A sealing and extraction assembly for meat product packaging

Abstract

This utility model discloses a sealing and vacuuming assembly for meat product packaging, including a mounting base, a finger cylinder, a vacuum assembly, and a heated sealing assembly. The finger cylinder has left and right movable fingers that are respectively installed in the first and second working chambers and close to form a sealed space. The vacuum assembly includes a vacuum generator, an air nozzle, and an air path adapter terminal. The air nozzle includes two first negative pressure suction nozzles disposed above the first working chamber and two second negative pressure suction nozzles disposed above the second working chamber. The heated sealing assembly includes a heating tube and a temperature controller connected to the heating tube. The sealing and vacuuming assembly for meat product packaging of this utility model effectively solves the pain points of low integration, poor efficiency, unstable sealing, and high maintenance costs of existing vacuum sealing equipment through optimized structural design and functional integration.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of food packaging machinery technology, specifically to a sealing and vacuuming component for meat product packaging, which is particularly suitable for the integrated vacuuming and heat sealing of bagged products such as pre-processed meat products and low-temperature meat products, and belongs to the category of core functional components of food packaging equipment. Background Technology

[0002] In the meat processing industry, packaging is a crucial step in ensuring product quality and extending shelf life. Meat products (such as braised meats, smoked meats, and pre-prepared processed meats) are rich in protein, fat, and moisture, making them susceptible to microbial growth and spoilage at room temperature. Furthermore, contact with air easily leads to oxidation, resulting in poor taste and nutrient loss. Therefore, vacuum sealing has become the mainstream packaging method for meat products—by removing air from the packaging bag, reducing oxygen content, and inhibiting microbial activity, while simultaneously using heat sealing to achieve a tight seal, the shelf life of meat products at room temperature can be extended from 2-5 days with traditional packaging to 30-90 days, effectively improving product circulation radius and storage safety.

[0003] Vacuum sealing equipment currently used for meat product packaging can be mainly divided into two categories:

[0004] Traditional vertical vacuum packaging machines: These machines require manual placement of meat products into bags, followed by manually inserting the bag opening into the machine's sealing groove. The machine first closes the chamber and creates a vacuum, then activates the heating strip to seal the edges. They have significant limitations: First, operation relies on manual labor, processing only one bag at a time, with each bag taking 8-12 seconds, making it difficult to adapt to the production pace of large and medium-sized enterprises (production lines typically require 1-3 seconds per bag). Second, the machines are bulky (occupying an area of ​​over 1.2 square meters), requiring dedicated production space, and have high energy consumption (rated power generally 1.5-3 kW), resulting in high long-term operating costs. Third, the sealing effect is unstable; manual placement of the bag opening can easily cause misalignment, leading to a sealing pass rate of only 80%-88%. Defective products need to be disassembled and repackaged, increasing material waste and labor costs.

[0005] Simple assembly line sealing device: To adapt to the production line, some companies use a combination of "pneumatic grippers + independent vacuum pump + external heating element". However, this type of device has problems such as dispersed structure and poor coordination: First, vacuum extraction relies on an independent vacuum pump, which is connected to the suction nozzle next to the gripper through a single negative pressure pipe. The suction nozzle only makes point contact with the packaging bag, and air leakage is prone to occur during the extraction process, resulting in insufficient vacuum inside the packaging bag (only -0.05 to -0.07 MPa, far below the -0.08 to -0.095 MPa required for meat product packaging), which cannot effectively inhibit the growth of microorganisms; Second, the heating element and gripper are designed separately, and vacuuming must be completed first before the heating element is moved to seal the edge. The step-by-step operation results in an overall cycle of 5-7 seconds per bag, making it difficult to improve efficiency; Third, there is a lack of a dedicated sealing structure. When the gripper closes, it only relies on the metal contact surface to squeeze the packaging bag. The uneven contact surface or the wrinkles in the packaging bag can easily lead to poor sealing. During subsequent transportation, the seal is prone to cracking, resulting in a high risk of product leakage and spoilage.

[0006] In addition, the existing equipment's component installation and control methods also have defects: On the one hand, components such as vacuum pumps, heating elements, and pneumatic grippers are mostly installed separately and need to be fixed individually on the production line frame. The air and electrical connections between the components are complex, which not only occupies a lot of space but also increases the difficulty of maintenance. For example, the connection between the negative pressure pipe and the suction nozzle is prone to detachment due to vibration. Troubleshooting and repair require a 30-60 minute shutdown, which seriously affects the continuity of production. On the other hand, the temperature control of the heating components is mostly manually adjusted by knobs, lacking real-time temperature feedback and automatic temperature control functions. This can easily lead to the packaging bags melting and breaking due to excessively high temperatures (above 230°C) or the sealing edges not fusing due to excessively low temperatures (below 150°C), further reducing the product qualification rate.

[0007] With the increasing demand for large-scale and automated production in the meat products industry, the existing vacuum sealing equipment suffers from problems such as low integration, poor efficiency, unstable sealing, and high maintenance costs, making it difficult to meet enterprises' needs for "high-efficiency, high-precision, and low-energy-consumption" packaging. Therefore, developing a compact, highly integrated sealing and vacuuming component that can simultaneously perform vacuuming and heat sealing with reliable sealing performance has become a key direction for solving the current pain points in meat product packaging. Summary of the Invention

[0008] To solve the above problems, this utility model provides a sealing and vacuuming assembly for meat product packaging, the specific technical solution of which is as follows: including a mounting base, a finger cylinder, a vacuum assembly and a heated sealing assembly;

[0009] The mounting base is a plate-shaped structure used to support various functional components and devices;

[0010] The finger cylinder is connected to a solenoid valve via an air pipe, and also includes a first working chamber installed on the right movable finger of the finger cylinder, and a second working chamber installed on the left movable finger of the finger cylinder; a first rubber sealing strip is fixedly installed at the bottom of the first working chamber; a second rubber sealing strip is fixedly installed at the bottom of the second working chamber.

[0011] The vacuum assembly includes a vacuum generator, a gas nozzle connected to the output of the vacuum generator via a gas pipe, and a gas path adapter terminal connected to the input of the vacuum generator via a gas pipe; the gas nozzle includes two first negative pressure suction nozzles disposed above the first working chamber, and two second negative pressure suction nozzles disposed above the second working chamber; the two first negative pressure suction nozzles and the two second negative pressure suction nozzles are respectively connected to the two vacuum generators via two Y-type tee connectors; the two vacuum generators are respectively connected to the two gas path adapter terminals via gas pipes;

[0012] The heated edge sealing assembly includes a heating tube and a temperature controller connected to the heating tube. The heating tube includes a first heating tube disposed in a first working chamber and a second heating tube disposed in a second working chamber. The positive and negative signals of the heating tubes are connected to the temperature controller through wiring terminals.

[0013] Furthermore, the first working chamber and the second working chamber are fixed to the movable finger of the finger cylinder by screws. When the finger cylinder is closed, the first working chamber and the second working chamber form a sealed space. The first heating tube and the second heating tube set on the first working chamber and the second working chamber are directly opposite each other and close together. The first rubber sealing strip and the second rubber sealing strip are directly opposite each other and close together.

[0014] Preferably, the mounting base is provided with a thermostat mounting base, which is fixedly installed with the thermostat by screws; the signal input terminal of the thermostat is also connected to a temperature sensor, and the detection end of the temperature sensor is embedded in the side wall of the first working chamber.

[0015] Preferably, the finger cylinder is connected via screws and screw holes provided on the mounting base.

[0016] Furthermore, the solenoid valve is connected to an external air source via an air pipe; the two air path adapter terminals are connected to an external air source via Y-type tee connectors.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0018] The sealing and vacuuming assembly for meat product packaging described in this utility model effectively solves the pain points of existing vacuum sealing equipment, such as low integration, poor efficiency, unstable sealing, and high maintenance costs, through optimized structural design and functional integration. Attached Figure Description

[0019] For ease of explanation, this utility model is described in detail below with reference to the specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the working chamber structure.

[0022] In the diagram: 1-Mounting base; 2-Finger cylinder; 3-Solenoid valve; 4-Vacuum generator; 5-Pneumatic circuit adapter terminal; 6-Thermostat; 7-Wiring terminal; 21-First working chamber; 22-Second working chamber; 23-First heating element; 24-Second heating element; 25-First negative pressure suction nozzle; 26-Second negative pressure suction nozzle; 27-First rubber sealing strip; 28-Second rubber sealing strip. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0024] A sealing and vacuuming assembly for meat product packaging includes a mounting base 1, a finger cylinder 2, a vacuum assembly, and a heated sealing assembly.

[0025] The mounting base 1 is a plate-shaped structure used to support various functional components and devices;

[0026] The finger cylinder 2 is connected to a solenoid valve 3 via an air pipe, and also includes a first working chamber 21 installed on the right movable finger of the finger cylinder 2, and a second working chamber 22 installed on the left movable finger of the finger cylinder 2; a first rubber sealing strip 27 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the first working chamber 21; and a second rubber sealing strip 28 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the second working chamber 22.

[0027] The vacuum assembly includes a vacuum generator 4, an air nozzle connected to the output of the vacuum generator 4 via an air pipe, and an air path adapter terminal 5 connected to the input of the vacuum generator 4 via an air pipe. The air nozzle includes two first negative pressure suction nozzles 25 disposed above the first working chamber 21, and two second negative pressure suction nozzles 26 disposed above the second working chamber 22. The two first negative pressure suction nozzles 25 and the two second negative pressure suction nozzles 26 are respectively connected to the two vacuum generators 4 via two Y-type tee connectors. The two vacuum generators 4 are respectively connected to the two air path adapter terminals 5 via air pipes.

[0028] The heated edge sealing assembly includes a heating tube and a temperature controller 6 connected to the heating tube. The heating tube includes a first heating tube 23 disposed in the first working chamber 21 and a second heating tube 24 disposed in the second working chamber 22. The positive and negative signals of the heating tubes are connected to the temperature controller 6 through the wiring terminal 7.

[0029] Furthermore, the first working chamber 21 and the second working chamber 22 are fixed to the movable finger of the finger cylinder 2 by screws. When the finger cylinder 2 is closed, the first working chamber 21 and the second working chamber 22 form a sealed space. The first heating tube 23 and the second heating tube 24 set on the first working chamber 21 and the second working chamber 22 are directly opposite each other and close together. The first rubber sealing strip 27 and the second rubber sealing strip 28 are directly opposite each other and close together.

[0030] Preferably, the mounting base 1 is provided with a mounting base for the thermostat 6, which is fixedly installed by screws and the thermostat 6; the signal input terminal of the thermostat 6 is also connected to a temperature sensor (model PT100), and the detection end of the temperature sensor is embedded in the side wall of the first working chamber 21 to collect the temperature around the heating tube in real time and feed it back to the thermostat 6.

[0031] Preferably, the finger cylinder 2 is connected by screws and screw holes provided on the mounting base 1.

[0032] Furthermore, the solenoid valve 3 is connected to an external air source via an air pipe; the two air path adapter terminals 5 are connected to an external air source via Y-type tee connectors.

[0033] The sealing and vacuuming assembly for meat product packaging of this utility model also includes two intermediate relays, namely relay A and relay B. The coil end of relay A is connected to the signal output end of the temperature controller 6 through a wire, and the normally open contact of relay A is connected in series in the circuit of the first heating tube 23, the second heating tube 24 and the power supply. The coil end of relay B is connected to the vacuum control signal end of the external PLC through a wire, and the normally open contact of relay B is connected in series in the power supply circuit of the vacuum generator 4. At the same time, the control end of the solenoid valve 3 of the finger cylinder 2 is connected to the cylinder control signal end of the external PLC through a wire, forming a control link of "PLC-relay-actuator".

[0034] Working principle:

[0035] With the finger cylinder 2 in the open position, place the opening of the canned food bag (to be vacuumed and sealed) against either the first working chamber 21 or the second working chamber 22, with the top of the bag opening pressed against the top of the working chamber. At this point, press the button on the solenoid valve 3 to close the finger cylinder 2. The first working chamber 21 and the second working chamber 22 then seal the food bag, with the first heating element 23 and the second heating element 24 pressed against the bottom of the top of the food bag, forming a final sealing edge. Since the first working chamber 21 and the second working chamber 22, as well as the first rubber sealing strip 27 and the second rubber sealing strip 28, are all directly opposite and pressed against each other, the resulting working chamber... In a sealed space, the vacuum generator 4 is turned on, and the first negative pressure suction nozzle 25 and the second negative pressure suction nozzle 26, which are set on the first working chamber 21 and the second working chamber 22, begin to vacuum in the sealed working chamber, thus evacuating the air from the food bag and completing the vacuuming operation. After the vacuuming is completed within the set time, the temperature controller 6 is turned on. Under the action of the first heating tube 23 and the second heating tube 24, the food bag is heat-sealed at the point where it is pressed by the heating tubes. After the set heating time is over, the heat sealing of the food bag is completed. Through this component, the vacuuming and heat sealing operations can be completed simultaneously.

[0036] Initially, the finger cylinder 2 remains open. The operator places the opening of the canned meat product bag against the side wall of the first working chamber 21, with the top of the bag opening pressed against the top limiting structure of the working chamber. After pressing the start button, the external PLC outputs a cylinder closing signal to the control terminal of the solenoid valve 3. The solenoid valve 3 is energized to switch the air path, and compressed air enters the rodless chamber of the finger cylinder 2, pushing the movable finger to drive the first working chamber 21 and the second working chamber 22 to close in opposite directions. When the finger cylinder 2 is fully closed, the magnetic proximity switch at the end of the movable finger's stroke is triggered, outputting a high-level signal to the PLC. The PLC determines that the working chamber has formed a sealed space and enters the next stage.

[0037] After receiving the closing signal from the proximity switch, the PLC delays for 0.5 seconds (to avoid air leakage due to incomplete sealing of the working chamber) and outputs a vacuum control signal to the coil terminal of relay B. The coil of relay B is energized, its normally open contact closes, and the vacuum generator 4 is energized and started. At the same time, the air source at the air circuit adapter terminal 5 enters the vacuum generator 4 through the air pipe. The vacuum generator 4 generates negative pressure, which is distributed to the first negative pressure suction nozzle 25 and the second negative pressure suction nozzle 26 through the Y-type three-way connector to evacuate the food bag in the sealed working chamber.

[0038] After the vacuuming timer ends, the PLC outputs a heat-sealing hold signal to maintain the de-energized state of relay A and the closed state of finger cylinder 2. The first heating tube 23 and the second heating tube 24 heat-seal the tight area of ​​the food bag. After the designed heat-sealing time ends, the PLC outputs signals in sequence: first, it cuts off the control signal of relay B, the normally open contact of relay B opens, and the vacuum generator 4 stops working; then, it outputs a cylinder opening signal to solenoid valve 3, solenoid valve 3 is de-energized and switches the air path, compressed air enters the rod chamber of finger cylinder 2, pushing the movable finger to open the working chamber; finally, the PLC resets all signals and waits for the next start command to complete one vacuuming-heat-sealing cycle.

[0039] Through the coordinated control of relays and PLC, automatic temperature control of the heating tube, precise start and stop of the vacuum generator, and orderly connection of each process are achieved, ensuring that vacuuming and heat sealing are carried out simultaneously and efficiently, thereby improving the stability and reliability of component operation.

[0040] The embodiments described above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the concept and scope of the present invention. Various modifications and improvements made to the technical solutions of the present invention by those skilled in the art without departing from the design concept of the present invention should fall within the protection scope of the present invention. The technical content for which protection is sought in the present invention has been fully described in the claims.

Claims

1. An edge-of-pack vacuum assembly for meat products, characterized by: Includes mounting base (1), finger cylinder (2), vacuum assembly and heated edge sealing assembly; The mounting base (1) is a plate-shaped structure used to support various functional components and devices; The finger cylinder (2) is connected to a solenoid valve (3) via an air pipe, and also includes a first working chamber (21) installed on the right movable finger of the finger cylinder (2) and a second working chamber (22) installed on the left movable finger of the finger cylinder (2); a first rubber sealing strip (27) is fixedly installed at the bottom of the first working chamber (21); a second rubber sealing strip (28) is fixedly installed at the bottom of the second working chamber (22); The vacuum assembly includes a vacuum generator (4), an air nozzle connected to the output of the vacuum generator (4) via an air pipe, and an air path adapter terminal (5) connected to the input of the vacuum generator (4) via an air pipe; the air nozzle includes two first negative pressure suction nozzles (25) disposed above the first working chamber (21), and two second negative pressure suction nozzles (26) disposed above the second working chamber (22); the two first negative pressure suction nozzles (25) and the two second negative pressure suction nozzles (26) are respectively connected to the two vacuum generators (4) via two Y-type three-way connectors; the two vacuum generators (4) are respectively connected to the two air path adapter terminals (5) via air pipes; The heating and sealing assembly includes a heating tube and a temperature controller (6) connected to the heating tube. The heating tube includes a first heating tube (23) disposed in the first working chamber (21) and a second heating tube (24) disposed in the second working chamber (22). The first heating tube (23) and the second heating tube (24) connect the positive and negative signals of the heating tube to the temperature controller (6) through the wiring terminal (7).

2. An edge vacuum assembly for meat product packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first working chamber (21) and the second working chamber (22) are fixed to the movable finger of the finger cylinder (2) by screws. When the finger cylinder (2) is closed, the first working chamber (21) and the second working chamber (22) form a sealed space. The first heating tube (23) and the second heating tube (24) set on the first working chamber (21) and the second working chamber (22) are directly opposite each other and close together. The first rubber sealing strip (27) and the second rubber sealing strip (28) are directly opposite each other and close together.

3. An edge vacuum assembly for meat product packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting base (1) is provided with a thermostat (6) mounting base, which is fixedly installed by screws and thermostat (6); the signal input end of the thermostat (6) is also connected to a temperature sensor, and the detection end of the temperature sensor is embedded in the side wall of the first working chamber (21).

4. An edge vacuum assembly for meat product packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that: The finger cylinder (2) is connected by screws and screw holes on the mounting base (1).

5. An edge vacuum assembly for meat product packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that: The solenoid valve (3) is connected to an external air source via an air pipe; the two air path adapter terminals (5) are connected to an external air source via Y-type three-way connectors.

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