Automatic weighing and subpackaging mechanism for catering in canteen

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the field of catering equipment, and particularly relates to an automatic weighing and subpackaging mechanism for catering in a canteen, which comprises a conveying device, a conveying belt, limiting strips, a guide rail and the like, the conveying belt is rotatably arranged between two conveying rollers of the conveying device, and the surface of the conveying belt is fixedly connected with a plurality of groups of limiting strips. The guide rails are distributed on the upper portion of the conveying device left and right. A weighing sensor, a first motor, a lead screw and a distance sensor are integrated in the subpackaging mechanism for cooperative work, the weighing sensor can accurately sense the weight change of a liquid material, the first motor drives the lead screw to enable a liquid storage tank to drive a discharging pipe to conduct accurate displacement, the distance sensor monitors the position of a meal bowl in real time, and when the preset weight is reached, the meal bowl is separated. The system automatically stops split charging, so that automatic and accurate weighing and split charging of the liquid materials are achieved, the problem of uneven distribution caused by manual split charging or simple machine split charging is effectively avoided, it is ensured that the amount of the liquid materials in each meal is accurate and consistent, and the catering quality is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of catering equipment, and in particular relates to an automatic weighing and dispensing mechanism for canteen meal preparation. Background Technology

[0002] With socio-economic development and improved living standards, the public's attention to healthy eating is increasing daily. Against this backdrop, the demand for meals in canteens is booming, with not only a continuously expanding scale but also a more diverse range of dishes, including various staple foods, dishes, soups, and beverages. Therefore, proper packaging and handling of liquids with distinct properties, such as soups and beverages, is particularly crucial in canteen meal preparation.

[0003] In traditional canteen meal preparation and packaging scenarios, common methods include manual packaging and simple self-packaging machines. Manual packaging involves staff using scoops to scoop different liquids from large basins or containers and then distributing them into individual bowls. Simple self-packaging machines allow diners to operate a simple, single-function packaging machine; they must place their bowls in the machine and press a button to dispense the contents.

[0004] However, both methods have significant shortcomings. Manual dispensing during peak hours, with long queues, makes it difficult for staff to ensure consistent liquid quantities each time, leading to uneven distribution and slow operation, causing queue congestion, prolonged waiting times, and negatively impacting the dining experience. With simple self-dispensing equipment, diners lack the concept and experience of dispensing quantities, easily resulting in over- or under-dispensing, making it difficult to guarantee accuracy and consistency, leading to inconsistent food quality. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an automatic weighing and dispensing mechanism for canteen meal preparation. Utility Model Content

[0005] To overcome the shortcomings of manual food preparation, which leads to uneven distribution and slow operation due to the pursuit of speed, resulting in queue congestion, extended waiting time, and negative impact on the dining experience; and the difficulty in ensuring accurate and consistent food preparation due to diners' lack of experience with simple self-packaging equipment, resulting in inconsistent food quality, this utility model provides an automatic weighing and packaging mechanism for canteen food preparation.

[0006] This utility model is achieved through the following technical means: an automatic weighing and dispensing mechanism for canteen meal preparation, comprising a conveying device, a conveyor belt, limiting strips, guide rails, sliders, a slide frame, a liquid storage tank, a sealing cap, a liquid inlet hopper, a discharge pipe, an electric regulating valve, and a controller. The conveyor belt is rotatably disposed between two conveying rollers of the conveying device. Multiple sets of limiting strips are fixed to the surface of the conveyor belt. Multiple guide rails are distributed and installed on the upper part of the conveying device. Each slider is slidably disposed between every two longitudinally aligned guide rails. The slide frame is installed between two sliders. The liquid storage tank is installed in the annular space of the slide frame. The sealing cap is installed on the upper part of the liquid storage tank and completely covers the opening of the liquid storage tank from above. The liquid inlet hopper... The conveyor belt is fixed to the upper side of the storage tank, and the discharge pipe is fixed to the bottom of the storage tank. The electric regulating valve is installed on the discharge pipe. The controller is installed on one side of the slide and is electrically connected to the conveying device and the electric regulating valve. It also includes a weighing sensor, a first motor, a lead screw, and a distance sensor. Multiple rows of weighing sensors are fixed to the surface of the conveyor belt. The first motor is installed on the right side of the conveying device, with its output shaft facing left. A lead screw is fixed to it through a coupling. The lead screw is threadedly engaged with one of the slides. The distance sensor is installed on the lower side of the discharge pipe, with its detection end at the same level as the bottom surface of the discharge end. The weighing sensor, the first motor, and the distance sensor are all electrically connected to the controller.

[0007] Furthermore, it also includes a second motor and a stirring paddle. The second motor is installed at the top of the sealing cover with its output shaft facing downwards. The stirring paddle is placed inside the liquid storage tank, and one end of it is engaged with the output shaft of the second motor by a snap-fit ​​method.

[0008] Furthermore, it also includes a sealing strip. A ring-shaped sealing strip is fixed to the bottom of the sealing cover, and the sealing strip is precisely embedded in the ring-shaped groove reserved on the upper part of the liquid storage tank.

[0009] Furthermore, it also includes a cover plate, which is laterally rotatable and positioned on the upper side of the liquid inlet hopper, completely blocking the opening of the liquid inlet hopper from above.

[0010] Furthermore, it also includes a protective shell, which is installed on the upper part of the conveyor and completely covers the carriage from multiple directions. The protective shell is equipped with multiple observation windows on the front and rear sides, and an operating door on each of the left and right sides.

[0011] Furthermore, it also includes a guide rod, which is fixed to the left side of the conveying device and slides through another slider, and the length of the guide area of ​​the guide rod is consistent with the length of the threaded area of ​​the lead screw.

[0012] Beneficial effects: 1. By integrating a weighing sensor, a first motor, a lead screw, and a distance sensor into the dispensing mechanism, the weighing sensor can accurately detect changes in the weight of the liquid material. The first motor drives the lead screw to move the liquid storage tank and the discharge pipe precisely. The distance sensor monitors the position of the bowl in real time. When the preset weight is reached, the system automatically stops dispensing, thereby achieving automatic and accurate weighing and dispensing of liquid materials. This effectively avoids uneven distribution caused by manual dispensing or simple machine dispensing, ensuring that the amount of liquid material in each meal is accurate and consistent, and improving the quality of meal preparation.

[0013] 2. By setting up a second motor and a stirring paddle, the second motor drives the stirring paddle to fully stir the liquid material before dispensing, ensuring that the various components in the liquid material are evenly mixed, avoiding uneven dispensing caused by material sedimentation or stratification, ensuring that each portion of liquid material has consistent composition and stable taste, and further improving the quality of the food. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the conveying device, conveyor belt, and limiting strip of this utility model.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a partial sectional view of the liquid storage tank and sealing cap components of this utility model.

[0017] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the discharge pipe, electric regulating valve, and distance sensor components of this utility model.

[0018] In the diagram: 1. Conveying device, 2. Conveyor belt, 3. Limiting strip, 4. Weighing sensor, 5. Guide rail, 51. Slider, 6. First motor, 7. Lead screw, 8. Carriage, 9. Storage tank, 10. Sealing cover, 101. Sealing strip, 11. Second motor, 12. Stirring paddle, 13. Inlet hopper, 131. Cover plate, 14. Discharge pipe, 15. Electric regulating valve, 16. Distance sensor, 17. Controller, 18. Protective shell, 19. Guide rod. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Example: An automatic weighing and dispensing mechanism for canteen meal preparation, such as... Figures 1-4As shown, the system includes a conveying device 1, a conveyor belt 2, limiting strips 3, guide rails 5, sliders 51, a carriage 8, a liquid storage tank 9, a sealing cap 10, a sealing strip 101, an inlet hopper 13, a cover plate 131, a discharge pipe 14, an electric regulating valve 15, a controller 17, a protective shell 18, and a guide rod 19. The conveyor belt 2 is rotatably mounted between two conveying rollers of the conveying device 1, serving as the conveying carrier for the bowls. Multiple sets of limiting strips 3 are bonded to the surface of the conveyor belt 2. Each set of limiting strips 3 consists of two corresponding limiting strips 3, and the spacing between these two limiting strips 3 is set according to the size of the bowls, effectively preventing the bowls from shifting or slipping during conveying and ensuring that the bowls accurately reach the dispensing position. Four guide rails 5 are bolted to the conveyor belt 1 on the left and right sides. At the top of position 1, each slider 51 is slidably positioned between every two longitudinally aligned guide rails 5. A slide 8 is bolted between two sliders 51. Through the cooperation of the sliders 51 and the guide rails 5, the slide 8 can move flexibly in the horizontal direction. A storage tank 9 is bolted into the annular space of the slide 8. Its lower part has a conical structure, the diameter of which gradually decreases from top to bottom, forming a gradually narrowing channel. This helps guide the liquid material to generate a specific flow pattern when passing through, allowing the liquid material to flow out quickly. A sealing cap 10 is bolted to the top of the storage tank 9 and completely covers the opening of the storage tank 9 from above. A ring-shaped sealing strip 101 is adhered to the bottom of the sealing cap 10, and the sealing strip 101 is precisely embedded in the upper part of the storage tank 9. The annular groove effectively prevents leakage of liquid materials during stirring, ensuring a clean working environment. The inlet hopper 13 is welded to the upper rear side of the storage tank 9, with its open front directly connecting to the internal storage space of the tank, facilitating the addition of liquid materials. The cover plate 131 is laterally rotatable on the upper rear side of the inlet hopper 13, completely covering the opening of the inlet hopper 13 from above. After adding liquid materials, the cover plate 131 can close the inlet hopper 13, preventing dust and impurities from entering the inlet hopper 13 and the storage tank 9, ensuring the purity of the liquid materials. The outlet pipe 14 is welded to the center of the bottom end of the storage tank 9, and the electric regulating valve 15 is bolted to the outlet pipe 14. It uses a reducer to drive the high-speed rotation of the motor. The valve stem's slow linear motion changes the valve opening. By controlling the opening of the electric regulating valve 15, the liquid flow rate of the discharge pipe 14 can be precisely adjusted to meet the dispensing needs of different bowls. The controller 17 is bolted to the right side of the slide 8 and electrically connected to the conveying device 1 and the electric regulating valve 15. The protective shell 18 is bolted to the upper part of the conveying device 1 and completely covers the slide 8 from the front, back, left, and right sides to prevent staff from being impacted by the sliding of the slide 8 when retrieving food, thus providing safety protection. The protective shell 18 is equipped with four observation windows on the front and back sides and an operating door on each of the left and right sides, facilitating staff to observe and operate the components inside the protective shell 18. The guide rod 19 is welded to the left side of the conveying device 1.It slides through the left slider 51 and is connected to it, providing guidance for the sliding of the left slider 51 and ensuring that the carriage 8 does not deflect or shake during movement. It also includes a weighing sensor 4, a first motor 6, a lead screw 7 and a distance sensor 16. The surface of the conveyor belt 2 is connected to multiple rows of weighing sensors 4, with three weighing sensors 4 horizontally distributed at a certain interval in each row. These weighing sensors 4 can detect the weight of the bowl above them in real time and transmit the weight data to the controller 17 for accurate measurement and management of the weight of the liquid material in the bowl. The first motor 6 is bolted to the right side of the conveyor device 1, and its output shaft Facing left, a lead screw 7 is fixedly connected via a coupling. The lead screw 7 is threadedly engaged with the right slider 51. The guide area length of the guide rod 19 is consistent with the threaded area length of the lead screw 7 to ensure stable guidance of the left slider 51 throughout the entire movement range of the slide 8. The distance sensor 16 is bolted to the lower front side of the discharge pipe 14, with its detection end at the same level as the bottom surface of the discharge end. This ensures accurate measurement of the distance between the discharge pipe 14 and the bowl below, providing reliable data support for precise dispensing. The weighing sensor 4, the first motor 6, and the distance sensor 16 are all electrically connected to the controller 17.

[0020] like Figures 1-3 As shown, it also includes a second motor 11 and a stirring paddle 12. The second motor 11 is bolted to the top of the sealing cover 10, with its output shaft facing downwards. The stirring paddle 12 is placed inside the storage tank 9, and its upper end is engaged with the output shaft of the second motor 11 in a snap-fit ​​manner. Specifically, the output shaft of the second motor 11 is designed as a spline shaft structure, and the upper end of the stirring paddle 12 is equipped with a matching spline groove structure. With the precise engagement of the spline shaft and the spline groove, the synchronous rotational motion between the output shaft of the second motor 11 and the stirring paddle 12 can be effectively ensured, thereby achieving uniform stirring of the material in the storage tank 9. At the same time, this snap-fit ​​design allows the output shaft of the second motor 11 to slide upwards along the axial direction of the stirring paddle 12 when necessary, thereby disengaging from the stirring paddle 12 and facilitating subsequent cleaning operations of the stirring paddle 12.

[0021] The staff first places the conveyor 1 stably on the table, then takes an empty bowl and places it below the discharge tube 14. When placing it, the staff tries to align the top edge of the bowl with the bottom edge of the discharge tube 14. At this time, the distance sensor 16 starts to work, accurately measuring the vertical distance between the bottom edge of the discharge tube 14 and the top edge of the bowl below. This distance data is used as the reference for subsequent dispensing operations and is quickly and accurately transmitted to the controller 17 for recording and storage.

[0022] After the distance measurement is completed, the staff rotates the cover plate 131 clockwise to open the liquid inlet hopper 13 and adds the required liquid material into the storage tank 9 through the liquid inlet hopper 13. After the liquid material is added, the staff rotates the cover plate 131 counterclockwise to close the liquid inlet hopper 13. Then, the second motor 11 is started through the controller 17, so that its output shaft drives the stirring paddle 12 to start rotating, so as to uniformly stir the liquid material in the storage tank 9, prevent the solid particles or components in the liquid material from settling, and ensure the consistency of the material composition.

[0023] Then the staff began to place the bowls on the conveyor belt 2. When placing the bowls, they had to place them precisely on the weighing sensor 4 and between the two corresponding limit bars 3. After the bowls were placed, the conveyor device 1 was started. The conveyor device 1 started to run and drove the conveyor belt 2 to rotate, thereby conveying the bowls backward. During the conveying process, the limit bars 3 played a limiting role to prevent the bowls from shifting or slipping during the conveying process, ensuring that the bowls could accurately reach the dispensing position.

[0024] When the bowl in the middle position is conveyed to the bottom of the discharge pipe 14, the distance sensor 16 senses that the bowl has reached the designated position, immediately generates an electrical signal and transmits it to the controller 17. After receiving the signal, the controller 17 quickly controls the conveyor device 1 to stop running, so that the bowl stops directly below the discharge pipe 14.

[0025] After the bowl is positioned, the controller 17 controls the electric regulating valve 15 to open the discharge pipe 14 and start discharging the material into the bowl. During the discharging process, the weighing sensor 4 detects the weight of the bowl above it in real time and continuously transmits the weight data to the controller 17. The controller 17 analyzes and processes the received weight data in real time. When the weight of the liquid material in the bowl is detected to reach the preset value, the controller 17 immediately controls the electric regulating valve 15 to temporarily close the discharge pipe 14 and stop discharging, thereby completing the first filling of the current bowl.

[0026] After the first dispensing is completed, the controller 17 starts the first motor 6 and controls the output shaft of the first motor 6 to drive the lead screw 7 to rotate clockwise. Driven by the lead screw 7, the right slider 51 drives the slide 8 to move to the left, and the slide 8 drives the liquid storage tank 9 to move to the left to a suitable position. During this process, the distance sensor 16 senses again that the left bowl has reached the bottom of the discharge pipe 14 and generates an electrical signal to be transmitted to the controller 17. After receiving the signal, the controller 17 controls the electric regulating valve 15 to open the discharge pipe 14 and start dispensing into the left bowl. During the dispensing process, the weighing sensor 4 continuously monitors the weight change of the bowl. When the preset weight value is reached, an electrical signal is generated and transmitted to the controller 17, so that the controller 17 controls the electric regulating valve 15 to temporarily close the discharge pipe 14 and complete the dispensing of the left bowl.

[0027] After the second dispensing is completed, the controller 17 starts the first motor 6 again and controls the output shaft of the first motor 6 to drive the lead screw 7 to rotate counterclockwise. Driven by the lead screw 7, the right slider 51 drives the slide 8 to move to the right, and the slide 8 drives the liquid storage tank 9 to move to the right to a suitable position. During this process, the distance sensor 16 senses again that the right bowl has reached the bottom of the discharge pipe 14 and generates an electrical signal to transmit to the controller 17. After receiving the signal, the controller 17 controls the electric regulating valve 15 to open the discharge pipe 14 again and starts to discharge the material into the right bowl. During the discharge process, the weighing sensor 4 continuously monitors the weight change of the bowl. When the preset weight value is reached, an electrical signal is generated and transmitted to the controller 17, so that the controller 17 controls the electric regulating valve 15 to temporarily close the discharge pipe 14 and complete the dispensing of the right bowl. At this point, all three bowls in the row are filled with liquid material.

[0028] Finally, through the cooperation of conveyor 1, distance sensor 16 and weighing sensor 4, liquid materials are filled into the bowls of other rows according to the above process. The row of bowls filled with liquid materials is then conveyed backward by conveyor 1 and finally removed by staff to complete the entire meal preparation process.

Claims

1. An automatic weighing and dispensing mechanism for canteen meal preparation, comprising a conveying device (1), a conveyor belt (2), limiting strips (3), guide rails (5), sliders (51), a slide (8), a storage tank (9), a sealing cap (10), an inlet hopper (13), an outlet pipe (14), an electric regulating valve (15), and a controller (17). The conveyor belt (2) is rotatably disposed between two conveying rollers of the conveying device (1). Multiple sets of limiting strips (3) are fixedly attached to the surface of the conveyor belt (2). Multiple guide rails (5) are distributed and installed on the upper part of the conveying device (1) from left to right. Each slider (51) is slidably disposed in a longitudinally aligned manner. Between every two guide rails (5), a slide (8) is installed between two sliders (51), a storage tank (9) is installed in the annular space of the slide (8), a sealing cap (10) is installed on the upper part of the storage tank (9) and completely covers the opening of the storage tank (9) from above, an inlet hopper (13) is fixed to the upper side of the storage tank (9), a discharge pipe (14) is fixed to the bottom of the storage tank (9), an electric regulating valve (15) is installed on the discharge pipe (14), and a controller (17) is installed on one side of the slide (8) and electrically connected to the conveying device (1) and the electric regulating valve (15). Its characteristics are: It also includes a weighing sensor (4), a first motor (6), a lead screw (7) and a distance sensor (16). Multiple rows of weighing sensors (4) are fixed to the surface of the conveyor belt (2). The first motor (6) is installed on the right side of the conveyor device (1), with its output shaft facing left, and a lead screw (7) is fixed to it through a coupling. The lead screw (7) is threadedly engaged with one of the sliders (51). The distance sensor (16) is installed on the lower side of the discharge pipe (14), with its detection end at the same level as the bottom surface of the discharge end. The weighing sensor (4), the first motor (6) and the distance sensor (16) are all electrically connected to the controller (17).

2. The automatic weighing and dispensing mechanism for canteen serving according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a second motor (11) and a stirring paddle (12). The second motor (11) is installed at the top of the sealing cover (10) with its output shaft facing down. The stirring paddle (12) is placed inside the storage tank (9), and one end of it is engaged with the output shaft of the second motor (11) by a snap-fit ​​method.

3. The automatic weighing and dispensing mechanism for cafeteria serving according to claim 2, characterized in that: It also includes a sealing strip (101), and the bottom of the sealing cover (10) is fixed with a ring-shaped sealing strip (101), and the sealing strip (101) is precisely embedded in the ring groove reserved on the upper part of the liquid storage tank (9).

4. An automatic weighing and dispensing mechanism for canteen meal preparation according to claim 3, characterized in that: It also includes a cover plate (131), which is laterally rotatably disposed on the upper side of the liquid inlet hopper (13) and completely blocks the opening of the liquid inlet hopper (13) from above.

5. A cafeteria serving and dispensing mechanism according to claim 4, wherein: It also includes a protective shell (18), which is installed on the upper part of the conveyor (1) and covers the carriage (8) from multiple directions. The protective shell (18) is equipped with multiple observation windows on the front and rear sides, and an operating door on the left and right sides.

6. A cafeteria serving and dispensing mechanism according to claim 5, wherein: It also includes a guide rod (19), which is fixed to the left side of the conveying device (1) and slides through another slider (51). The guide area length of the guide rod (19) is consistent with the thread area length of the lead screw (7).

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