate 302, and a sorting conveyor belt mechanism 303. The sorting conveyor belt mechanism 303 is driven to rotate by the drive mechanism 7. The vision inspection device 301 includes a vision sensor, which is fixed on the frame 8 and located above the sorting conveyor belt mechanism 303, and is used to identify yellow, rotten, and withered leaves of lettuce. The second linear slide rail 304 is fixed to the frame 8 and is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the sorting conveyor belt mechanism 303. The slider and the second linear slide rail 304 form a sliding pair and are driven by a linear motor. The pusher plate 302 is fixed to the slider and is used to remove bad leaves of lettuce. The waste leaf collection basket 305 is set outside the frame and aligned with the pusher plate 302.

[0045] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 9 , Figure 10 , Figure 11 and Figure 12 As shown, the cleaning assembly 4 includes a collection tank 401, a cleaning bucket 402, a water storage tank 403, and an ejector 404. The collection tank 401 is fixed to the frame 8, with its input end located at the output end of the sorting conveyor belt mechanism 303 and its output end located above the cleaning bucket 402. The cleaning bucket 402 is placed on the outer frame, with an open top and a water outlet and a discharge port 405 on its upper side wall. The outer frame is fixed to the frame 8. The ejector 404 is fixed to the bottom of the cleaning bucket 402 to form a stable spray pattern inside the cleaning bucket 402. A vortex is formed; the water storage tank 403 is placed inside the outer frame, and the water outlet of the cleaning bucket 402 is connected to the water inlet of the water storage tank 403 through a water pipe. The water pipe is equipped with a one-way valve that opens towards the water storage tank 403, so as to realize the recycling of the cleaning water overflowing from the cleaning bucket 402, which is energy-saving and environmentally friendly; the water inlet of the jet 404 is connected to the water outlet of the water pump, and the water inlet of the water pump is connected to the water outlet of the water storage tank 403; a drain outlet is opened on the lower side wall of the cleaning bucket 402, and a plug is provided at the drain outlet. When sewage discharge, cleaning and maintenance are required, the plug can be opened to complete the drainage.

[0046] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 9 and Figure 10As shown, the draining assembly 5 includes a draining basket 502, a water-spraying bucket 503, a tilting frame 504, a disc motor 505, and a tilting motor 501. The water-spraying bucket 503 and the outer frame form a rotating pair and are driven to rotate by the disc motor 505. The water outlet at the bottom of the water-spraying bucket 503 is connected to the drain collection port at the water storage tank 403 via a rotary joint. Multiple electromagnets are fixed to the inner wall of the water-spraying bucket 503 and evenly distributed around its circumference. The draining basket 502 is placed on the water-spraying bucket 503, and a circular magnet is attached to its outer wall. The draining basket 502 is located below the discharge port 405 of the washing bucket 402. A weight sensor is installed at the contact point between the draining basket 502 and the water-spraying bucket 503 to monitor the weight of the accumulated blades inside the draining basket in real time. The tilting frame 504 is located above the draining basket 502 and is driven to reciprocate by the tilting motor 501. Two electromagnets are fixed on the tilting frame 504.

[0047] like Figure 13 , Figure 14 and Figure 15 As shown, the packaging assembly 6 includes a packaging table, a guide plate 601, a bag-supporting rotating plate 602, a swing motor 603, a photoelectric sensor, a top support plate, and an air pump 604. With manual assistance, it completes the entire packaging process of lettuce positioning, bag support, filling, sealing, weighing, and labeling. The packaging table is fixed on the frame 8. The guide plate 601 consists of two parallel vertical plates fixed on the packaging table and positioned below the output end of the flipping frame 504. After the flipping frame completes the lettuce flipping and unloading action, the guide plate 601 can limit and guide the lettuce leaves that fall, constraining the scattering range of the lettuce, effectively preventing the lettuce leaves from scattering randomly, ensuring that the lettuce falls in a neat position, and providing stable working conditions for subsequent manual filling operations. Two bag-supporting rotating plates 602 are set at the output end of the guide plate 601 on the packaging table. Each bag-supporting rotating plate 602 is driven by a swing motor 603 to complete a 90° reciprocating swing. The bag-supporting rotating plate 602 has two extreme working positions, corresponding to... Figure 13 and Figure 14The storage station and bag-supporting station are shown. The packing table has an air outlet located below the two bag-supporting rotating plates 602, with protrusions fixed at both ends of the outlet. A top support plate is placed in the air outlet, below the two protrusions, and its bottom is connected to the packing table via a compression spring. The top support plate presses a stack of packaging bags on the packing table under the two protrusions, continuously applying flexible support and limiting action, forming an air gap between the two protrusions. The air outlet of the air pump 604 is connected to a jet nozzle, which is placed at the air gap, continuously outputting directional airflow towards the stacked packaging bags. As the top packaging bags are continuously removed and the stack height gradually decreases, the top support plate, under the action of the compression spring, adaptively pushes the remaining packaging bags upwards to automatically fill the gap, ensuring that the top packaging bags are always stably maintained at the effective blowing height of the air gap. This achieves continuous automatic replenishment of packaging bags without the need for frequent manual adjustments, ensuring a continuous and stable bag supply. A photoelectric sensor is fixed on the packing table to detect the opening and closing status of the top packaging bag. The controller controls the swing motor 603 to drive the bag-supporting plate 602 to the storage station or the bag-supporting station.

[0048] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the drive mechanism 7 includes a DC motor 701, sprocket 1 702, sprocket 2 703, gear 1 704, gear 2 705, sprocket 3 706, sprocket 4 707, chain 1 708, and chain 2 709; the housing of the DC motor 701 is fixed on the frame 8; the output shaft of the DC motor 701 is connected to the drive shaft via a coupling; sprocket 1 702 is fixed on the drive shaft and connected to sprocket 2 703 via chain 1 708, and sprocket 2... On the drive roller of the root cutting transmission belt mechanism 102, both the drive roller and the driven roller of the root cutting transmission belt mechanism 102 form a rotating pair with the frame 8; Gear 1 704 is fixed on the drive shaft and meshes with Gear 2 705; Gear 2 705 and sprocket 3 706 are both fixed on the transmission shaft, and the transmission shaft forms a rotating pair with the frame 8; Sprocket 4 707 is fixed on the drive roller of the sorting conveyor belt mechanism 303 and is connected to sprocket 3 706 through chain 2 709. DC motor 701 drives sprocket 1 702 to rotate, and sprocket 1 702 drives sprocket 2 703 to rotate through chain 1 708, thereby driving the root cutting transmission belt mechanism 102; Gear 1 704 meshes with gear 2 705, driving sprocket 3 706 to rotate; sprocket 3 706 drives sprocket 4 707 to rotate through chain 2 709, thereby driving the sorting conveyor belt mechanism 303.

[0049] In a preferred embodiment, the ejector 404 is provided with five nozzles evenly distributed circumferentially, the axes of the nozzles are inclined, and the cross-section of the nozzle outlet gradually decreases.

[0050] As a preferred embodiment, such as Figure 10 As shown, the bottom of the water-spinning bucket 503 is funnel-shaped.

[0051] Among them, the root cutting motor 109, DC geared motor 205, linear motor, water pump, disc motor 505, tilting motor 501, air pump 604, DC motor 701, each swing motor 603 and each electromagnet are all controlled by the controller, and the signal output terminals of the vision sensor, weight sensor and photoelectric sensor are all connected to the controller.

[0052] The working principle of this integrated machine for cutting, grading, purifying, and packaging lettuce roots is as follows:

[0053] The whole head of lettuce is placed between the two partitions at the input end of the root-cutting conveyor belt mechanism 102, with the root of the lettuce against the input baffle 101. The root-cutting motor 109 drives the rotary cutting blade 107 to rotate continuously. When the whole head of lettuce is driven by the root-cutting conveyor belt mechanism 102 to the position of the elastic pressure plate 103, the elastic pressure plate 103 provides auxiliary pressure on the upper part of the lettuce to prevent the lettuce from shifting or shaking during the cutting process. The rotary cutting blade 107 completes the root-cutting operation of the lettuce. The waste roots generated during cutting fall from the discharge pipe 108 into the garbage bin for centralized collection. At the same time, the cutting blade protective cover 104, the second root-cutting baffle 105, and the first root-cutting baffle 106 effectively prevent the vegetable scraps and juices generated during the cutting process from splashing outward, achieving anti-splash protection and ensuring the cleanliness of the working area.

[0054] After the lettuce has been trimmed, it continues to be transported by the trimming conveyor belt mechanism 102 until it falls onto the rotating plate 210. The circular sieve disc 206 is driven to rotate by the DC geared motor 205, which in turn causes the sliding component 216 and the rotating plate 210 to reciprocate linearly. This process uses vibration screening to gradually separate the leaves of the whole lettuce, ultimately separating them into individual leaves. The tilt angle of the rotating plate 210 can be adjusted according to the size, variety, and firmness of different batches of lettuce. The vibration screening effect of the rotating plate 210 on different batches of lettuce can be determined through experimentation to find the optimal tilt angle for each batch.

[0055] Lettuce in single-leaf state is screened and falls sequentially from rotating plate 210 onto sorting conveyor belt mechanism 303. Visual sensors collect images of each leaf in real time, and the controller judges the quality of the leaves. If a leaf is identified as a bad leaf, such as a yellow leaf, rotten leaf, or withered leaf, when the bad leaf is conveyed to the push plate 302, the linear motor drives the push plate 302 to push the bad leaf out of the sorting conveyor belt mechanism 303 and into the waste leaf collection basket 305. Healthy leaves with intact appearance continue to be conveyed with the sorting conveyor belt mechanism 303, thereby completing the intelligent grading of leaves and the removal of bad leaves.

[0056] After screening, the healthy lettuce leaves fall from the collection tank 401 into the washing tank 402. A water pump continuously delivers water from the storage tank 403 into the sprayer 404 inside the washing tank 402. The sprayer 404 creates a stable annular vortex inside the washing tank 402, with low water pressure in the center and high water pressure around the edges, flowing downwards in the center and upwards around the edges. After falling into the washing tank 402 from the center, the lettuce leaves are carried downwards by the central vortex into the lower part of the washing tank, and then spiral upwards with the surrounding upward vortex, achieving thorough tumbling and cleaning without dead angles, completely removing mud and impurities from the leaf surface. The cleaned lettuce leaves in the washing tank 402 overflow smoothly from the discharge port 405 with the water flow. The water pressure from the sprayer 404 can be adjusted by regulating the water pump output power to suit the washing needs of leaves with varying amounts of mud and impurities.

[0057] After being washed, the lettuce leaves overflow from the discharge port 405 and fall into the drain basket 502. When the weight sensor detects that the weight of the lettuce leaves in the drain basket 502 has reached the set value, the electromagnets on the water-spraying bucket 503 are energized to attract the circular magnets of the drain basket 502. At the same time, the controller controls the disc motor 505 to drive the water-spraying bucket 503 and the drain basket 502 to rotate synchronously, relying on centrifugal force to remove residual water from the surface of the leaves. After rotating for a preset number of times, the draining is considered to be up to standard. The disc motor 505 stops, the electromagnets on the water-spraying bucket 503 are de-energized, and then the two electromagnets on the flipping frame 504 are energized to attract the drain basket 502. The flipping motor 501 drives the flipping frame 504 and the drain basket 502 to flip together, pouring the drained lettuce leaves onto the packaging table of the packaging component 6. Then the flipping frame 504 and the drain basket 502 are reset, the drain basket 502 is placed back on the water-spraying bucket 503, and the two electromagnets on the flipping frame 504 are de-energized.

[0058] Packaging component 6 completes the packaging operation. Specifically, when the flipping motor 501 drives the flipping frame 504 and the drain basket 502 to reset, the air pump 604 delivers gas to the air nozzle. The airflow from the air nozzle flows out through the air gap and enters the topmost packaging bag in a stack of packaging bags sandwiched between the top support plate and the two protrusions, thus initially opening the topmost packaging bag. The two sides of the packaging bag are of different lengths. The longer side is fitted with a sealing strip to facilitate subsequent sealing operations, and the portion of the longer side that extends beyond the shorter side is sandwiched between the top support plate and the two protrusions. When the photoelectric sensor detects that the topmost packaging bag is in an open state, the controller controls the swing motor 603 to drive the bag-supporting rotating plate 602 to the bag-supporting position. This allows the two bag-supporting rotating plates 602 to support and shape the blown-open bag opening, ensuring that the packaging bag maintains a stable, fully open posture. This effectively prevents the bag opening from elastically retracting and closing, ensuring sufficient and orderly filling space. Subsequently, staff members place lettuce leaves from the packing table into open packaging bags, then remove the bags containing the lettuce leaves and seal them. After the top packaging bag is removed, if the photoelectric sensor does not detect that the top packaging bag is open, the controller stops the air pump 604 from supplying air and controls the swing motor 603 to drive the bag-supporting plate 602 to the storage position. The top support plate, under the action of the compression spring, can adaptively push the remaining packaging bags upward to automatically fill the gap.

[0059] After sealing, staff place the packaging bag containing lettuce leaves on a barcode scale (or label scale) to weigh it and then affix the printed labels.

[0060] As can be seen, the present invention can realize the automatic root cutting, single leaf screening, visual sorting, vortex washing, centrifugal draining of lettuce in sequence, and complete the entire continuous processing operation of packaging, sealing, weighing and labeling with manual assistance.

Claims

1. A lettuce root cutting, grading, purification, and packaging integrated machine, comprising a root cutting component, characterized in that: It also includes a screening component, a sorting component, a washing component, a draining component, and a packaging component; the root cutting component includes a root cutting conveyor belt mechanism, a rotary cutting blade, and a root cutting motor; the input end of the root cutting conveyor belt mechanism is provided with an input baffle fixed to the frame, and there is a gap between the input baffle and the root cutting conveyor belt mechanism; the rotary cutting blade is located above the root cutting conveyor belt mechanism near the input baffle, and is closer to the output end of the root cutting conveyor belt mechanism than the input baffle; the rotary cutting blade is driven by the root cutting motor; the root cutting conveyor belt mechanism is driven by a drive mechanism; The screening assembly includes a DC geared motor, a circular cake screen, a rotating plate, and a sliding member; the circular cake screen is driven by the DC geared motor; the sliding member is hinged to the eccentric position of the circular cake screen and forms a sliding pair with the frame; the rotating plate is located below the output end of the root cutting transmission belt mechanism, one end of which forms a rotating pair with the open end of the screening baffle, the other end of which is supported by a support member, and the middle part is hinged to one end of a connecting rod, and the sliding rod hinged to the other end of the connecting rod forms a vertical sliding pair with the sliding member; The sorting component is located below the opening end of the screening baffle and directly below the root cutting component, and includes a vision sensor, a pusher plate, and a sorting conveyor belt mechanism; the sorting conveyor belt mechanism is driven to rotate by a drive mechanism; the pusher plate is driven by a linear motor; the cleaning component is located directly below the output end of the sorting component, the draining component is located at the output end of the cleaning component, and the packaging component is located at the output end of the draining component.

2. The integrated machine for cutting, grading, purifying, and packaging lettuce roots according to claim 1, characterized in that: The root cutting drive belt mechanism has multiple partitions arranged at intervals along the entire circumference of the root cutting drive belt; one end of the elastic pressure plate is fixed to the frame, and the other end contacts one of the partitions, forming an arc shape.

3. The integrated machine for cutting, grading, purifying, and packaging lettuce roots according to claim 1, characterized in that: Below the root cutting drive belt mechanism is a material discharge pipe, the inlet of which is aligned with the rotary cutting blade, and the outlet is located on the side of the sorting component.

4. The integrated machine for cutting, grading, purifying, and packaging lettuce roots according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first root cutting baffle is arranged parallel to the input baffle and is located on the side of the output end of the root cutting transmission belt mechanism near the input baffle; the root cutting blade protective cover is located above the partition; the second root cutting baffle is horizontally placed above the rotating cutting blade; the cutting blade protective cover, the second root cutting baffle, and the first root cutting baffle are all fixed to the frame.

5. The integrated machine for cutting, grading, purifying, and packaging lettuce roots according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support component includes three pressure block groups arranged from bottom to top: a first pressure block group, a second pressure block group, and a third pressure block group. The first pressure block group consists of a first pressure block and a fourth pressure block; the second pressure block group consists of a second pressure block and a fifth pressure block; and the third pressure block group consists of a third pressure block and a sixth pressure block. Each of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth pressure blocks has multiple equidistant positioning holes. One of the positioning holes in each of the first, second, and third pressure blocks is connected to a clear hole in the screening frame via bolts and nuts. Then, one of the positioning holes of the fourth, fifth, and sixth pressure blocks is connected to another open hole in the screening baffle frame by bolts and nuts; the first and fourth pressure blocks extend into the screening baffle frame by equal lengths, the second and fifth pressure blocks extend into the screening baffle frame by equal lengths, the third and sixth pressure blocks extend into the screening baffle frame by equal lengths, and only one of the pressure block group one, pressure block group two, and pressure block group three extends into the screening baffle frame; the end of the rotating plate supported by the support member is placed on pressure block group one, pressure block group two, or pressure block group three.

6. The integrated machine for cutting, grading, purifying, and packaging lettuce roots according to claim 1, characterized in that: The waste leaf collection basket is located outside the frame and aligned with the push plate.

7. The integrated machine for cutting, grading, purifying, and packaging lettuce roots according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cleaning assembly includes a collection tank, a cleaning bucket, a water storage tank, and an ejector. The collection tank is fixed to the frame, with its input end located at the output end of the sorting conveyor mechanism and its output end located above the cleaning bucket. The cleaning bucket is placed on an outer frame, with an open top and a water outlet and a discharge port on its upper side wall. The outer frame is fixed to the frame. The ejector is fixed to the bottom of the cleaning bucket. The water storage tank is placed inside the outer frame, and the water outlet of the cleaning bucket is connected to the water inlet of the water storage tank via a water pipe. The water inlet of the ejector is connected to the water outlet of a water pump, and the water inlet of the water pump is connected to the water outlet of the water storage tank. A drain outlet is provided on the lower side wall of the cleaning bucket, and a plug is provided at the drain outlet.

8. The integrated machine for cutting, grading, purifying, and packaging lettuce roots according to claim 7, characterized in that: The ejector has five nozzles evenly distributed circumferentially, the axes of the nozzles are inclined, and the cross-section of the nozzle outlet gradually decreases.

9. The integrated machine for cutting, grading, purifying, and packaging lettuce roots according to claim 7, characterized in that: The draining assembly includes a draining basket, a spin-drying bucket, a tilting frame, a disc motor, and a tilting motor. The spin-drying bucket and the outer frame form a rotating pair and are driven to rotate by the disc motor. The water outlet at the bottom of the spin-drying bucket is connected to the drain collection port in the water storage tank via a rotary joint. Multiple electromagnets are evenly distributed circumferentially on the inner wall of the spin-drying bucket. The draining basket is placed on the spin-drying bucket, with a circular magnet attached to its outer wall, and is located below the discharge port of the washing bucket. A weight sensor is provided at the contact point between the draining basket and the spin-drying bucket. The tilting frame is located above the draining basket and is driven to reciprocate by the tilting motor. Two electromagnets are fixed on the tilting frame.

10. The integrated machine for cutting, grading, purifying, and packaging lettuce roots according to claim 1, characterized in that: The packaging assembly includes a packaging table, a guide plate, a bag-supporting rotating plate, a swing motor, a photoelectric sensor, a top support plate, and an air pump. The packaging table is fixed on the frame. The guide plate consists of two parallel upright plates fixed on the packaging table and positioned below the output end of the flipping frame. Two bag-supporting rotating plates are set at the output end of the guide plate on the packaging table. Each bag-supporting rotating plate is driven by a swing motor to swing back and forth. The packing table has an air outlet located below the two bag-supporting rotating plates, and protrusions are fixed at both ends of the air outlet; the top support plate is placed in the air outlet, below the two protrusions, and its bottom is connected to the packing table by a compression spring, forming an air gap between the two protrusions; the air outlet of the air pump is connected to the air nozzle, which is placed at the air gap; the photoelectric sensor is fixed on the packing table.

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