Popcorn vending machine split charging structure based on gate valve

Abstract

The utility model provides a popcorn vending machine sub-packaging structure based on gate valves, a sub-packaging cylinder is coaxially arranged below a hopper, the gate valves are symmetrically arranged at the upper end and the lower end of the sub-packaging cylinder, each gate valve comprises a gate and a valve plate provided with an adaptive valve cavity, and the moving end of an electric push rod is connected with the gate and used for controlling the gate valves to open and close to form a two-way cut-off mechanism. The gate valve is divided into an upper valve and a lower valve, the lower end of the hopper is detachably connected with the upper valve at the upper end of the split charging barrel through a U-shaped guide rib, a cleaning mechanism is further arranged on the gate valve, the driving motor drives a scraping piece in a valve cavity to abut against the plane of the inserting plate to linearly move and is used for scraping residues on the surface of the inserting plate, and a vibrator is further arranged on the outer wall of the split charging barrel. The problems that residues are easily formed on the sealing face of a gate valve, so that a channel is blocked, a valve body is difficult to clean, quantitative errors are caused by split charging blocking, and popcorn is broken due to closing and squeezing of a gate are solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of popcorn production technology, and in particular to a popcorn vending machine dispensing structure based on a slide valve. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of new retail formats, vending machines are increasingly widely used in the snack food sector. Popcorn vending machines, in particular, have become standard equipment in commercial complexes, cinemas, and other venues due to their convenience and fun. The core technology of these machines lies in the design of a precise dispensing system, which must ensure accurate quantitative dispensing while also protecting the physical properties of the crispy popcorn. Existing popcorn vending machines generally use a gravity-feeding method combined with valve opening and closing, with the slide gate valve structure being widely adopted due to its compact size and fast response. However, traditional slide gate valves have revealed several technical bottlenecks in practical applications, severely restricting the reliability of the equipment and the user experience.

[0003] Sticky substances such as sugar frosting and caramel adhering to the surface of popcorn easily form a residue layer on the slide gate. With the increase of dispensing times, the gelatinous substances produced by sugar crystallization and oil oxidation significantly increase the sliding resistance of the slide gate, causing the valve to jam or even completely seize up. This phenomenon is particularly prominent in high-temperature and high-humidity operating environments, not only causing excessive dispensing errors, but also significantly increasing equipment maintenance costs due to frequent mechanical failures. The sealing surface of traditional slide gate valves mainly relies on manual disassembly and cleaning, but the narrow gap structure between the valve plate and the slide gate makes it difficult to completely remove residues. Long-term accumulation of sugar stains can easily breed microbial contamination, posing a food safety hazard. Traditional slide gate valves lack a buffer design during the closing process, and the front end of the slide gate directly applies vertical shear force to the popcorn kernels, resulting in an increased breakage rate of the brittle popcorn kernels, which not only affects the product appearance but also generates a large amount of debris, exacerbating the risk of valve blockage.

[0004] While existing technologies offer some improvements, such as using special coatings to reduce adhesion to the insert plate surface or adding compressed air purging devices to remove debris, the actual results are not ideal. Coating materials are prone to peeling and failure under long-term mechanical friction, and pneumatic cleaning systems not only increase equipment complexity but also cause airflow disturbances that disrupt the material flow within the dispensing cylinder, affecting dispensing accuracy. These shortcomings have become key technical problems hindering the large-scale promotion of popcorn vending machines. Therefore, developing a new dispensing valve structure that combines efficient cleaning, accurate dispensing, and material protection is an urgent need to enhance the market competitiveness of automated vending equipment. Utility Model Content

[0005] The main purpose of this utility model is to provide a popcorn vending machine dispensing structure based on a slide gate valve, which solves the problems of residue easily forming on the sealing surface of the slide gate valve, causing channel blockage, difficulty in cleaning the valve body, dispensing jamming leading to quantitative errors, and popcorn breakage caused by the closing and squeezing of the slide gate.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is: a popcorn vending machine dispensing structure based on a slide gate valve. A dispensing cylinder is coaxially arranged below the hopper, and slide gate valves are symmetrically arranged at the upper and lower ends of the dispensing cylinder. The slide gate valve includes a slide gate and a valve plate with a matching valve cavity. The moving end of the electric push rod is connected to the slide gate to control the opening and closing of the slide gate valve, forming a bidirectional flow-stopping mechanism. The slide gate valve is divided into an upper valve and a lower valve. The lower end of the hopper is detachably connected to the upper valve at the upper end of the dispensing cylinder through a U-shaped guide rib. The slide gate valve is also equipped with a cleaning mechanism. A drive motor drives the scraper in the valve cavity to move linearly against the plane of the slide gate to scrape off the residue on the surface of the slide gate. A vibrator is also provided on the outer wall of the dispensing cylinder.

[0007] In the preferred embodiment, the lower end of the hopper is provided with a circular discharge port, and the middle of the two slide valves is provided with a circular through hole. The circular discharge port, the two circular through holes, and the dispensing cylinder are arranged coaxially with equal diameters to form a dispensing channel.

[0008] In the preferred embodiment, the arc portion of the U-shaped guide rib is coaxially arranged with the same diameter as the discharge port to achieve axial positioning and alignment of the hopper and the dispensing cylinder.

[0009] In the preferred embodiment, the valve plate has a through-hole insert plate slot along the moving direction of the insert plate, and through-hole guide slots on both sides. The guide block is slidably connected to the guide slot, and the insert plate slot and the guide slot are connected to each other, together forming the valve cavity structure of the valve plate.

[0010] In the preferred embodiment, the scraper is slidably connected to the guide slots on both sides by symmetrically arranged guide blocks. The scraper is symmetrically arranged along the upper and lower surfaces of the insert plate, and its thickness is equal to the vertical distance from the surface of the insert plate to the surface of the insert plate slot it faces.

[0011] In the preferred embodiment, the scraping element is a scraper array with a toothed surface;

[0012] The guide block has an L-shaped structure, and the end of the scraper is connected to the top of the L-shaped structure, which extends to the end of the insert plate slot.

[0013] In the preferred embodiment, the cleaning mechanism includes transmission components disposed on both sides of the slide valve. A drive motor is provided on one side of the slide valve, and its output end is connected to the first pulley. It is connected to the second pulley on the opposite side via a first belt parallel to the movement direction of the slide valve. A third pulley, a fourth pulley, and a second belt are symmetrically disposed on the other side of the slide valve. The output shaft of the drive motor is connected in series with the first pulley and the third pulley via a transmission shaft. Guide blocks are symmetrically connected on the first belt and the second belt. The drive motor drives the two belts to rotate synchronously so as to realize the synchronous linear movement of the guide blocks along the guide slot.

[0014] In the preferred embodiment, the orientation of the drive motor and the transmission shaft is opposite to the opening direction of the U-shaped guide rib.

[0015] In the preferred embodiment, a chip removal slope is provided at the end of the insert plate slot, and a waste collection groove is provided at the end of the inclined surface of the chip removal slope. The waste collection groove is connected to the lower surface of the valve plate, and the inner wall of its opening is flush with the end face of the valve plate and its height does not exceed the height of the end of the chip removal slope.

[0016] In the preferred embodiment, the front end of the insert plate is provided with a concave arc structure, the width of which is greater than the width of the chip removal slope, the length from the end of the concave arc to the other end of the insert plate is greater than the length from the insertion end of the valve plate to the starting end of the chip removal slope, and the front end of the insert plate is also embedded with an elastic strip.

[0017] This utility model provides a popcorn vending machine dispensing structure based on a slide gate valve, the advantages of which are:

[0018] Highly efficient cleaning and anti-clogging: The cleaning mechanism uses a drive motor to move the scraper linearly along the surface of the insert plate. The toothed scraper array scrapes away residues on the insert plate surface in real time. Combined with the chip removal ramp and waste collection trough, it realizes automatic collection and discharge of debris, completely solving the valve jamming problem caused by sticky substances such as sugar frosting and caramel residue, reducing the frequency of manual maintenance and food safety risks. The concave arc structure at the front end of the insert plate, in conjunction with the elastic strip, disperses shear force during the closing process, reducing the popcorn breakage rate and reducing the generation of debris, further alleviating valve blockage.

[0019] Precise dispensing and improved stability: The vibrator on the outer wall of the dispensing cylinder effectively prevents material accumulation and adhesion through low-frequency vibration, ensuring smooth dispensing channels. Combined with the bidirectional flow control of the upper and lower slide valves, it significantly improves the accuracy and repeatability of quantitative dispensing. The U-shaped guide ribs and the circular discharge port are set with equal diameter and coaxiality to achieve precise positioning and quick assembly and disassembly of the hopper and dispensing cylinder, ensuring the coaxiality of the dispensing channels and avoiding dispensing errors caused by assembly deviations.

[0020] Optimized structure and easy maintenance: The transmission components of the cleaning mechanism adopt a symmetrical pulley and drive shaft linkage design to ensure that the guide blocks on both sides move synchronously in a straight line, improving the stability and reliability of the scraping action, while avoiding interference with the disassembly and assembly path of the hopper; the overall structure is compact and does not rely on complex pneumatic or coating technologies, reducing manufacturing costs and energy consumption, and is suitable for large-scale commercial applications.

[0021] In summary, this invention, while ensuring dispensing accuracy, overcomes the technical bottlenecks of traditional slide valves, such as easy residue buildup, difficulty in cleaning, and easy material breakage. It significantly improves the operational reliability, hygiene and safety, and user experience of popcorn vending machines, demonstrating outstanding practical value and market competitiveness. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments:

[0023] Figure 1 This is the overall appearance and structural diagram of this utility model;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the slide gate valve when it is closed.

[0025] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the slide gate valve of this utility model when it is open;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the transmission component of the cleaning mechanism of this utility model;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the valve plate when the slide gate valve of this utility model is closed;

[0028] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the valve plate when the slide gate valve of this utility model is open;

[0029] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the scraper component of this utility model within the slot of the insert plate;

[0030] Figure 8 This is a structural diagram of the scraping component of this utility model.

[0031] In the diagram: 1. Hopper; 101. Discharge port; 2. Dispensing cylinder; 3. Slide valve; 301. Slide plate; 302. Valve plate; 3021. Slide plate slot; 3022. Guide slot; 3023. Chip removal ramp; 4. Electric push rod; 5. U-shaped guide rib; 6. Cleaning mechanism; 601. Drive motor; 602. Scraper; 603. Guide block; 604. First pulley; 605. First belt; 606. Second pulley; 607. Third pulley; 608. Fourth pulley; 609. Second belt; 610. Drive shaft; 7. Vibrator; 8. Waste collection trough; 9. Elastic strip. Detailed Implementation

[0032] Example 1

[0033] like Figures 1-8 As shown, a popcorn vending machine dispensing structure based on a slide gate valve is disclosed. A dispensing cylinder 2 is coaxially arranged below the hopper 1. Slide gate valves 3 are symmetrically arranged at the upper and lower ends of the dispensing cylinder 2. The slide gate valve 3 includes a slide gate 301 and a valve plate 302 with a matching valve cavity. The moving end of the electric push rod 4 is connected to the slide gate 301 to control the opening and closing of the slide gate valve 3, forming a bidirectional flow-stopping mechanism. The slide gate valve 3 is divided into an upper valve and a lower valve. The lower end of the hopper 1 is detachably connected to the upper valve at the upper end of the dispensing cylinder 2 through a U-shaped guide rib 5. A cleaning mechanism 6 is also provided on the slide gate valve 3. The drive motor 601 drives the scraper 602 in the valve cavity to move linearly against the plane of the slide gate 301 to scrape off the residue on the surface of the slide gate 301. A vibrator 7 is also provided on the outer wall of the dispensing cylinder 2.

[0034] In the preferred embodiment, the lower end of the hopper 1 is provided with a circular discharge port 101, and the middle of the two slide valves 3 is provided with a circular through hole. The circular discharge port 101, the two circular through holes, and the dispensing cylinder 2 are arranged coaxially with equal diameters to form a dispensing channel.

[0035] In the preferred embodiment, the arc portion of the U-shaped guide rib 5 is coaxially arranged with the discharge port 101 of the same diameter to achieve axial positioning and alignment of the hopper 1 and the dispensing cylinder 2.

[0036] This application uses a slide gate valve 3 structure as the quantitative dispensing control unit for popcorn. Multiple coaxially connected through holes of equal diameter form a dispensing and feeding channel. The dispensing amount is controlled by the slide gate valve 3. The upper valve controls the opening of the channel from the hopper 1 to the dispensing cylinder 2. At this time, the lower valve is closed. After a certain amount of popcorn falls into the dispensing cylinder 2, the upper valve closes, and the dispensing cylinder 2 performs secondary processing on the popcorn in the cylinder. The lower valve opens, and the finished popcorn falls into the cup.

[0037] As the popcorn falls from the hopper 1 into the dispensing cylinder 2, the vibrator 7 is activated during the opening and closing of the slide valve 3. Through the connection between the hopper 1 and the dispensing cylinder 2, the vibration is transmitted to the hopper 1. As the popcorn falls from the dispensing cylinder 2, the vibrator 7 is activated again. The low-frequency vibration prevents the popcorn from accumulating and arching, thus preventing it from falling normally. At the same time, it breaks the adsorption force between the kernels, preventing them from sticking to the slide valve 3.

[0038] In the preferred embodiment, the valve plate 302 is provided with a through insert plate slot 3021 along the moving direction of the insert plate 301, and through guide slots 3022 are provided on both sides of it. The guide block 603 is slidably connected to the guide slots 3022, and the insert plate slot 3021 and the guide slots 3022 are connected to each other, together forming the valve cavity structure of the valve plate 302.

[0039] In the preferred embodiment, the scraper 602 is slidably connected to the guide slots 3022 on both sides via symmetrically arranged guide blocks 603. The scraper 602 is symmetrically arranged along the upper and lower surfaces of the insert plate 301, and its thickness is equal to the vertical distance from the surface of the insert plate 301 to the surface of the corresponding insert slot 3021.

[0040] In the preferred embodiment, the scraper 602 is a scraper array with a toothed structure on its surface;

[0041] The guide block 603 has an L-shaped structure, and the end of the scraper 602 is connected to the top of the L-shaped structure, which extends to the end of the insert plate slot 3021.

[0042] In a preferred embodiment, the cleaning mechanism 6 includes transmission components disposed on both sides of the slide valve 3. A drive motor 601 is provided on one side of the slide valve 3, and its output end is connected to the first pulley 604. It is belt-driven to the second pulley 606 on the opposite side via a first belt 605 parallel to the moving direction of the slide valve 301. A third pulley 607, a fourth pulley 608, and a second belt 609 are symmetrically disposed on the other side of the slide valve 3. The output shaft of the drive motor 601 is connected in series with the first pulley 604 and the third pulley 607 via a transmission shaft 610. Guide blocks 603 are symmetrically connected on the first belt 605 and the second belt 609. The drive motor 601 drives the two belts to rotate synchronously so as to realize the synchronous linear movement of the guide blocks 603 along the guide slot 3022.

[0043] In the preferred embodiment, the drive motor 601 and the transmission shaft 610 are positioned opposite to the opening direction of the U-shaped guide rib 5. This prevents the transmission shaft 610 from interfering with the disassembly and assembly channel of the hopper 1.

[0044] In the preferred embodiment, the end of the insert plate slot 3021 is provided with a chip removal slope 3023, and the end of the inclined surface of the chip removal slope 3023 is provided with a waste collection groove 8. The waste collection groove 8 is connected to the lower surface of the valve plate 302, and the inner wall of its opening is flush with the end face of the valve plate 302 and its height does not exceed the height of the end of the chip removal slope 3023.

[0045] In the preferred embodiment, the front end of the insert plate 301 is provided with a concave arc structure, the width of which is greater than the width of the chip removal slope 3023, the length from the end of the concave arc to the other end of the insert plate 301 is greater than the length from the insertion end of the valve plate 302 to the starting end of the chip removal slope 3023, and the front end of the insert plate 301 is also embedded with an elastic strip 9.

[0046] A symmetrical gap exists between the upper and lower surfaces of the insert plate 301 and the insert plate slot 3021. The scraper wire is set within this gap and closely abuts against the upper and lower surfaces of the insert plate 301. The drive mechanism is driven by a belt pulley structure, which simultaneously drives the guide blocks 603 on both sides to move linearly along the belt surface. The cooperation between the guide block 603 and the guide slot 3022 provides guidance for the movement of the scraper 602 and provides a certain tension to the scraper wire to prevent it from deforming and affecting the scraping effect.

[0047] The L-shaped guide block 603 allows the scraper array to move along the front end of the insert plate 301 to the end of the insert plate slot 3021 where a chip removal slope 3023 is provided. This allows the residue on the insert plate 301 to be completely scraped off and guided to the chip removal slope 3023, and then fall down along its inclined surface into the waste collection tank 8.

[0048] The concave arc structure of the front end of the insert plate 301, which is wider than the width of the chip removal slope 3023, causes the insert plate 301 to exert a force towards the center on the scraped part 602 to scrape the residue that falls into the front end gap, thereby guiding it into the chip removal slope 3023 and preventing it from being left in the insert plate gap 3021.

[0049] During the closing process of the slide valve 3, the elastic strip 9 at the front end of the slide 301 cooperates with the concave arc structure to reduce the popcorn breakage rate.

[0050] The above embodiments are merely preferred technical solutions of this utility model and should not be considered as limitations on this utility model. The protection scope of this utility model should be the technical solution described in the claims, including equivalent substitutions of the technical features described in the claims. That is, equivalent substitutions and improvements within this scope are also within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A popcorn vending machine dispensing structure based on a slide gate valve, characterized in that: A dispensing cylinder (2) is coaxially arranged below the hopper (1). A slide valve (3) is symmetrically arranged at both ends of the dispensing cylinder (2). The slide valve (3) includes a slide plate (301) and a valve plate (302) with a matching valve cavity. The moving end of the electric push rod (4) is connected to the slide plate (301) to control the opening and closing of the slide valve (3) and form a bidirectional throttling mechanism. The slide valve (3) is divided into an upper valve and a lower valve. The lower end of the hopper (1) is detachably connected to the upper valve at the upper end of the dispensing cylinder (2) through a U-shaped guide rib (5). A cleaning mechanism (6) is also provided on the slide valve (3). The drive motor (601) drives the scraper (602) in the valve cavity to move linearly against the plane of the slide plate (301) to scrape off the residue on the surface of the slide plate (301). A vibrator (7) is also provided on the outer wall of the dispensing cylinder (2).

2. The popcorn vending machine dispensing structure based on a slide gate valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower end of the hopper (1) is provided with a circular discharge port (101), and the middle of the two slide valves (3) is provided with a circular through hole. The circular discharge port (101), the two circular through holes, and the dispensing cylinder (2) are coaxially arranged with equal diameters to form a dispensing channel.

3. The popcorn vending machine dispensing structure based on a slide gate valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The arc portion of the U-shaped guide rib (5) is coaxially arranged with the discharge port (101) and is of equal diameter, which is used to realize the axial positioning and alignment of the hopper (1) and the dispensing cylinder (2).

4. The popcorn vending machine dispensing structure based on a slide gate valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The valve plate (302) has a through-hole slot (3021) along the moving direction of the insert plate (301), and through-hole guide slots (3022) on both sides. The guide block (603) is slidably connected to the guide slot (3022), and the insert slot (3021) is connected to the guide slot (3022), together forming the valve cavity structure of the valve plate (302).

5. The popcorn vending machine dispensing structure based on a slide gate valve according to claim 4, characterized in that: The scraper (602) is slidably connected to the guide slots (3022) on both sides through symmetrically arranged guide blocks (603). The scraper (602) is symmetrically arranged along the upper and lower surfaces of the insert plate (301), and its thickness is equal to the vertical distance from the surface of the insert plate (301) to the surface of the insert slot (3021) it is facing.

6. The popcorn vending machine dispensing structure based on a slide gate valve according to claim 5, characterized in that: The scraper (602) is a scraper array with a toothed structure on its surface; The guide block (603) has an L-shaped structure, and the end of the scraper (602) is connected to the top of the L-shaped structure, which extends to the end of the insert slot (3021).

7. The popcorn vending machine dispensing structure based on a slide gate valve according to claim 5, characterized in that: The cleaning mechanism (6) includes a transmission assembly set on both sides of the slide valve (3). A drive motor (601) is provided on one side of the slide valve (3), and its output end is connected to the first pulley (604). It is connected to the second pulley (606) on the opposite side by a first belt (605) parallel to the moving direction of the slide (301). A third pulley (607), a fourth pulley (608) and a second belt (609) are symmetrically provided on the other side of the slide valve (3). The output shaft of the drive motor (601) is connected in series with the first pulley (604) and the third pulley (607) through a transmission shaft (610). Guide blocks (603) are symmetrically connected on the first belt (605) and the second belt (609). The drive motor (601) drives the two belts to rotate synchronously so as to realize the synchronous linear movement of the guide block (603) along the guide slot (3022).

8. The popcorn vending machine dispensing structure based on a slide gate valve according to claim 7, characterized in that: The orientation of the drive motor (601) and the transmission shaft (610) is opposite to the opening direction of the U-shaped guide rib (5).

9. The popcorn vending machine dispensing structure based on a slide gate valve according to claim 4, characterized in that: The end of the insert plate slot (3021) is provided with a chip removal slope (3023), and the end of the inclined surface of the chip removal slope (3023) is provided with a waste collection groove (8). The waste collection groove (8) is connected to the lower surface of the valve plate (302), and its opening inner wall is flush with the end face of the valve plate (302) and its height does not exceed the height of the end of the chip removal slope (3023).

10. The popcorn vending machine dispensing structure based on a slide gate valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The front end of the insert plate (301) is provided with a concave arc structure, the width of which is greater than the width of the chip removal slope (3023). The length from the end of the concave arc to the other end of the insert plate (301) is greater than the length from the insertion end of the valve plate (302) to the starting end of the chip removal slope (3023). The front end of the insert plate (301) is also embedded with an elastic strip (9).

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