Tobacco stem cleaning device

Abstract

The tobacco stem cleaning device comprises a feeding mechanism, infiltrating equipment and a discharging mechanism, the feeding mechanism comprises a feeding conveying belt, the discharging mechanism comprises a discharging conveying belt, the infiltrating equipment comprises an infiltrating groove used for containing water, the top of the infiltrating groove is open, and the discharging end of the feeding conveying belt is located at the top of the infiltrating groove so as to convey tobacco stems to the infiltrating groove; the discharging conveying belt is used for sending out the infiltrated tobacco stems in the infiltrating tank; the infiltrating equipment further comprises a material pressing mechanism, the material pressing mechanism comprises a lifting rod and a material pressing plate, and the material pressing plate is provided with an avoiding position located above the infiltrating groove and a material pressing position located in the infiltrating groove and used for pressing the tobacco stems to the position below the water surface. The material pressing plate moves from the avoiding position to the material pressing position, the material pressing plate firstly abuts against tobacco stems on the water surface in the downward moving process, the tobacco stems are pressed to move towards the position below the water surface, and the infiltration rate of the tobacco stems is greatly increased.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of tobacco processing technology, specifically relating to a tobacco stem cleaning device. Background Technology

[0002] In tobacco processing, tobacco stems are primarily cleaned using a stem washing machine or by placing them in an immersion tank. The stem washing machine uses circulating water to spray and clean the tobacco stems, removing dust, sand, metal and non-metal impurities from their surface. It also removes pectin from the stems and increases their moisture content, making them clean and soft to meet the requirements of subsequent processing steps. This process also effectively protects the blades of the subsequent shredder. Immersion tank cleaning involves placing the tobacco stems in the immersion tank, where the water cleans them. However, both cleaning methods have certain problems: when using a stem washing machine to clean tobacco stems, the need to spray water onto the stems can easily damage them. Also, when the stems are large, they need to be spread out before being sprayed individually, which is slow and can easily miss dirt hidden inside the stems. On the other hand, when using an immersion tank to clean tobacco stems, the low density of the stems may cause them to float on the surface, resulting in incomplete immersion. Furthermore, the poor water flow makes it difficult to thoroughly clean dirt from the outer surface of the stems. Utility Model Content

[0003] This application provides a tobacco stem cleaning device to solve the technical problems of low efficiency and poor cleaning effect of tobacco stems in traditional technology.

[0004] The technical solution adopted in this application is as follows:

[0005] A tobacco stem cleaning device includes a feeding mechanism, a wetting device, and a discharging mechanism. The feeding mechanism includes a feeding conveyor belt, and the discharging mechanism includes a discharging conveyor belt. The wetting device includes a wetting tank for holding water, with an opening at the top. The discharging end of the feeding conveyor belt is located at the top of the wetting tank to convey tobacco stems into the wetting tank, and the discharging conveyor belt is used to discharge the wetting tobacco stems from the wetting tank. The wetting device also includes a pressing mechanism, which includes a lifting rod and a pressing plate. The pressing plate has a clearance position above the wetting tank and a pressing position inside the wetting tank that presses the tobacco stems below the water surface. The lifting rod can drive the pressing plate to switch between the clearance position and the pressing position. The wetting device also includes a bubble generator, which has a bubble emission port located inside the wetting tank and opening downwards towards the pressing position. The bubble generator emits bubbles into the wetting tank through the bubble emission port.

[0006] The tobacco stem cleaning device described in this application also includes the following additional technical features:

[0007] The feed end of the discharge conveyor belt is located below the water surface of the immersion tank, and the discharge end of the discharge conveyor belt is located outside the immersion tank. The discharge conveyor belt extends obliquely and has a first section located below the water surface in the immersion tank and a second section located above the water surface in the immersion tank. The projection of the pressure plate in the vertical direction at least partially coincides with the first section.

[0008] The pressure plate extends obliquely and has the same slope as the first segment.

[0009] The feeding conveyor belt also includes a deflector plate, which extends vertically and is connected to the top surface of the first section. There are multiple deflector plates arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the first section.

[0010] The discharge mechanism also includes a vibration generator that acts on the second section. The second section has multiple leakage holes and a water collection tank at the bottom. The vibration generator can drive the second section to vibrate, so that the tobacco stems on the second section vibrate and the water attached to the tobacco stems flows into the water collection tank through the leakage holes.

[0011] The immersion device also includes a heating element and a temperature detection element located in the immersion tank. The temperature detection element can detect the water temperature in the immersion tank and control the heating element to stop working when the water temperature reaches a preset temperature, and control the heating element to work when the water temperature is lower than the preset temperature.

[0012] The pressure plate includes a plate body and a gathering plate located at the outer edge of the plate body. One end of the gathering plate is connected to the pressure plate, and the other end extends toward the impregnation tank.

[0013] The included angle between the folding plate and the plate body is α, where 90°≤α≤120°.

[0014] The plate is provided with multiple liquid passage holes spaced apart.

[0015] Due to the adoption of the above technical solution, the beneficial effects achieved by this application are as follows:

[0016] 1. The tobacco stem cleaning device of this application conveys tobacco stems to the top of the impregnation tank via a feeding mechanism. After the tobacco stems leave the discharge end of the feeding conveyor belt, they fall into the impregnation tank under gravity. At this time, the pressing plate is located in a clearance position above the impregnation tank to avoid the feeding of tobacco stems into the impregnation tank. Due to the low density of tobacco stems, some tobacco stems may float on the water surface. At this time, the lifting rod drives the pressing plate to move downward. The pressing plate moves from the clearance position to the pressing position. During the downward movement, the pressing plate first comes into contact with the tobacco stems on the water surface and presses the tobacco stems downward. When the pressing plate moves to the pressing position below the water surface, the tobacco stems that were originally floating on the water surface have been pressed down by the pressing plate, which greatly improves the impregnation rate of the tobacco stems. In addition, the impregnation equipment also includes a bubble generator, which is located inside the impregnation tank and below the pressing position. The open bubble ejection port allows the tobacco stems to be filled below the pressure plate when it is in the pressure position. The bubble generator then ejects bubbles towards the tobacco stems through the bubble ejection port. The bubbles collide with the tobacco stems, dispersing the debris attached to their outer surface and significantly improving the cleaning rate. Furthermore, the large number of bubbles generated as they collide with the tobacco stems in the water creates a turbulent flow in the immersion tank. This allows the dirt attached to the outside of the tobacco stems to be separated from them by the water flow with minimal impact, thus reducing the impact on the tobacco stems and helping to maintain their structural integrity.

[0017] 2. In a preferred embodiment of this application, after the tobacco stems are cleaned, they remain below the water surface under the action of the pressing plate. Since the first section of the discharge conveyor belt is below the water surface, the discharge conveyor belt can be started and put into operation after the tobacco stems are cleaned, conveying the tobacco stems below the pressing plate out of the soaking tank. Furthermore, since the projection of the pressing plate in the vertical direction partially overlaps with the first section, the pressing plate can press the tobacco stems onto the first section, increasing the adhesion between the tobacco stems and the discharge conveyor belt, thereby assisting the discharge conveyor belt in conveying the tobacco stems and improving the conveying efficiency of the tobacco stems.

[0018] 3. In a preferred embodiment of this application, the pressing plate extends obliquely and has the same slope as the first section. After the tobacco stems are cleaned, the pressing plate remains in the pressing position. The tobacco stems located below the pressing plate can achieve a high degree of fit with the first section, thereby improving the conveying efficiency of the discharge conveyor belt for the tobacco stems.

[0019] 4. As a preferred embodiment of this application, the immersion device further includes a heating element and a temperature detection element located in the immersion tank. The heating element can heat the water in the immersion tank to a suitable temperature for cleaning tobacco stems, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency of tobacco stems. The temperature detection element can monitor the water temperature in the immersion tank in real time. When the water temperature reaches a suitable temperature value or temperature range for cleaning tobacco stems, the temperature detection element controls the heating element to stop working. As the cleaning work progresses, the water temperature gradually decreases and falls below the suitable cleaning temperature or the suitable temperature range, the temperature detection element controls the heating element to work to increase the water temperature based on the detection results. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a tobacco stem cleaning device according to one embodiment of this application. Figure 1 ;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a tobacco stem cleaning device according to one embodiment of this application. Figure 2 ;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a top view of the pressure plate according to one embodiment of this application.

[0024] in:

[0025] 1. Feeding conveyor belt;

[0026] 2. Discharge conveyor belt; 21. First section; 22. Second section; 23. Actuating plate;

[0027] 3. Immersion tank; 31. Clearance opening;

[0028] 4. Pressure plate, 41. Plate body, 411. Liquid passage hole, 42. Gathering plate;

[0029] 5. Lifting mast;

[0030] 6. Bubble generator, 61. Bubble emission port. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To more clearly illustrate the overall concept of this application, a detailed explanation is provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments of this application and the features thereof can be combined with each other.

[0033] Furthermore, it should be understood in the description of this application that the terms "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application 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, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0034] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a communication connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0035] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the "above" or "below" of the second feature can mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "an embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0036] like Figure 1 , Figure 2As shown, a tobacco stem cleaning device includes a feeding mechanism, a wetting device, and a discharging mechanism. The feeding mechanism includes a feeding conveyor belt 1, and the discharging mechanism includes a discharging conveyor belt 2. The wetting device includes a wetting tank 3 for holding water, with an opening at the top. The discharging end of the feeding conveyor belt 1 is located at the top of the wetting tank 3 to convey tobacco stems into the wetting tank 3, and the discharging conveyor belt 2 is used to send the wetting tobacco stems out of the wetting tank 3. The wetting device also includes a pressing mechanism, which includes a lifting rod 5 and a pressing plate 4. The pressing plate 4 has a clearance position above the wetting tank 3 and a pressing position inside the wetting tank 3 that presses the tobacco stems below the water surface. The lifting rod 5 can drive the pressing plate 4 to switch between the clearance position and the pressing position. The wetting device also includes a bubble generator 6, which has a bubble emission port 61 located inside the wetting tank 3 and opening towards the pressing position. The bubble generator emits bubbles into the wetting tank 3 through the bubble emission port 61.

[0037] The tobacco stem cleaning device of this application conveys tobacco stems to the top of the impregnation tank 3 via a feeding mechanism. After the tobacco stems leave the discharge end of the feeding conveyor belt 1, they fall into the impregnation tank 3 under gravity. At this time, the pressing plate 4 is located in a clearance position above the impregnation tank 3 to avoid the feeding of tobacco stems into the impregnation tank 3. Due to the low density of tobacco stems, some tobacco stems may float on the water surface. At this time, the lifting rod 5 drives the pressing plate 4 to move downward. The pressing plate 4 moves from the clearance position to the pressing position. During the downward movement, the pressing plate 4 first comes into contact with the tobacco stems on the water surface and presses the tobacco stems to move below the water surface. When the pressing plate 4 moves to the pressing position below the water surface, the tobacco stems that were originally floating on the water surface have been pressed below the water surface by the pressing plate 4, which greatly improves the impregnation rate of the tobacco stems. In addition, the impregnation equipment also includes a bubble generator 6, which is located inside the impregnation tank 3 and moves downward toward the pressing position. The bubble generator 6 emits bubbles through the bubble outlet 61. When the pressure plate 4 is in the pressure position, the area below the pressure plate 4 is filled with tobacco stems. The bubble generator 6 emits bubbles towards the tobacco stems through the bubble outlet 61. The bubbles collide with the tobacco stems to disperse the debris attached to the outer surface of the tobacco stems, greatly improving the cleaning rate of the tobacco stems. Moreover, because the bubbles collide with the tobacco stems in the water, the large number of bubbles generated will have a turbulent effect on the water in the immersion tank 3. The dirt attached to the outside of the tobacco stems can be separated from the tobacco stems under the action of water flow with a small impact force, thus reducing the impact force on the tobacco stems and helping to maintain the structural integrity of the tobacco stems.

[0038] Specifically, Figure 1 Arrow A points to the discharge end of feeding conveyor belt 1, arrow B points to the feed end of discharge conveyor belt 2, and arrow C points to the discharge end of discharge conveyor belt 2. Of course, tobacco stems below the water surface can be transported from any position of discharge conveyor belt 2 below the water surface, and are not only fed from the feed end. Figure 1The middle arrow X indicates the conveying direction of the feed conveyor belt 1, and the arrow Y indicates the conveying direction of the discharge conveyor belt 2. Preferably, the feed conveyor belt 1 and the discharge conveyor belt 2 can be cyclic conveyor belts.

[0039] Figure 1 The intermediate pressure plate 4 is located in an avoidance position. Figure 2 The intermediate pressure plate 4 is located at the pressure position.

[0040] Preferably, the projection of the pressing plate 4 along the vertical direction coincides with the top opening of the soaking tank 3, so that the pressing plate 4 can cover all the tobacco stems above the water surface. When the pressing plate 4 is in the pressing position, it can press all the tobacco stems below the water surface.

[0041] As a preferred embodiment of this application, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the feeding end of the discharge conveyor belt 2 is located below the water surface of the soaking tank 3, and the discharge end of the discharge conveyor belt 2 is located outside the soaking tank 3. The discharge conveyor belt 2 extends obliquely and has a first section 21 located below the water surface in the soaking tank 3 and a second section 22 located above the water surface in the soaking tank 3. The projection of the pressing plate 4 in the horizontal direction at least partially overlaps with the first section 21. After the tobacco stems are cleaned, the tobacco stems are still below the water surface under the action of the pressing plate 4. Since the first section 21 of the discharge conveyor belt 2 is below the water surface, the discharge conveyor section can be started and started working after the tobacco stems are cleaned, conveying the tobacco stems below the pressing plate 4 out of the soaking tank 3. And since the projection of the pressing plate 4 in the vertical direction partially overlaps with the first section 21, the pressing plate 4 can press the tobacco stems onto the first section 21, increasing the adhesion between the tobacco stems and the discharge conveyor belt 2, thereby assisting the discharge conveyor belt 2 in conveying the tobacco stems and improving the conveying efficiency of the tobacco stems.

[0042] Preferably, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, an avoidance opening 31 is provided on the side wall of the impregnation tank 3, and the discharge conveyor belt 2 passes through the avoidance opening 31 to exit the impregnation tank 3.

[0043] As a preferred embodiment of this implementation, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the pressing plate 4 extends obliquely with the same slope as the first section 21. Since the pressing plate 4 extends obliquely with the same slope as the first section 21, after the tobacco stems are cleaned, the pressing plate 4 remains in the pressing position. The tobacco stems located below the pressing plate 4 can achieve a high degree of fit with the first section 21, improving the conveying efficiency of the discharge conveyor belt 2 for the tobacco stems.

[0044] As another preferred embodiment of this implementation, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2As shown, the feeding conveyor belt 1 also includes a deflector plate 23, which extends vertically and is connected to the top surface of the first section 21. There are multiple deflector plates 23, which are arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the first section 21.

[0045] Because the tobacco stems below the water surface are subject to the buoyancy of the water, even under the pressure of the pressing plate 4, it is still difficult for them to achieve a high degree of contact with the feeding conveyor belt 1, which affects the feeding efficiency of the feeding conveyor belt 1. However, by setting a deflector plate on the feeding conveyor belt 1, even if the tobacco stems below the water surface are subject to the buoyancy of the water and the friction between the tobacco stems and the feeding conveyor belt 1 is low, the tobacco stems can still move upward to the water surface under the action of the deflector plate 23, thereby improving the conveying efficiency of the feeding conveyor belt 1 for the tobacco stems.

[0046] In another preferred embodiment of this method, the discharge mechanism further includes a vibration generator acting on the second section 22. The second section 22 has multiple drainage holes, and a water collection tank is located at its bottom. The vibration generator drives the second section 22 to vibrate, causing the tobacco stems on the second section 22 to vibrate and dissipate the water adhering to the tobacco stems into the water collection tank through the drainage holes. After the cleaning process is completed, a large amount of water will adhere to the surface of the tobacco stems. Before proceeding to the next processing step, this water needs to be removed. By setting up a vibration generator and drainage holes on the second section 22, the vibration generator drives the second section 22 to vibrate, causing the water adhering to the outer surface of the tobacco stems to drip downwards due to the vibration and be collected in the water collection tank through the drainage holes. This significantly reduces the moisture content on the outer surface of the tobacco stems, thereby reducing the difficulty of subsequent water treatment. Furthermore, the water collected in the water collection tank can be reused for cleaning the tobacco stems, reducing the processing cost of the tobacco stems.

[0047] As a preferred embodiment of this application, the immersion device also includes a heating element and a temperature detection element located in the immersion tank 3. The temperature detection element can detect the water temperature in the immersion tank 3 and control the heating element to stop working when the water temperature reaches the preset temperature, and control the heating element to work when the water temperature is lower than the preset temperature.

[0048] Specifically, the preset temperature mentioned in this embodiment does not refer to a specific value, but any temperature value within the range of 45°C to 55°C can be considered as the preset temperature. Since the washing efficiency of tobacco stems is related to temperature, the washing efficiency of tobacco stems can be effectively improved within the preset temperature range. Therefore, a heating element and a temperature detection element are installed in the immersion tank 3. The temperature detection element detects the real-time temperature of the immersion tank 3. When the temperature is low, the heating element is controlled to increase the water temperature of the immersion tank 3 to provide a better washing temperature for the tobacco stems.

[0049] As a preferred embodiment of this application, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2As shown, the pressing plate 4 includes a plate body 41 and a gathering plate 42 located at the outer edge of the plate body 41. One end of the gathering plate 42 is connected to the pressing plate 4, and the other end extends towards the impregnation tank 3. The plate body 41 is used to press the tobacco stems downwards into the water, and the gathering plate 42 is used to gather the tobacco stems in the water, preventing the tobacco stems from escaping from the outer edge of the plate body 41 to areas outside the coverage of the plate body 41, thereby increasing the carrying rate of the pressing plate 4 on the tobacco stems and thus increasing the impregnation rate of the tobacco stems.

[0050] In a preferred embodiment of this method, the included angle between the gathering plate 42 and the plate body 41 is α, where 90°≤α≤120°. Setting the included angle α between the gathering plate 42 and the plate body 41 to 90°≤α≤120° helps to improve the gathering effect of the gathering plate 42 on the tobacco stems.

[0051] As another preferred embodiment of this implementation, such as Figure 3 As shown, a plurality of liquid passage holes 411 are spaced apart on the plate 41.

[0052] By setting the liquid passage hole 411, the contact area between the plate 41 and the water is reduced, allowing the water below the plate 41 to flow upward through the liquid passage hole 411, thereby reducing the buoyancy of the plate 41 and helping to improve the smoothness of the up and down movement of the pressure plate 4.

[0053] For any parts not mentioned in this application, existing technologies may be used or referenced.

[0054] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments.

[0055] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A tobacco stem cleaning device, characterized in that, The device includes a feeding mechanism, a wetting device, and a discharging mechanism. The feeding mechanism includes a feeding conveyor belt, and the discharging mechanism includes a discharging conveyor belt. The wetting device includes a wetting tank for holding water, with an opening at the top. The discharging end of the feeding conveyor belt is located at the top of the wetting tank to feed tobacco stems into the wetting tank, and the discharging conveyor belt is used to discharge the wetting tobacco stems from the wetting tank. The wetting device also includes a pressing mechanism, which includes a lifting rod and a pressing plate. The pressing plate has a clearance position above the wetting tank and a pressing position inside the wetting tank that presses the tobacco stems below the water surface. The lifting rod can drive the pressing plate to switch between the clearance position and the pressing position. The wetting device also includes a bubble generator, which has a bubble emission port located inside the wetting tank and opening downwards towards the pressing position. The bubble generator emits bubbles into the wetting tank through the bubble emission port.

2. The tobacco stem cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feed end of the discharge conveyor belt is located below the water surface of the immersion tank, and the discharge end of the discharge conveyor belt is located outside the immersion tank. The discharge conveyor belt extends obliquely and has a first section located below the water surface in the immersion tank and a second section located above the water surface in the immersion tank. The projection of the pressure plate in the vertical direction at least partially coincides with the first section.

3. The tobacco stem cleaning device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The pressure plate extends obliquely and has the same slope as the first segment.

4. The tobacco stem cleaning device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The feeding conveyor belt also includes a deflector plate, which extends vertically and is connected to the top surface of the first section. There are multiple deflector plates arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the first section.

5. The tobacco stem cleaning device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The discharge mechanism also includes a vibration generator that acts on the second section. The second section has multiple leakage holes and a water collection tank at the bottom. The vibration generator can drive the second section to vibrate, so that the tobacco stems on the second section vibrate and the water attached to the tobacco stems flows into the water collection tank through the leakage holes.

6. The tobacco stem cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The immersion device also includes a heating element and a temperature detection element located in the immersion tank. The temperature detection element can detect the water temperature in the immersion tank and control the heating element to stop working when the water temperature reaches a preset temperature, and control the heating element to work when the water temperature is lower than the preset temperature.

7. The tobacco stem cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pressure plate includes a plate body and a gathering plate located at the outer edge of the plate body. One end of the gathering plate is connected to the pressure plate, and the other end extends toward the impregnation tank.

8. The tobacco stem cleaning device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The included angle between the folding plate and the plate body is α, where 90°≤α≤120°.

9. The tobacco stem cleaning device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The plate is provided with multiple liquid passage holes spaced apart.

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