A freeze-dried pet food tray material unloading structure

Abstract

The utility model discloses a freeze-dried pet food tray material unloading structure, including robot tray clamping mechanism, unloading frame, scraper unloading mechanism, tray turnover mechanism and empty tray transplanting conveying mechanism, the scraper unloading mechanism with tray turnover mechanism set up on unloading frame, empty tray transplanting conveying mechanism sets up in unloading frame outside, the robot tray clamping mechanism sets up in empty tray transplanting conveying mechanism outside, the robot tray clamping mechanism is used for carrying material to tray turnover mechanism, and the material is poured into downstream screening machine through tray turnover mechanism overturning, the scraper unloading mechanism is used for cleaning the material that has not been poured on tray turnover mechanism, empty tray transplanting conveying mechanism is used for conveying empty tray of pouring material to downstream equipment. The utility model discloses a freeze-dried pet food tray material unloading structure to overcome the defect of the prior art, and improve production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a material unloading structure for a freeze-dried pet food tray. Background Technology

[0002] Freeze-dried pet food removes moisture using freeze-drying technology, preserving nutrients and original flavor to the maximum extent. Its production process typically includes pretreatment, quick-freezing, vacuum drying, unloading, and packaging, with the unloading process directly impacting product integrity and production efficiency.

[0003] Existing methods for unloading freeze-dried foods typically involve mechanical vibration, air blowing, or manual unloading to detach the food from the tray. However, these methods not only easily lead to the breakage of brittle products (such as chicken pieces) (breakage rate of about 5-15%), but also result in high residue levels (3-8%), requiring manual cleaning. Furthermore, the introduced airflow impact can easily cause powder particles to splatter (such as in beef liver), posing a health hazard to personnel and creating unsanitary blind spots, increasing cleaning costs. At the same time, if some high-value-added products are scraped manually, it is not only inefficient (processing capacity <50kg per hour), but also prone to introducing contamination risks.

[0004] With the expansion of the freeze-dried food market, there is an urgent need to develop a low-damage, high-recovery-rate (residual content <1%), energy-saving, and food-grade hygiene-compliant unloading solution. Therefore, a freeze-dried pet food tray unloading structure is proposed to address these issues. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this utility model is to overcome the existing defects and provide a material unloading structure for freeze-dried pet food trays, thereby improving production efficiency.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution: a material unloading structure for a freeze-dried pet food tray, including a robot tray clamping mechanism, an unloading frame, a scraper unloading mechanism, a tray flipping mechanism, and an empty tray transfer and conveying mechanism;

[0007] The scraper unloading mechanism and the pallet flipping mechanism are mounted on the unloading frame, the empty pallet transfer and conveying mechanism is mounted outside the unloading frame, and the robot pallet clamping mechanism is mounted outside the empty pallet transfer and conveying mechanism.

[0008] The robot pallet clamping mechanism is used to transport materials onto the pallet flipping mechanism, and the pallet flipping mechanism flips the materials to pour them into the downstream screening machine; the scraper unloading mechanism is used to clean up the materials that have not been poured out on the pallet flipping mechanism; the empty pallet transfer conveying mechanism is used to transport the empty pallets after the materials have been poured out to the downstream equipment.

[0009] Preferably, the robot pallet gripping mechanism includes a robot body, the end of which is connected to a gripper bracket, and the gripper bracket has two gripping stations on its front side;

[0010] Each clamping station includes two support plates, which are connected to the front side of the fixture bracket. A limit plate is connected to the front side of each support plate, and a submerged suction cup is provided on the inner side of the support plate.

[0011] Each of the support plates has a clamping plate at its rear end, and the back of each clamping plate is connected to the output end of a first cylinder, which is connected to the back of the clamp bracket.

[0012] Preferably, the pallet flipping mechanism includes two flipping stations, which are arranged on a steering support plate. The steering support plate is connected to a rotating shaft, and the end of the rotating shaft is connected to a drive motor.

[0013] A buffer compartment is provided between the flipping station and the rotating shaft.

[0014] Preferably, the flipping station includes multiple support wheels for support and multiple limiting wheels for limiting the position, arranged on both sides;

[0015] It also includes a second cylinder, the output end of which is connected to a pressure plate;

[0016] A barrier is provided between the flipping station and the buffer bin.

[0017] Preferably, the scraper unloading mechanism includes a third cylinder connected to the unloading frame, the output end of the third cylinder being connected to a bracket, and a flexible scraper connected to the bracket via a fixed knob, the flexible scraper being used to clean the material on the flipping station.

[0018] Preferably, it also includes a discharge guide plate, which is disposed at the front end of the downstream screening machine and is used to connect the buffer bin.

[0019] Preferably, the empty tray transplanting and conveying mechanism includes a conveying frame, a lifting plate that moves up and down on the conveying frame, a pull rod cylinder on the lifting plate, and a lever connected to the output end of the pull rod cylinder; bottom rollers are provided at the bottom of the lifting plate, and limit rollers are provided on both sides; a railing is provided on the outside of the lifting plate.

[0020] Preferably, the empty tray transplanting and conveying mechanism further includes a lifting cylinder, which is connected to the bottom of the conveying frame. The output end of the lifting cylinder is connected to a lifting bracket, and the upper end of the lifting bracket is connected to the lifting plate.

[0021] Preferably, the conveying frame is connected to multiple rollers for conveying; the lifting plate moves up and down within the gap between the multiple rollers.

[0022] Preferably, a guide rod is connected inside the conveying frame, and a sliding sleeve is connected to the side wall of the lifting bracket, the sliding sleeve being slidably sleeved on the guide rod.

[0023] Compared with existing technologies, the advantages of this utility model are as follows: The material unloading structure of this freeze-dried pet food tray, with its tray tilting mechanism and unloading scraper mechanism as independent modules, can be used with a robot gripper mechanism to complete the tray loading and unloading, and can also be used with a tray transfer and conveying mechanism to transfer empty trays. Simultaneously, the unloaded material can be directly screened using a screening machine, or transported to downstream equipment for further processing using a product conveyor line or product trolley. The modular configuration offers high flexibility and strong adaptability. It can be directly installed downstream of a feeder or filling machine, making it highly practical.

[0024] Compared to the original mechanical vibration method, setting up a tilting unloading mechanism can significantly reduce the breakage rate of brittle products, and also avoid the health hazards to personnel caused by material splashing and dust from air blowing unloading. At the same time, flexible scraper unloading can also significantly improve the recovery rate of highly adhesive materials and improve production efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the present invention and form part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of the present invention to explain the present invention, but do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings:

[0026] Figure 1 This is an overall schematic diagram of the material unloading structure of the freeze-dried pet food tray of this utility model;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the robot tray clamping mechanism of this utility model;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the tray flipping mechanism of this utility model;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the scraper unloading mechanism of this utility model;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the empty tray transfer and conveying mechanism of this utility model;

[0031] Figure 6 This is a partial schematic diagram of the empty tray transfer and conveying mechanism of this utility model.

[0032] In the diagram: 1. Robot pallet gripping mechanism; 101. Pallet; 102. Robot body; 103. Support plate; 104. Limiting plate; 105. Clamping plate; 106. First cylinder; 107. Suction cup; 108. Fixture bracket;

[0033] 2. Downstream screening machine;

[0034] 3. Unloading frame

[0035] 4. Scraper unloading mechanism; 401. Unloading guide plate; 402. Third cylinder; 403. Fixed knob; 404. Bracket; 405. Flexible scraper;

[0036] 5. Pallet tilting mechanism; 501. Tilting station; 502. Steering support plate; 503. Support wheel; 504. Limit wheel; 505. Second cylinder; 506. Pressure plate; 507. Stop bar; 508. Buffer compartment; 509. Rotary shaft; 510. Drive motor;

[0037] 6. Empty tray transplanting and conveying mechanism; 601. Conveying frame; 602. Roller; 603. Lifting cylinder; 604. Paddle; 605. Pull rod cylinder; 606. Lifting upright plate; 607. Limiting roller; 608. Bottom roller; 609. Lifting bracket; 610. Guide rod; 611. Sliding sleeve; 612. Guardrail;

[0038] 7. Downstream equipment. Detailed Implementation

[0039] 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.

[0040] like Figure 1-6 As shown, a material unloading structure for freeze-dried pet food trays includes a robotic tray clamping mechanism 1, an unloading frame 3, a scraper unloading mechanism 4, a tray flipping mechanism 5, and an empty tray transfer conveying mechanism 6. The scraper unloading mechanism 4 and the tray flipping mechanism 5 are mounted on the unloading frame 3, the empty tray transfer conveying mechanism 6 is mounted on the outside of the unloading frame 3, and the robotic tray clamping mechanism 1 is mounted on the outside of the empty tray transfer conveying mechanism 6. The robotic tray clamping mechanism 1 is used to transport materials onto the tray flipping mechanism 5, and the materials are poured into the downstream screening machine 2 by flipping the tray. The scraper unloading mechanism 4 is used to clean up any unpoured materials on the tray flipping mechanism 5. The empty tray transfer conveying mechanism 6 is used to transport the empty trays after the materials have been poured to the downstream equipment 7.

[0041] Specifically, during production, the robot pallet clamping mechanism 1 transfers the pallet 101 to the pallet flipping mechanism 5. The pallet flipping mechanism 5 and the scraper unloading mechanism 4 work together to unload and separate the food from the pallet 101. After the material is unloaded, the pallet 101 flips back to its original position, and the empty pallet transfer conveying mechanism 6 pushes the pallet 101 out and sends it to the downstream workstation 7.

[0042] like Figure 2 As shown, the robot pallet gripping mechanism 1 includes a robot body 102, with a gripper bracket 108 connected to the end of the robot body 102. Two gripping stations are provided on the front side of the gripper bracket 108. Each gripping station includes two support plates 103, which are connected to the front side of the gripper bracket 108. A limit plate 104 is connected to the front side of each support plate 103, and a submerged suction cup 107 is provided on the inner side of the support plate 103. A clamping plate 105 is provided at the rear end of each support plate 103, and the back of each clamping plate 105 is connected to the output end of a first cylinder 106, which is connected to the back of the gripper bracket 108.

[0043] Specifically, the support plate 103 and the limiting plate 104 are both fixed on the clamp bracket 108. The support plate 103 is equipped with a hidden suction cup 107 and its vacuum channel. While adsorbing the tray 101, the clamping plate 105 is driven by the first cylinder 106 to press the tray 101 onto the limiting plate 104 to clamp the tray 101. The above-mentioned components are driven by the electronic control program of the robot body 102 to complete the transfer of the tray 101.

[0044] like Figure 3 As shown, the pallet tilting mechanism 5 includes two tilting stations 501, which are mounted on a steering support plate 502. The steering support plate 502 is connected to a rotating shaft 509, and the end of the rotating shaft 509 is connected to a drive motor 510. A buffer compartment 508 is provided between the tilting station 501 and the rotating shaft 509. The tilting station 501 includes multiple support wheels 503 and multiple limiting wheels 504 on both sides for support and for limiting. It also includes a second cylinder 505, with a pressure plate 506 connected to the output end of the second cylinder 505. A stop bar 507 is provided between the tilting station 501 and the buffer compartment 508.

[0045] Specifically, the robot pallet gripping mechanism 1 transfers the pallet 101 onto the steering support plate 502. The bottom of the steering support plate 502 is designed with support wheels 503 to reduce contact wear. Limiting wheels 504 and stop bars 507 are installed on the sides and front to position the pallet 101 and prevent it from deviating. After the robot pallet gripping mechanism 1 retracts, the second cylinder 505 drives the pressure plate 506 to press the pallet 101 tightly. The front end of the pressure plate 506 is designed with a slot to prevent the pallet 101 from slipping out during the flipping process. After the pallet 101 is clamped, a given signal drives the drive motor 510 to drive the rotating shaft 509 to flip. During the flipping process, the material falls into the buffer bin 508 under its own weight and slides out through the unloading guide plate 401 to the downstream screening machine 2 for particle size screening.

[0046] like Figure 4 As shown, the scraper unloading mechanism 4 includes a third cylinder 402, which is connected to the unloading frame 3. The output end of the third cylinder 402 is connected to a bracket 404. A flexible scraper 405 is connected to the bracket 404 via a fixed knob 403. The flexible scraper 405 is used to clean the material on the turning station 501. It also includes an unloading guide plate 401, which is located at the front end of the downstream screening machine 2 and is used to connect to the buffer bin 508.

[0047] Specifically, the flexible scraper 405 is mounted on the bracket 404 and secured by the fixing knob 403. The rotating shaft 509 drives the steering support plate 502 to flip the pallet 101 to the process origin of the flexible scraper 405. Then, the third cylinders 402 at both ends drive the bracket 404 to move the flexible scraper 405 to slide back and forth in the unloading direction of the pallet, removing materials with strong adhesion and ensuring the unloading recovery rate. The flexible scraper 405 is made of food-grade soft material and the front end is rounded to reduce the material breakage rate.

[0048] like Figure 5 , 6 As shown, the empty tray transplanting and conveying mechanism 6 includes a conveying frame 601, a lifting plate 606 that moves up and down on the conveying frame 601, a pull rod cylinder 605 on the lifting plate 606, and a lever 604 connected to the output end of the pull rod cylinder 605; a bottom roller 608 is provided at the bottom of the lifting plate 606, and limit rollers 607 are provided on both sides; a railing 612 is provided on the outside of the lifting plate 606.

[0049] Specifically, the empty tray transplanting and conveying mechanism 6 also includes a lifting cylinder 603, which is connected to the bottom of the conveying frame 601. The output end of the lifting cylinder 603 is connected to a lifting bracket 609, and the upper end of the lifting bracket 609 is connected to a lifting plate 606. Multiple conveying rollers 602 are connected to the conveying frame 601; the lifting plate 606 moves up and down within the gaps between the rollers 602. A guide rod 610 is connected inside the conveying frame 601, and a sliding sleeve 611 is connected to the side wall of the lifting bracket 609, the sliding sleeve 611 being slidably fitted onto the guide rod 610.

[0050] Specifically, the pallet flipping mechanism 5 flips the unloaded empty pallet 101 back to the process origin. The lever cylinder 605 drives the paddle 604 to move the pallet 101 above the lifting plate 606. The lifting plate 606 is mounted on the lifting bracket 609. The lifting plate 606 is equipped with bottom rollers 608 and side limiting rollers 607 to reduce contact friction and increase side guidance when the pallet 101 is removed. After the lever cylinder 605 is in position, it gives a signal, and the lifting cylinder 603 drives the lifting bracket 609 to move the empty pallet 101 onto the conveying roller 602. The lifting bracket 609 is positioned by the guide rod 610 and the sliding sleeve 611 to ensure the stability of the lifting bracket 609 during lifting. At the same time, the roller 602 is mounted on the frame 601, and the drive motor 613 drives the roller 602 to move the empty pallet 101 along the conveyor railing 612 to the downstream equipment 7.

[0051] Specifically, the lever cylinder 605 extends and uses the paddle 604 mounted on it to pull the tray 101 back to the lifting origin. The bottom of the tray 101 contacts the roller 608, and the two sides are designed with limit rollers 607 to reduce the contact friction of the tray 101 and prevent it from deviating.

[0052] This freeze-dried pet food tray unloading structure features an independent tray tilting mechanism and unloading scraper mechanism. These can be integrated with a robotic gripper for tray loading and unloading, or with a tray transfer conveyor for empty tray transfer. After unloading, the material can be directly screened using a screening machine or transported to downstream equipment for further processing using a product conveyor line or trolley. The modular configuration offers high flexibility and adaptability. It can be directly installed downstream of a feeder or filling machine, making it highly practical.

[0053] Compared to the original mechanical vibration method, setting up a tilting unloading mechanism can significantly reduce the breakage rate of brittle products, and also avoid the health hazards to personnel caused by material splashing and dust from air blowing unloading. At the same time, flexible scraper unloading can also significantly improve the recovery rate of highly adhesive materials and improve production efficiency.

[0054] Finally, it should be noted that the above are merely preferred embodiments of this utility model and are not intended to limit the utility model. Although the utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A material unloading structure for a freeze-dried pet food tray, characterized in that, It includes a robot pallet gripping mechanism (1), an unloading frame (3), a scraper unloading mechanism (4), a pallet flipping mechanism (5), and an empty pallet transfer and conveying mechanism (6); The scraper unloading mechanism (4) and the pallet flipping mechanism (5) are mounted on the unloading frame (3), the empty pallet transfer conveying mechanism (6) is mounted on the outside of the unloading frame (3), and the robot pallet clamping mechanism (1) is mounted on the outside of the empty pallet transfer conveying mechanism (6). The robot pallet clamping mechanism (1) is used to transport materials onto the pallet flipping mechanism (5), and the materials are poured into the downstream screening machine (2) by flipping the pallet flipping mechanism (5); the scraper unloading mechanism (4) is used to clean up the materials that have not been poured on the pallet flipping mechanism (5); the empty pallet transfer conveying mechanism (6) is used to transport the empty pallet after the materials have been poured to the downstream equipment (7).

2. The material unloading structure for freeze-dried pet food trays according to claim 1, characterized in that, The robot pallet clamping mechanism (1) includes a robot body (102), the end of which is connected to a clamping bracket (108), and two clamping stations are provided on the front side of the clamping bracket (108). Each clamping station includes two support plates (103), the two support plates (103) are connected to the front side of the clamp bracket (108), the front side of each support plate (103) is connected to a limit plate (104), and a submerged suction cup (107) is provided on the inner side of the support plate (103). Each of the support plates (103) has a clamping plate (105) at its rear end. The back of each clamping plate (105) is connected to the output end of a first cylinder (106), which is connected to the back of the clamp bracket (108).

3. The material unloading structure for freeze-dried pet food trays according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pallet flipping mechanism (5) includes two flipping stations (501), which are set on a steering support plate (502). The steering support plate (502) is connected to a rotating shaft (509), and the end of the rotating shaft (509) is connected to a drive motor (510). A buffer compartment (508) is provided between the flipping station (501) and the rotating shaft (509).

4. The material unloading structure for freeze-dried pet food trays according to claim 3, characterized in that, The flipping station (501) includes multiple support wheels (503) for support and multiple limiting wheels (504) for limiting the position, which are arranged on both sides. It also includes a second cylinder (505), and a pressure plate (506) is connected to the output end of the second cylinder (505); A stop bar (507) is provided between the flipping station (501) and the buffer bin (508).

5. The material unloading structure for freeze-dried pet food trays according to claim 4, characterized in that, The scraper unloading mechanism (4) includes a third cylinder (402), which is connected to the unloading frame (3). The output end of the third cylinder (402) is connected to a bracket (404). A flexible scraper (405) is connected to the bracket (404) via a fixed knob (403). The flexible scraper (405) is used to clean the material on the turning station (501).

6. The material unloading structure for freeze-dried pet food trays according to claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes a discharge guide plate (401), which is disposed at the front end of the downstream screening machine (2) and is used to connect the buffer bin (508).

7. The material unloading structure for freeze-dried pet food trays according to claim 1, characterized in that, The empty tray transplanting and conveying mechanism (6) includes a conveying frame (601), a lifting plate (606) that moves up and down is provided on the conveying frame (601), a pull rod cylinder (605) is provided on the lifting plate (606), and the output end of the pull rod cylinder (605) is connected to a lever (604); a bottom roller (608) is provided at the bottom of the lifting plate (606), and limit rollers (607) are provided on both sides; a railing (612) is provided on the outside of the lifting plate (606).

8. The material unloading structure for freeze-dried pet food trays according to claim 7, characterized in that, The empty tray transfer conveying mechanism (6) also includes a lifting cylinder (603), which is connected to the bottom of the conveying frame (601). The output end of the lifting cylinder (603) is connected to the lifting bracket (609), and the upper end of the lifting bracket (609) is connected to the lifting plate (606).

9. The material unloading structure for freeze-dried pet food trays according to claim 7, characterized in that, The conveying frame (601) is connected to multiple conveying rollers (602); the lifting plate (606) is located in the gap between the multiple rollers (602) and moves up and down.

10. The material unloading structure for a freeze-dried pet food tray according to claim 8, characterized in that, The conveying frame (601) is connected to a guide rod (610), and the side wall of the lifting bracket (609) is connected to a sliding sleeve (611), which is slidably sleeved on the guide rod (610).

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