Automatic sorting and feeding bin with buffer
By designing an automated sorting and feeding hopper and utilizing components such as belt conveyors and lifting guide rails, the problems of high labor costs and low sorting accuracy in the bamboo buffering and feeding process were solved, achieving efficient automated sorting and separation of bamboo segments and improving production efficiency.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- HANGZHOU HAIMEI AUTOMATION EQUIP CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-05-13
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-22
AI Technical Summary
Bamboo processing enterprises face problems such as high labor costs, limited buffer capacity, and low sorting accuracy during the buffering and feeding processes, resulting in low production efficiency.
The design includes an automated sorting and feeding hopper with buffer, comprising a feeding area, a sorting area, and a buffer area. It utilizes a belt conveyor to transport bamboo segments and combines components such as a lifting guide rail mechanism, a weighing unit, a detector, and a vibration pump to achieve automated sorting and separation of bamboo segments.
It improves buffer capacity and sorting accuracy, reduces manual intervention, achieves full automation, and enhances equipment utilization and production efficiency.
Smart Images
Figure CN224266241U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of bamboo storage technology, specifically to an automatic sorting and feeding bin with buffer. Background Technology
[0002] Currently, most bamboo processing enterprises use a manual buffering and feeding model. After purchasing bamboo segments, they are manually placed on a fixed shelf and arranged in an orientation, serving as both storage units and feeding buffer containers. The circulation requires secondary handling, and feeding also requires manual handling of material retrieval and loading. These processes are almost entirely carried out manually, with virtually no automated equipment operation, and the degree of automation is negligible.
[0003] In another scenario, some mechanical buffering devices use conveyors to store bamboo segments, with a platform lifting device at the front. However, due to the mixed diameters and irregular shapes of the bamboo segments, traditional platform lifting devices cannot accurately sort the segments, requiring manual intervention at any time. Furthermore, the conveyor cannot hold too many bamboo segments, as excessive stacking can cause them to collapse or become misaligned, preventing them from reaching the lifting platform and rendering the lifting ineffective. This inefficiency actually reduces the utilization rate of mechanical buffering devices, leading companies to prefer the first method of fully manual buffering and loading.
[0004] The application of the above-mentioned existing technologies has the following disadvantages:
[0005] (1) Manual material loading results in very high labor costs;
[0006] (2) The mechanical buffer and manual feeding mode has a limited buffer capacity and low sorting accuracy. It requires manual intervention for secondary sorting, resulting in very low production efficiency. Utility Model Content
[0007] To solve the problems mentioned in the background art above, the present invention is achieved through the following technical solution: an automatic sorting and feeding bin with buffer, including a feeding area, a sorting area and a buffer area, wherein the buffer area is provided with a buffer bin and a belt conveyor, the buffer bin is used to buffer bamboo segments, and the belt conveyor is used to transport the bamboo segments to the sorting area;
[0008] The sorting area is equipped with a sorting bin and a lifting guide rail mechanism. After the bamboo segments are conveyed to the sorting bin by the belt conveyor, the lifting guide rail mechanism is used to convey the bamboo segments in the sorting bin to the loading area.
[0009] The feeding area is equipped with multiple feeding separation zones and one discharge zone. The bamboo segments entering the feeding area are separated into individual bamboo segments through the multiple feeding separation zones, and the separated individual bamboo segments are output from the discharge zone.
[0010] Furthermore, the buffer compartment includes an upper buffer compartment and a lower buffer compartment. The lower buffer compartment is arranged above the belt conveyor, and the upper buffer compartment is a box structure, located above the lower buffer compartment and connected to the lower buffer compartment.
[0011] Furthermore, a lifting front door is installed on the side of the upper buffer compartment near the sorting area.
[0012] Furthermore, the sorting area is equipped with an inclined storage frame, and the bamboo segments entering the sorting area fall onto the inclined surface of the inclined storage frame.
[0013] The inclined silo frame is fixedly connected to the lifting guide rail mechanism. A lifting cylinder is installed in the sorting area to drive the lifting guide rail mechanism to move up or down.
[0014] Furthermore, a weighing unit is installed in the lifting guide rail mechanism;
[0015] A detector is installed on the top of the inclined warehouse frame.
[0016] Furthermore, a vibration pump is installed in the inclined silo frame.
[0017] Furthermore, the feeding area is also provided with a separation transition area. The bamboo segments entering the feeding area first enter the separation transition area. The bottom surface of the separation transition area is an inclined surface. The bamboo segments enter the feeding separation area through the separation transition area.
[0018] Furthermore, there are four feeding separation zones, namely feeding separation zone one, feeding separation zone two, feeding separation zone three and feeding separation zone four, which are distributed obliquely upward in sequence;
[0019] Each feeding and separation zone is equipped with a moving plate and a stationary plate, and the upper surfaces of the moving plate and the stationary plate are inclined surfaces.
[0020] The feeding area is equipped with a lifting motor, a lifting guide rail mechanism, and an inclined platform lifting platform. The lifting motor, lifting guide rail mechanism, and inclined platform lifting platform work together to drive the moving platform in the previous feeding separation area to rise, so that the bamboo segments are pushed to the surface of the stationary platform in the feeding separation area and slide down to the surface of the moving platform in the next feeding separation area.
[0021] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:
[0022] 1. This automated sorting and feeding hopper with buffer, by setting up three parts—a buffer area, a sorting area, and a feeding area—significantly increases buffer capacity, greatly improves sorting accuracy, and reduces manual intervention. It fully realizes the replacement of manual labor with fully automated intelligent equipment, thereby greatly improving equipment utilization and production efficiency.
[0023] 2. This automatic sorting and feeding hopper with buffer can be expanded in capacity through its buffer zone, functioning as a complete storage warehouse unit. Externally sourced materials can be directly stacked in the buffer zone for inventory. The sorting area is equipped with capacity dividers and directional vibration sorting to straighten and arrange obliquely placed bamboo segments. Simultaneously, it lifts the bamboo segments in batches, preventing them from collapsing and becoming disorganized, and avoiding the inability to proceed with the next stage of platform lifting due to excessive bamboo segment feeding. The feeding area uses a four-stage platform lifting system to further separate and sort the accumulated bamboo segments, preventing multiple bamboo segments from escaping and ensuring that the discharge port contains a single bamboo segment, enabling precise individual feeding for subsequent processing equipment. Attached Figure Description
[0024] Figure 1 The overall structure of the feeding hopper of this utility model is three-dimensional. Figure 1 ;
[0025] Figure 2 The overall structure of the feeding hopper of this utility model is three-dimensional. Figure 2 ;
[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the feeding hopper of this utility model. Figure 1 ;
[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the feeding hopper of this utility model. Figure 2 ;
[0028] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the feeding hopper of this utility model. Figure 3 ;
[0029] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting guide rail mechanism of this utility model;
[0030] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the bamboo segment feeding and separation process in the feeding bin of this utility model.
[0031] In the diagram: 1. Feeding area; 111. Separation transition area; 112. Feeding separation area one; 113. Feeding separation area two; 114. Feeding separation area three; 115. Feeding separation area four; 116. Discharge area; 11. Discharge port; 12. Inclined platform lifting platform; 13. Lifting guide rail mechanism; 14. Lifting motor; 101. Discharge rack; 102. Moving platform; 103. Stationary platform;
[0032] 2. Sorting area; 21. Lifting cylinder; 22. Weighing unit; 23. Lifting guide rail mechanism; 24. Vibration pump; 201. Detector; 202. Sorting bin; 203. Inclined bin frame; 231. Linear bearing; 232. Linear guide rail;
[0033] 3. Buffer area; 31. Upper buffer bin; 32. Lower buffer bin; 33. Belt conveyor; 34. Servo motor; 301. Lifting front door. Detailed Implementation
[0034] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.
[0035] An example of this automated sorting and loading hopper with buffer is as follows:
[0036] Please see Figures 1-7 The automatic sorting and feeding bin with buffer includes a feeding area 1, a sorting area 2 and a buffer area 3. The buffer area 3 is equipped with a buffer bin and a belt conveyor 33. A servo motor 34 is installed at the bottom of the belt conveyor 33. The belt conveyor 33 is driven by the servo motor 34. The use of the servo motor 34 to drive the belt conveyor 33 is a conventional technology and will not be described in detail here. The bamboo segments are buffered by the buffer bin and transported to the sorting area 2 by the belt conveyor 33.
[0037] like Figure 6 As shown, the sorting area 2 is equipped with a sorting bin 202 and a lifting guide mechanism 23. The lifting guide mechanism 23 consists of a linear bearing 231 and a linear guide 232. This structure is conventional technology and will not be described in detail here.
[0038] After the bamboo segments are conveyed to the sorting bin 202 by the belt conveyor 33, the bamboo segments in the sorting bin 202 are conveyed to the feeding area 1 by the lifting guide rail mechanism 23. The feeding area 1 is provided with multiple feeding separation areas and a discharge area 116. The bamboo segments entering the feeding area 1 are separated into individual bamboo segments through multiple feeding separation areas in sequence. The separated individual bamboo segments are output from the discharge area 116. The discharge area 116 is provided with a discharge port 11. A discharge rack 101 is installed at the discharge port 11. Individual bamboo segments are output through the discharge rack 101.
[0039] It should be noted that the buffer bin includes an upper buffer bin 31 and a lower buffer bin 32. The lower buffer bin 32 is arranged above the belt conveyor 33. The upper buffer bin 31 is a box structure, located above the lower buffer bin 32, and connected to the lower buffer bin 32. A lifting front door 301 is installed on the side of the upper buffer bin 31 near the sorting area 2. A motor and a threaded rod driven by the motor are installed on the side of the box of the upper buffer bin 31. The threaded rod is threadedly connected to the lifting front door 301. The rotation of the motor is used to control the lifting front door 301 to rise or fall.
[0040] It should also be noted that sorting area 2 is equipped with sorting bin 202, and sorting bin 202 is equipped with inclined bin frame 203. The bamboo segments entering sorting area 2 fall onto the inclined surface of the inclined bin frame 203. The design of this inclined surface makes it easy to guide the bamboo segments into loading area 1.
[0041] The lifting guide mechanism 23 is equipped with a weighing unit 22, which is a weighing sensor used to detect the weight of the inclined warehouse frame 203, with the purpose of controlling the bamboo capacity of the sorting area 2 by weight.
[0042] A detector 201 is installed on the top of the inclined silo frame 203. The function of the detector 201 is to detect the volume of bamboo in the sorting area 2 to determine the appropriate capacity. Since the diameter and density of bamboo are uneven, the amount of bamboo in the sorting area 2 cannot be too much or too little. Too much bamboo will cause many bamboo pieces to enter the feeding area 1, making separation difficult and time-consuming, thus reducing efficiency. Similarly, too little bamboo will be quickly separated in the feeding area 1 and then have to enter the next round of sorting and feeding, wasting time and reducing efficiency. The detector 201 guides the volume of bamboo entering the sorting area 2 from the buffer area 3, thereby improving sorting and separation efficiency. The detector 201 can be an existing detection device, such as an ultrasonic level sensor.
[0043] Because bamboo can be dry or wet, the weighing unit 22 alone cannot meet the requirements. Dry bamboo will become stuck due to excessive feeding and cannot be separated. Similarly, the detector 201 can only detect a certain distance and cannot detect the volume, and the top of the stacked bamboo is uncertain. The detector 201 is mainly set up to detect the top of the bamboo and excessively high stacks at the transition port before entering the separation transition zone 111. These tops or excessively high stacks will cause the bamboo to be tilted when it collapses after being lifted into the sorting bin 202. These tilted and intersecting bamboo will make separation difficult or require a long separation time, reducing the separation efficiency.
[0044] A vibration pump 24 is installed in the inclined silo frame 203. The vibration pump 24 is a high-frequency directional vibration pump that vibrates left and right to drive the bamboo segments to vibrate in a radial direction, which facilitates the straightening and arrangement of the bamboo segments and makes the tilted or crooked bamboo segments reorient and neat. The detector 201 is connected to the vibration pump 24 by an electrical signal. When the detector 201 detects the top of the bamboo or the excessively high stack, the detector 201 sends a start signal to the vibration pump 24. The inclined silo frame 203 is fixedly connected to the lifting guide rail mechanism 23. A lifting cylinder 21 is set in the sorting area 2, which drives the lifting guide rail mechanism 23 to move up or down.
[0045] It should also be noted that the feeding area 1 is also provided with a separation transition area 111. The bamboo segments entering the feeding area 1 first enter the separation transition area 111. The bottom surface of the separation transition area 111 is an inclined surface. This inclined surface design facilitates the introduction of bamboo segments into the feeding separation area. The bamboo segments enter the feeding separation area through the separation transition area 111.
[0046] There are four feeding and separation zones: feeding and separation zone one 112, feeding and separation zone two 113, feeding and separation zone three 114, and feeding and separation zone four 115. These zones are arranged diagonally upwards in sequence. Each feeding and separation zone is equipped with a moving plate 102 and a stationary plate 103. The upper surfaces of both the moving plate 102 and the stationary plate 103 are inclined surfaces. This inclined surface design facilitates the introduction of individual bamboo segments into the next feeding and separation zone.
[0047] The feeding area 1 is equipped with a lifting motor 14, a lifting guide rail mechanism 13, and an inclined plate lifting platform 12. The lifting motor 14, the lifting guide rail mechanism 13, and the inclined plate lifting platform 12 work together to drive the moving plate 102 in the previous feeding separation area to rise, so that the bamboo segments are pushed to the surface of the stationary plate 103 in the feeding separation area and slide down to the surface of the moving plate 102 in the next feeding separation area.
[0048] The lifting guide rail mechanism 13 includes a drive shaft and a crank-connecting rod mechanism. This uses existing technology and will not be described in detail. When the lifting motor 14 is activated, it drives the drive shaft to rotate through gear meshing. The drive shaft drives the inclined plate lifting platform 12 to move up and down on the linear bearing and linear guide rail pair at this location through the crank-connecting rod mechanism, so that the movable platform 102 can move up and down reciprocatingly.
[0049] like Figure 7 As shown in Figure 7-1, the movable platform 102 and the stationary platform 103 each have four levels. The stationary platform 103 is stationary, while the movable platform 102 moves up and down. First, when the movable platform 102 descends to its lowest point, the bamboo in the right-side separation transition zone 111 rolls into the lowest level (level 1) of the movable platform 102, and then moves upwards via the lifting guide rail mechanism 13. Figure 7 As shown in Figure 7-2, the first-stage moving platform 102 lifts the bamboo upwards; after the first-stage moving platform 102 reaches its top, the upper surfaces of the first-stage moving platform 102 and the first-stage stationary platform 103 are on an inclined plane, so the lifted bamboo will roll into the first-stage stationary platform 103, as shown in Figure 7-2. Figure 7 Similarly, in the reciprocating motion of the moving plate 102, the bamboo will be lifted by the first moving plate 102 and then successively lifted to the fourth stationary plate 103 until it rolls into the discharge rack 101, thus completing the separation of individual bamboo from a pile of bamboo.
[0050] like Figure 3 As shown: The sorting and feeding hopper is divided into three areas: from right to left, according to the feeding and discharging direction shown in the diagram, they are: buffer area 3, sorting area 2, and feeding area 1.
[0051] First, the harvested or sawn bamboo segments are placed directly into buffer area 3, such as... Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the buffer compartment in buffer zone 3 is divided into an upper buffer compartment 31 and a lower buffer compartment 32. The lower buffer compartment 32 is directly arranged above the belt conveyor 33. Incoming bamboo segments are placed onto the belt conveyor 33. After the lower buffer compartment 32 is full, the bamboo segments are placed into the upper buffer compartment 31. The upper buffer compartment 31 has a box-like structure, preventing the bamboo segments inside from collapsing. Its capacity can be arbitrarily set, thus maximizing inventory. When the belt conveyor 33 moves to the left under the drive of the servo motor 34, the bamboo segments in the lower buffer compartment 32 are consumed first. After a certain consumption amount, the bamboo segments in the upper buffer compartment 31 will fall into the lower buffer compartment 32, thus achieving zoned consumption of bamboo segments.
[0052] like Figure 4 As shown, a lifting front door 301 is provided on the left side of the area in front of the upper buffer bin 31. This can prevent the bamboo segments from being squeezed by the movement of the bamboo segments during the conveyor belt 33. During the consumption of bamboo segments in the lower buffer bin 32, the bamboo segments at the bottom move to the left with the conveyor belt 33, and the bamboo segments piled on top also move to the left due to friction. This lifting front door 301 can effectively prevent the bamboo segments from being squeezed and deformed by the movement of the bamboo segments to the left, thereby allowing for better control of material drop and smooth feeding.
[0053] After the bamboo segments from buffer zone 3 are fed into sorting zone 2, sorting zone 2 begins to sort and arrange the materials. Sorting zone 2 is equipped with an upward-lifting independent inclined box frame 203 and a directional vibration pump 24. After the weighing unit 22 in sorting zone 2 detects the appropriate number of bamboo segments, the conveyor belt 33 in buffer zone 3 stops feeding, and the lifting front door 301 of the upper buffer bin 31 closes downward. At this time, bamboo segments are no longer fed into sorting zone 2. The high-frequency directional vibration pump 24 at the bottom of the box in sorting zone 2 operates, vibrating left and right at high frequency. This causes the bamboo segments to vibrate in a single radial direction, resulting in radial movement. This straightens the bamboo segments and ultimately reorients and aligns any tilted or skewed bamboo segments. At this time, the lifting cylinder 21 is activated, gradually lifting the box. The bamboo segments in sorting zone 2 then roll through the inclined bottom plate into the feeding zone 1 for further separation.
[0054] like Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown. The feeding area 1 is provided with a separation transition area 111 and a feeding separation area. The feeding separation area is provided with four-stage platform feeding separation area 112, feeding separation area 2 113, feeding separation area 3 114 and feeding separation area 4 115. Each stage is provided with a moving platform 102 and a stationary platform 103. The moving platform 102 can be lifted, and the stationary platform 103 is fixed. When the bamboo segment enters the separation transition zone 111, in the lowest feeding separation zone 112, the moving plate 102 on the right side is lifted from the bottom, raising the bamboo segment on its upper inclined surface to the position of the stationary plate 103 of the feeding separation zone. The bamboo segment rolls from the inclined surface onto the stationary plate 103. In the next round, the moving plate 102 of the feeding separation zone 213 descends and begins to lift after the bamboo segment rolls into its inclined surface on the stationary plate 103 of the feeding separation zone 112, thereby lifting the bamboo segment into the stationary plate 103 of the feeding separation zone 213. This process is repeated, gradually lifting the bamboo segment from the bottom separation transition zone 111 to the discharge port 11.
[0055] With so many tiers, the bottom tends to accumulate more material, and curved bamboo segments easily overlap the platform at an angle, causing chaos in the separation area. The two-stage feeding separation area cannot completely separate individual bamboo segments. Only after multiple stages of lifting can individual bamboo segments be separated more accurately. In addition, due to the different diameters of the bamboo segments, multiple bamboo segments may stack up. During the multi-stage platform lifting process, the stacked bamboo segments will be laid flat on feeding separation area three 114 and feeding separation area four 115 after being gradually lifted. By controlling the speed of the lifting motor 14 of the platform, the flat bamboo segments can be separated. The top layer of stacked bamboo segments rolls down first, followed by the lower layer. This layered rolling ensures that the bamboo segments are conveyed one by one, thus preventing the conveying of two or more bamboo segments at once and achieving precise feeding of individual bamboo segments.
[0056] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention.
Claims
1. An automated sorting and feeding bin with buffer, comprising a feeding area (1), a sorting area (2), and a buffer area (3), characterized in that: The buffer area (3) is equipped with a buffer bin and a belt conveyor (33). The buffer bin is used to buffer bamboo segments, and the belt conveyor (33) is used to transport the bamboo segments to the sorting area (2). The sorting area (2) is equipped with a sorting bin (202) and a lifting guide rail mechanism (23). After the bamboo segments are transported to the sorting bin (202) by the belt conveyor (33), the bamboo segments in the sorting bin (202) are transported to the loading area (1) by the lifting guide rail mechanism (23). The feeding area (1) is provided with multiple feeding separation areas and a discharge area (116). The bamboo segments entering the feeding area (1) are separated into individual bamboo segments through multiple feeding separation areas in sequence, and the separated individual bamboo segments are output from the discharge area (116).
2. The automatic sorting and feeding hopper with buffer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The buffer compartment includes an upper buffer compartment (31) and a lower buffer compartment (32). The lower buffer compartment (32) is arranged above the belt conveyor (33). The upper buffer compartment (31) is a box structure, located above the lower buffer compartment (32), and is connected to the lower buffer compartment (32).
3. The automatic sorting and feeding hopper with buffer according to claim 2, characterized in that: The upper buffer compartment (31) is equipped with a lifting front door (301) on the side near the sorting area (2).
4. The automatic sorting and feeding hopper with buffer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sorting area (2) is equipped with an inclined storage frame (203), and the bamboo segments entering the sorting area (2) fall onto the inclined surface of the inclined storage frame (203); The inclined warehouse frame (203) is fixedly connected to the lifting guide rail mechanism (23). A lifting cylinder (21) is provided in the sorting area (2). The lifting cylinder (21) drives the lifting guide rail mechanism (23) to move up or down.
5. The automatic sorting and feeding hopper with buffer according to claim 4, characterized in that: The lifting guide rail mechanism (23) is equipped with a weighing unit (22); A detector (201) is installed on the top of the inclined warehouse frame (203).
6. The automatic sorting and feeding hopper with buffer according to claim 4, characterized in that: A vibration pump (24) is installed in the inclined silo frame (203).
7. The automatic sorting and feeding hopper with buffer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feeding area (1) is also provided with a separation transition area (111). The bamboo segments entering the feeding area (1) first enter the separation transition area (111). The bottom surface of the separation transition area (111) is an inclined surface. The bamboo segments enter the feeding separation area through the separation transition area (111).
8. The automatic sorting and feeding hopper with buffer according to claim 7, characterized in that: There are four feeding separation zones, namely feeding separation zone one (112), feeding separation zone two (113), feeding separation zone three (114) and feeding separation zone four (115), which are distributed diagonally upward in sequence; Each feeding and separation zone is equipped with a moving plate (102) and a stationary plate (103), and the upper surfaces of the moving plate (102) and the stationary plate (103) are inclined surfaces. The feeding area (1) is equipped with a lifting motor (14), a lifting guide rail mechanism (13), and an inclined plate lifting platform (12). The lifting motor (14), the lifting guide rail mechanism (13), and the inclined plate lifting platform (12) work together to drive the moving plate (102) in the previous feeding separation area to rise, so that the bamboo segments are pushed to the surface of the stationary plate (103) in the feeding separation area and slide down to the surface of the moving plate (102) in the next feeding separation area.