An automated material preparation device

Abstract

This application discloses an automated pre-soaking device, relating to the field of food processing technology. It includes a pre-soaking box, with an inclined drain plate fixed to one side and a loading station on the other side. A trolley is installed at the loading station, on which multiple stacked pre-soaked frames are placed. Movable frames are installed on the other two sides of the pre-soaking box, with casters at the bottom. Cylinders are installed in the middle of the movable frames, and lifting frames are fixed to the upper ends of two cylinders. Several symmetrically distributed L-shaped rods are fixed to the lower sides of the lifting frames, with lifting blocks fixed to the lower ends of the L-shaped rods. This device, through the cooperation of the lifting frames and the movable frames, can achieve translation and lifting of the pre-soaked frames, thereby completing the entire process of lifting the pre-soaked frames at the loading station, moving the pre-soaked frames to the pre-soaking box and repeatedly lifting and lowering them, and placing the pre-soaked frames on the inclined drain plate. This improves the automation level of pre-soaking and allows for simultaneous pre-soaking of multiple pre-soaked frames, increasing production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of food processing technology, and in particular to an automated food preparation device. Background Technology

[0002] In the food processing industry, soaking liquids play a vital and far-reaching role. It is a crucial preliminary step in many processing procedures, softening the texture of ingredients and making subsequent cutting and cooking easier and more efficient. Soaking liquids also remove impurities, blood, and odors from the surface of ingredients, enhancing the purity and flavor of the food. Furthermore, by adding specific ingredients to soaking liquids, such as brine or sugar water, unique flavors can be imparted to food, serving as a marinating and preservative agent, extending shelf life, and laying a solid foundation for subsequent processing and the quality of the final product.

[0003] Soaking food in a specific sauce can enhance its flavor. In actual production, the food needs to float up and down in the soaking tank to ensure full contact between the food and the sauce. Currently, for bean curd products, they are usually placed in a pre-made frame, which is manually placed in the soaking tank by the operator and floated up and down. This is labor-intensive for the operator, and only one pre-made frame can be soaked at a time, resulting in low efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to improve the technical problems of high labor intensity and low production efficiency in food preparation, this application provides an automated preparation device.

[0005] The automated material preparation device provided in this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] An automated material preparation device includes a material preparation box. An inclined drain plate is fixed on one side of the material preparation box, and a feeding station is provided on the other side of the material preparation box. A trolley is provided in the feeding station, and multiple stacked blank frames are placed on the trolley. Movable frames are provided on the other two sides of the material preparation box. Movable wheels are provided at the bottom of the movable frames, and cylinders are installed in the middle of the movable frames. Lifting frames are fixed at the upper ends of the two cylinders. Several symmetrically distributed L-shaped rods are fixed on both sides below the lifting frames, and lifting blocks are fixed at the lower ends of the L-shaped rods.

[0007] By adopting the above technical solution, several layers of blank frames can be stacked on the trolley. The material to be soaked is placed in the blank frame. In use, firstly, the moving frame moves to the side of the soaking box away from the inclined drain plate, and the lifting frame is lowered to the lowest position. Then, the trolley moves the blank frame to the inside of the L-shaped rod, and at this time, the lifting block is located at the bottom of the blank frame. Then, the cylinder drives the lifting frame to rise, so that the height of the blank frame is higher than the height of the soaking box. Then, the moving frame moves the blank frame to the top of the soaking box. Through the lifting and lowering of the cylinder, the blank frame is lowered into the soaking box and swings up and down. After soaking for a certain period of time, the lifting frame rises, the moving frame moves to the inclined drain plate, and then the blank frame is lowered for draining and recycling. This achieves semi-automatic operation, reduces the labor burden of operators, and allows multiple blank frames to be stacked and soaked at the same time, improving work efficiency.

[0008] Preferably, the sidewalls of the embryo frame are tapered from top to bottom, allowing the embryo frames to be stacked, and a support platform is provided at the inner corner of the embryo frame. The height of the support platform is less than the height of the sidewalls of the embryo frame, and both the sidewalls and bottom of the embryo frame are mesh structures.

[0009] By adopting the above technical solution, the bottom of the embryo frame can be placed inside the opening of the lower embryo frame, and the support platform in the lower embryo frame provides support, making the stacking more stable and preventing crushing of the food to be processed in the lower layer.

[0010] Preferably, the movable frame consists of two vertical square tubes and two horizontal bars connecting the two vertical square tubes, and a guide rod is slidably inserted in the vertical square tube, with the upper end of the guide rod fixed to the lifting frame.

[0011] By adopting the above technical solution, guide rods are used to guide the vertical movement of the lifting frame, making the device operate more stably.

[0012] Preferably, the width of the trolley is less than the distance between the two lifting blocks.

[0013] By adopting the above technical solution, the blank frame placed on the trolley can move to the top of the lifting block as the trolley moves, eliminating the need for operators to move the blank frame and simplifying the operation.

[0014] Preferably, a horizontal C-shaped plate is fixed on the side of the foam box near the loading station, and the inner width of the horizontal C-shaped plate is the same as the outer width of the trolley, and the two ends of the horizontal C-shaped plate are fixed with outward expansion rods, which are inclined outward.

[0015] By adopting the above technical solution, when the trolley is pushed to the loading station, the front end of the trolley is guided by two outward expansion rods and finally locked inside the horizontal C-shaped plate, thus positioning the trolley. This ensures that the blank frame on the trolley can be lifted by the lifting block, preventing the blank frame from tilting and improving stability.

[0016] Preferably, the angle between the inclined drain plate and the horizontal plane is 15°, and a support frame is provided at the bottom of the inclined drain plate, and water-blocking side plates are provided on both sides of the inclined drain plate.

[0017] By adopting the above technical solutions, the support frame can improve the load-bearing capacity of the inclined drain plate, facilitate the placement of multiple blank frames, and the water-blocking side plate can prevent liquid from dripping from the side of the inclined drain plate, thereby improving the recycling effect.

[0018] Preferably, the inclined drain plate is provided with a plurality of equally spaced support ribs, the upper end of the support ribs is horizontal, and the end of the support ribs near the upper end of the inclined drain plate is chamfered.

[0019] By adopting the above technical solution, the support ribs support the draining frame, keeping the frame horizontal and preventing it from sliding down. Moreover, when placing the frame, the lifting frame moves above the inclined draining plate and then descends. When the frame contacts the support ribs, the L-shaped rod does not touch the inclined draining plate. At this time, the moving frame can separate the L-shaped rod from the frame by moving laterally, making the process of placing the frame smoother and more automated.

[0020] Preferably, both sides of the foaming box are provided with tracks, and the moving wheels are located in the tracks at corresponding positions. A driven sprocket is rotatably provided on the side end of the foaming box. A drive motor is fixed on the side wall of the support frame away from the driven sprocket. A transmission sprocket is fixed on the output shaft of the drive motor. A drive chain is installed between the transmission sprocket and the driven sprocket. A connecting plate is fixed on the moving frame near the drive chain, and the other end of the connecting plate is fixed to the drive chain.

[0021] By adopting the above technical solution, the drive motor can drive the drive chain to reciprocate, and the drive chain and connecting plate can drive the mobile frame to move along the track, thereby improving the automation level of the device and further reducing the labor burden of operators.

[0022] In summary, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects:

[0023] 1. By coordinating the lifting frame and the moving frame, the blank frame can be moved horizontally and vertically, thereby completing the entire process of lifting the blank frame at the loading station, moving the blank frame to the soaking box and repeatedly lifting and lowering it, and placing the blank frame on the inclined draining plate. This improves the automation of soaking and allows for the simultaneous soaking of multiple blank frames, thus increasing production efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall isometric structure of this application;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of the movable frame and the lifting frame in this application;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the trolley and embryo frame in this application;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the drive chain structure in this application;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the inclined drainage plate in this application.

[0029] Reference numerals: 1. Material box; 2. Inclined drain plate; 3. Moving frame; 4. Moving wheel; 5. Cylinder; 6. Lifting frame; 7. L-shaped rod; 8. Lifting block; 9. Trolley; 10. Blank frame; 11. Support platform; 12. Guide rod; 13. Horizontal C-shaped plate; 14. Outward expansion rod; 15. Track; 16. Driven sprocket; 17. Drive motor; 18. Transmission sprocket; 19. Drive chain; 20. Connecting plate; 21. Support frame; 22. Water-blocking side plate; 23. Support rib; 24. Chamfer. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1-5 This application will be described in further detail.

[0031] This application discloses an automated material preparation device.

[0032] Example 1

[0033] Reference Figures 1-4 An automated material preparation device includes a material preparation box 1. An inclined drain plate 2 is fixedly installed on one side of the material preparation box 1, and a loading station is provided on the other side. A trolley 9 is placed at the loading station, on which multiple layers of blank frames 10 are stacked. Movable frames 3 are configured on the remaining two sides of the material preparation box 1. Each movable frame 3 consists of two vertical square tubes and two horizontal bars connecting the two vertical square tubes. The bottom of the movable frame 3 is equipped with moving wheels 4, and a cylinder 5 is installed in the middle of the movable frame 3. A lifting frame 6 is fixed to the upper ends of the two cylinders 5. A guide rod 12 is slidably inserted into the vertical square tube, and the upper end of the guide rod 12 is fixedly connected to the lifting frame 6. Multiple L-shaped rods 7 are symmetrically fixed on both sides below the lifting frame 6, and a lifting block 8 is fixed to the lower end of each L-shaped rod 7. Furthermore, the width of the trolley 9 is less than the distance between the two lifting blocks 8, and the width of the blank frames 10 is greater than the distance between the two lifting blocks 8.

[0034] With the above setup, several layers of blank frames 10 can be stacked on the trolley 9, and the materials requiring soaking are placed inside these blank frames 10. In use, first move the movable frame 3 to the loading station and lower the lifting frame 6 to its lowest position. Then, push the trolley 9, moving the trolley 9 carrying the blank frames 10 to the inside of the L-shaped rod 7. At this point, the lifting blocks 8 on both sides are precisely at the bottom sides of the blank frames 10.

[0035] Then, cylinder 5 is activated, which drives the lifting frame 6 to rise, thereby making the height of the blank frame 10 exceed that of the soaking box 1. After that, the moving frame 3 moves the blank frame 10 directly above the soaking box 1. Then, through the lifting operation of cylinder 5, the blank frame 10 is slowly lowered into the soaking box 1, and the blank frame 10 swings up and down inside the soaking box 1.

[0036] After soaking for a specific period of time, cylinder 5 is activated again to raise the lifting frame 6 and lift the blank frame 10 out of the soaking tank 1. Then, the moving frame 3 is moved above the inclined drain plate 2, and the blank frame 10 is lowered to drain on the inclined drain plate 2. After that, the material can be recycled.

[0037] This entire process achieves semi-automated operation, effectively reducing the workload of operators. Moreover, this method supports the simultaneous stacking of multiple blank frames for soaking, greatly improving work efficiency.

[0038] Reference Figure 3 The sidewalls of the blank frame 10 taper from top to bottom, allowing multiple blank frames 10 to be stacked stably. A support platform 11 is specially provided at the inner corner of the blank frame 10, its height lower than the sidewalls of the blank frame 10, providing additional stable support for stacking. Furthermore, the sidewalls and bottom of the blank frame 10 adopt a mesh structure design, ensuring good air permeability and facilitating the flow of liquid during soaking.

[0039] With the above configuration, the bottom dimension of the embryo frame 10 perfectly matches the opening dimension of the lower embryo frame 10. When placed, the support platform 11 at the inner corner of the lower embryo frame 10 supports the upper embryo frame 10, providing it with support. In this way, the embryo frames 10 are more stable when stacked, and the food to be processed on the lower layer will not be squeezed.

[0040] Reference Figure 4 A horizontal C-shaped plate 13 is fixedly installed on the side of the material box 1 near the loading station. The inner width of this horizontal C-shaped plate 13 matches the overall width of the outer side of the trolley 9. Furthermore, two outward expansion rods 14 are fixed to both ends of the horizontal C-shaped plate 13, and these two outward expansion rods 14 are inclined outward.

[0041] With the above setup, when the trolley 9 is pushed to the loading station, the front end of the trolley 9 will first contact the two outwardly tilting expansion rods 14. Guided by the expansion rods 14, the trolley 9 can move smoothly and finally accurately engage with the inner side of the horizontal C-shaped plate 13, thus achieving the positioning of the trolley 9. In this way, it can be ensured that the blank frame 10 on the trolley 9 can be smoothly lifted by the lifting block 8, effectively preventing the blank frame 10 from tilting and improving the overall stability of the operation.

[0042] The implementation principle of this embodiment is as follows:

[0043] The blank frames 10 are stacked on the trolley 9. Then, with the cooperation of the lifting frame 6 and the moving frame 3, the blank frames 10 are moved horizontally and vertically. This completes the entire process of lifting the blank frames 10 at the loading station, moving the blank frames 10 to the soaking box 1 and repeatedly lifting and lowering them, and placing the blank frames 10 on the inclined drain plate 2. This process is more efficient and does not require operators to carry the blanks, thus reducing the workload of the operators.

[0044] Example 2

[0045] Reference Figure 5 The difference between this embodiment and embodiment one is that a support frame 21 is provided at the bottom of the inclined drain plate 2, and the angle between the inclined drain plate 2 and the horizontal plane is 15°. Water-blocking side plates 22 are provided on both sides of the inclined drain plate 2. Several support ribs 23 are provided on the inclined drain plate 2, and the upper end of the support ribs 23 is horizontal. The support ribs 23 are evenly distributed, and a chamfer 24 is provided on the side of the support ribs 23 near the upper end of the inclined drain plate 2.

[0046] With the above configuration, the support frame 21 provides support for the inclined drain plate 2, enabling it to support multiple blank frames 10 and meet the batch draining requirements. The water-blocking side plate 22 can prevent liquid from dripping from the side of the inclined drain plate 2, ensuring that the liquid can be collected and recycled, thus improving the recycling effect.

[0047] Support ribs 23 are evenly distributed on the inclined drain plate 2, providing stable support for the blank frame 10 during the draining process, ensuring that the blank frame 10 can be placed horizontally and preventing it from sliding down. When placing the blank frame 10, the lifting frame 6 will first move to directly above the inclined drain plate 2, and then slowly descend. When the blank frame 10 contacts the support ribs 23, the L-shaped rod 7 is still suspended above the inclined drain plate 2 and has not yet made contact with it. At this time, simply operating the moving frame 3 to move laterally can easily separate the L-shaped rod 7 from the blank frame 10, improving the smoothness of operation.

[0048] The implementation principle of this embodiment is as follows:

[0049] The support ribs 23 provide support for the embryo frame 10 and ensure that the embryo frame 10 is in a horizontal position to prevent it from slipping. Moreover, when placing the embryo frame 10, the L-shaped rod 7 will not come into contact with the inclined drain plate 2, making the operation smoother.

[0050] Example 3

[0051] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 4The difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 is that tracks 15 are provided on both sides of the foam box 1, and the moving wheels 4 at the bottom of the moving frame 3 are precisely embedded in the corresponding tracks 15, ensuring that the moving frame 3 can move smoothly along the predetermined path. A driven sprocket 16 is rotatably mounted on the side end of the foam box 1, and a drive motor 17 is fixed on the side wall of the support frame 21 away from the driven sprocket 16. A transmission sprocket 18 is connected to the output shaft of the drive motor 17, and the transmission sprocket 18 and the driven sprocket 16 are connected by a drive chain 19, forming a complete transmission system. A connecting plate 20 is fixed on the moving frame 3 near the drive chain 19, and the other end of the connecting plate 20 is fixed to the drive chain 19. In this way, when the drive chain 19 moves, it can drive the moving frame 3 to move synchronously.

[0052] With the above configuration, the drive motor 17 can drive the drive chain 19 to reciprocate, and the drive chain 19 is connected to the connecting plate 20 fixed on the moving frame 3. Driven by the drive chain 19, the connecting plate 20 will pull the moving frame 3 to move smoothly along the track 15, which effectively improves the automation level of the device and further reduces the workload of the operators.

[0053] The implementation principle of this embodiment is as follows:

[0054] The moving frame 3 is automatically driven by the drive motor 17, and the movement of the moving frame 3 is more stable by cooperating with the track 15, thereby realizing the automatic movement and lifting of the lifting frame 6. The operator only needs to load and unload the food to achieve the soaking of food, which further improves the automation level of the device.

[0055] In summary, this device can realize the translation and lifting of the blank frame 10, and drive multiple stacked blank frames 10 to automatically soak the material. Operators can simply load and unload the material, resulting in high production efficiency.

[0056] The above are all preferred embodiments of this application, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, all equivalent changes made in accordance with the structure, shape and principle of this application should be covered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. An automated material foaming device comprising a material foaming tank (1), characterized in that: An inclined drain plate (2) is fixed on one side of the foaming box (1), and a feeding station is set on the other side of the foaming box (1). A trolley (9) is set in the feeding station, and a multi-layer stacked blank frame (10) is placed on the trolley (9). Movable frames (3) are set on the other two sides of the foaming box (1). Movable wheels (4) are set at the bottom of the movable frames (3), and cylinders (5) are installed in the middle of the movable frames (3). Lifting frames (6) are fixed at the upper ends of the two cylinders (5). Several symmetrically distributed L-shaped rods (7) are fixed on the lower two sides of the lifting frames (6), and lifting blocks (8) are fixed at the lower ends of the L-shaped rods (7).

2. The automated material preparation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sidewalls of the embryo frame (10) are tapered from top to bottom, allowing the embryo frames (10) to be stacked. A support platform (11) is provided at the inner corner of the embryo frame (10). The height of the support platform (11) is less than the height of the sidewalls of the embryo frame (10). The sidewalls and bottom of the embryo frame (10) are both mesh structures.

3. The automated material preparation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The movable frame (3) consists of two vertical square tubes and two horizontal bars connecting the two vertical square tubes, and a guide rod (12) is slidably inserted in the vertical square tubes. The upper end of the guide rod (12) is fixed to the lifting frame (6).

4. The automated material preparation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The width of the trolley (9) is less than the distance between the two lifting blocks (8).

5. An automated material preparation device according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that: The foam box (1) has a horizontal C-shaped plate (13) fixed on one side near the loading station. The inner width of the horizontal C-shaped plate (13) is the same as the outer width of the trolley (9). The two ends of the horizontal C-shaped plate (13) are fixed with outward expansion rods (14), and the outward expansion rods (14) are inclined outward.

6. The automated material preparation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inclined drain plate (2) has an angle of 15° with the horizontal plane, and a support frame (21) is provided at the bottom of the inclined drain plate (2), and water-blocking side plates (22) are provided on both sides of the inclined drain plate (2).

7. An automated material preparation device according to claim 1 or 6, characterized in that: The inclined drain plate (2) is provided with a number of equally spaced support ribs (23), the upper end of the support ribs (23) is horizontal, and the end of the support ribs (23) near the upper end of the inclined drain plate (2) is provided with a chamfer (24).

8. An automated material preparation device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The foaming box (1) is provided with rails (15) on both sides, and the moving wheel (4) is located in the corresponding rail (15). The side end of the foaming box (1) is rotatably provided with a driven sprocket (16). The side wall of the support frame (21) away from the driven sprocket (16) is fixed with a drive motor (17). The output shaft of the drive motor (17) is fixed with a transmission sprocket (18). A drive chain (19) is installed between the transmission sprocket (18) and the driven sprocket (16). A connecting plate (20) is fixed on the moving frame (3) near the drive chain (19), and the other end of the connecting plate (20) is fixed to the drive chain (19).

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