Shrimp meat sorting device

Abstract

The application discloses a shrimp segment sorting device, which aims to solve the technical problems of poor sorting accuracy and stability and poor spraying quality of traditional shrimp segment sorting devices caused by the soft texture and surface adhesion of shrimp segments. It comprises a shrimp segment bin and a shrimp segment taking mechanism. The shrimp segment bin and the shrimp segment taking mechanism are respectively installed in different construction scenes through corresponding supports, so that the shrimp segment taking mechanism corresponds to the shrimp segments in the shrimp segment bin and transports the shrimp segments to a feeding mechanism. Through the double-stage shrimp segment bin, the application effectively utilizes the inertia of the material itself to realize the automatic separation and uniform distribution of the adhered shrimp segments. The flexible suction cup assembly is used for negative pressure suction combined with the blowing function, so that the problems of reliable single grabbing, stable transfer and self-cleaning of the suction cup pipeline of the soft and irregular shrimp segments are solved, and the advantages of high efficiency, stability and hygiene are combined.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of food processing equipment technology, specifically to a shrimp sorting device. Background Technology

[0002] When handling sticky, soft, and irregularly shaped ingredients such as shrimp in food processing, two conventional methods are typically used: one is to directly mix the shrimp into the filling and distribute it during the filling process; the other is to manually feed the shrimp to a feeding mechanism and then distribute it in conjunction with the filling action. Both methods have significant limitations: the former cannot achieve independent and quantitative distribution of shrimp, resulting in uneven distribution of shrimp in the final product; the latter relies on manual operation, which is inefficient, makes it difficult to guarantee hygiene, and cannot meet the needs of automated and large-scale production.

[0003] In the prior art, such as the processing method for stuffed products proposed in CN110623024A, although the stuffing machine realizes the transportation of loose filling through the filling conveying mechanism, the loose filling is directly transported to the mixer for mixing, which cannot achieve stable and accurate individual sorting and transfer for fillings such as shrimp that require quantitative distribution.

[0004] The information disclosed in this background section is intended only to enhance the understanding of the background technology of this disclosure and should not be construed as an admission or in any way implying that the information constitutes prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of at least one of the above technical problems, this application discloses a shrimp sorting device, which aims to solve the technical problem that the traditional shrimp sorting device has poor sorting accuracy and stability due to the soft texture and sticky surface of shrimp.

[0006] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a shrimp sorting device is provided, comprising a shrimp hopper, a shrimp picking mechanism for correspondingly absorbing shrimp from the shrimp hopper and conveying them to a feeding mechanism, the shrimp hopper including a primary hopper for storing shrimp, a secondary hopper correspondingly disposed at the outlet of the primary hopper, a feeding component disposed at the primary hopper for pushing shrimp into the secondary hopper, and a sorting device correspondingly connected to the secondary hopper and used to evenly distribute shrimp along the length direction of the secondary hopper; the shrimp picking mechanism including a moving component whose moving end reciprocates between the outlet of the secondary hopper and the feeding mechanism, a transverse transfer plate fixed to the moving end, and a plurality of suction cup components fixed along the length direction of the secondary hopper on the transverse transfer plate for absorbing shrimp from the secondary hopper.

[0007] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the feeding assembly includes a slide rail disposed in the primary silo corresponding to the discharge port of the primary silo, a push plate slidably fitted on the slide rail, a drive cylinder fixed to the slide rail for driving the push plate to slide along the slide rail, and a feeding ramp opened at the end of the push plate corresponding to the discharge port of the primary silo.

[0008] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the feeder includes a movable cylinder fixed below the secondary silo by a corresponding bracket, the output end of the movable cylinder being connected to the bottom of the secondary silo and the direction of movement of the output end being the same as the length direction of the secondary silo.

[0009] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the suction cup assembly includes a lifting cylinder fixed to the transverse carrier plate with its output end located below the transverse carrier plate, a suction tube connected to the output end of the lifting cylinder, a suction cup fixed to the bottom interface of the suction tube, and a pressure gauge fixed to the transverse carrier plate for detecting the air pressure of the suction cup.

[0010] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the lifting cylinder includes two cylinder interfaces connected to an external cylinder air source and controlled by corresponding solenoid valves.

[0011] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the straw is provided with a suction cup interface that is connected to an external positive pressure air source and a negative pressure air source and controlled by a corresponding solenoid valve.

[0012] One or more technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application have at least one of the following technical effects or advantages: 1. The system adopts a two-stage feeding design with primary and secondary hoppers, and combines the pushing of the feeding components with the output action of the moving cylinder. It utilizes the inertia of the shrimp to achieve automatic separation and uniform distribution, effectively breaking the stickiness between the shrimp and preparing for subsequent single and stable grasping.

[0013] 2. The shrimp-grabbing mechanism uses a suction cup assembly with soft lips for negative pressure suction, making full use of the sliding characteristics of the shrimp surface. It can accommodate shrimp of different shapes and sizes and with soft textures, achieving stable capture of individual shrimp. In addition, the suction status of the suction cup assembly is monitored in real time by a pressure gauge, ensuring the stability of the material grabbing and transfer process.

[0014] 3. By introducing a positive pressure blowing function into the suction cup assembly, the suction cup assembly and its air passages are automatically cleaned while the shrimp are being fed. This effectively prevents material residue from clogging the pipes, helps reduce the frequency of malfunctions and maintenance, and ensures production efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the shrimp sorting device in one embodiment of this application.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the shrimp hopper structure of a shrimp sorting device in one embodiment of this application.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the shrimp picking mechanism of a shrimp sorting device in one embodiment of this application.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the needle structure of a shrimp sorting device in one embodiment of this application.

[0019] In the above figures, 1 is the primary silo, 2 is the secondary silo, 3 is the feeding assembly, 4 is the feeding ramp, 5 is the moving cylinder, 6 is the storage silo, 7 is the transverse transfer plate, 8 is the suction cup assembly, 9 is the transfer single shaft, 10 is the lifting cylinder, 11 is the suction pipe, 12 is the suction cup, 13 is the cylinder connector, 14 is the suction cup connector, 15 is the pressure gauge, 16 is the baffle needle, 17 is the cross needle, and 18 is the baffle. Detailed Implementation

[0020] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "vertical," "horizontal," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application. Furthermore, the terms "connection" and "linkage" in this application, unless otherwise specified, include both direct and indirect connections (linkages).

[0021] Unless otherwise specified, the unit modules, components, structures, mechanisms, or sensors involved in the following embodiments are all commercially available products.

[0022] To better understand the technical solution of this application, the above technical solution will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0023] To address the technical problem of poor sorting accuracy and stability in traditional shrimp sorting devices due to the soft texture and sticky surface of shrimp, this embodiment discloses a shrimp sorting device, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the system includes a shrimp feed bin and a shrimp feeding mechanism. In this embodiment, the shrimp feed bin and the shrimp feeding mechanism are installed in different construction scenarios through corresponding brackets, so that the shrimp feeding mechanism can pick up the shrimp in the shrimp feed bin and transport them to the feeding mechanism.

[0024] Considering the slippery surface of shrimp and their tendency to stick together, if the shrimp-retrieving mechanism directly retrieves shrimp from a hopper containing a large quantity of shrimp, it might pick up multiple shrimp stuck together at once, making it impossible to locate individual shrimp due to the stacking. Therefore, in this embodiment, as... Figure 1 , 2 As shown, the shrimp feed hopper includes a primary feed hopper 1 and a secondary feed hopper 2. The secondary feed hopper 2 is located at the outlet of the primary feed hopper 1, allowing the shrimp stored in the primary feed hopper 1 to be pushed into the secondary feed hopper 2 by a feeding component that slides inside the primary feed hopper 1. The shrimp entering the secondary feed hopper 2 are evenly distributed along the length of the secondary feed hopper 2 by a feeder. In this embodiment, the outlet of the secondary feed hopper 2 is a feeding opening located at the top of the secondary feed hopper 2 and corresponding to the outlet of the primary feed hopper 1. The feeding component includes a slide rail located inside the primary feed hopper 1 and facing the outlet of the primary feed hopper 1, a push plate 3 slidably fitted on the slide rail, a drive cylinder fixed to the slide rail inside the primary feed hopper for driving the push plate 3 to slide along the slide rail, and a feeding ramp 4 opened at the end of the push plate 3 corresponding to the outlet of the primary feed hopper 1. Preferably, the slide rail is vertically installed in the primary hopper 1 and located on the side of the feeding opening near the secondary hopper 2. The feeding ramp 4 is located on the top of the push plate 3, so that the push plate 3 slides up and down and pushes the shrimp to the feeding opening of the secondary hopper 2 through the feeding ramp 4. At the same time, a storage hopper 6 is provided on the side of the primary hopper 1 away from the secondary hopper 2. The bottom surface of the storage hopper 6 is a ramp corresponding to the push plate 3. The shrimp placed in the storage hopper 6 fall into the feeding ramp 4 of the push plate 3 due to their own weight. During the process of the shrimp being pushed to the outlet of the primary hopper 1 by the push plate 3 and during the transfer process of being sent out of the primary hopper and into the secondary hopper through the feeding ramp 4, the adhesion between the shrimp is less than the weight of the shrimp. The shrimp will automatically separate due to their own inertia, which facilitates further processing. In addition, a sealing structure is provided in the gaps of components such as the push plate 3, slide rail, and drive cylinder in the primary hopper 1 to prevent shrimp from sliding into the gaps and causing blockage, thereby affecting the normal operation of the primary hopper 1.

[0025] When the feeding component 3 pushes the shrimp to the outlet of the primary silo 1, it then enters the secondary silo 2 through the feeding ramp 4. Subsequently, to facilitate easier identification and individual grasping by the shrimp-grabbing mechanism, in this embodiment, as follows... Figure 2As shown, the feeder includes a movable cylinder 5 fixed below the secondary feed hopper 2 via a corresponding bracket. The output end of the movable cylinder 5 is connected to the bottom of the secondary feed hopper 2, and the direction of movement of the output end is the same as the length direction of the secondary feed hopper 2. This allows the secondary feed hopper 2 to reciprocate along its own length, thereby achieving a uniform distribution of shrimp meat within the secondary feed hopper 2 along its length, forming a relatively flat suction plane. It also promptly replenishes surrounding shrimp meat into the depressions formed by the previous shrimp meat collection mechanism, ensuring that there are corresponding shrimp meat available for collection each time the shrimp meat collection mechanism descends, effectively reducing the risk of shrimp meat sticking together during collection. Preferably, to enable the shrimp meat feed hopper to detect full load and shortage of material, sensors are added at corresponding positions in the primary and secondary feed hoppers. Based on existing control logic, the primary and secondary feed hoppers operate according to the full load and shortage of material conditions.

[0026] Considering that shrimp meat varies in shape and size and has a soft texture, conventional feeding methods are ineffective in grasping and positioning them. Furthermore, instability and dropping can easily occur when shrimp meat is transferred to the feeding mechanism. Therefore, in this embodiment, as... Figure 1 As shown, the shrimp feeding mechanism includes a moving component, a transverse transfer plate 7 fixed to the moving end of the moving component, and several suction cup components 8 fixed to the transverse transfer plate 7. The moving end of the moving component drives the transverse transfer plate 7 to reciprocate between the feeding opening of the corresponding secondary hopper and the feeding mechanism. To facilitate the suction cup components 8 in picking up shrimp evenly distributed in the secondary hopper 2, several suction cup components 8 are fixed to the transverse transfer plate 7 along the length of the secondary hopper 2. Specifically, the moving component includes a transfer shaft 9, which is a prior art transfer device. In this embodiment, the secondary hopper 2 and the feeding mechanism are located within the stroke range of the transfer shaft 9. The drive unit in the transfer shaft 9 drives the transverse transfer plate 7 located on the moving end to reciprocate between the secondary hopper 2 and the feeding mechanism.

[0027] Once the transverse carrier plate moves to the position above the feeding opening of the secondary hopper, the suction cup assembly sucks up the shrimp from the secondary hopper. In this embodiment, for example... Figure 3As shown, the suction cup assembly 8 includes a lifting cylinder 10 fixed on the horizontal transfer plate 7 with its output end located below the horizontal transfer plate 7, a suction tube 11 fixed to the output end of the lifting cylinder 10, and a suction cup 12 fixed at the bottom interface of the suction tube 11. The suction cup 12 has a soft lip, which can accommodate different shrimp shapes, sizes, states, and shape differences. In this embodiment, the suction cup 12 of a suitable size can effectively pick up individual shrimp evenly distributed on the secondary feed bin by taking advantage of the sliding characteristics of the shrimp. Specifically, the lifting cylinder 10 is equipped with two cylinder connectors 13 for controlling the lifting and lowering of the cylinder. The two cylinder connectors 13 are connected to an external cylinder air source through corresponding pneumatic pipelines and are controlled by corresponding solenoid valves, so that the lifting cylinder 10 drives the suction pipe 11 and suction cup 12 to lift and lower above the feeding opening of the secondary silo 2. The suction pipe 11 is equipped with a suction cup connector 14, which is connected to an external vacuum generator through a pneumatic pipeline and is controlled by a corresponding solenoid valve, so that the suction pipe 11 generates negative pressure at the suction cup 12 through the air passage in the suction pipe 11 under the control of the corresponding solenoid valve, thereby sucking up the shrimp on the corresponding secondary silo 2. Meanwhile, to determine whether the corresponding suction cup of the suction cup assembly has sucked up shrimp, a pressure gauge 15 is provided on the transverse carrier plate 7 to detect the air pressure status of the suction cup. The value of the pressure gauge 15 is used to determine whether the suction cup 12 has successfully sucked up shrimp on the secondary hopper 2, or whether there is any material falling during the movement of the transverse carrier plate 7. The status of the shrimp during the suction and movement process is detected to ensure that the suction cup 12 can suck up shrimp normally.

[0028] Considering that after the transverse carrier plate 7 moves to the feeding mechanism, the suction cup 12 no longer generates negative pressure under the control of the corresponding solenoid valve, and the shrimp will automatically fall onto the feeding mechanism, however, the shrimp's sticky residue still adheres to the internal pipes of the suction cup 12 and the suction tube 11, which can easily cause pipe blockage and affect the normal operation of the suction cup assembly 8. Therefore, the suction cup connector 14 located on the suction tube 11 is also connected to an external positive pressure air source through a corresponding pneumatic pipe. When the transverse carrier plate 7 moves the suction cup assembly 8 to the feeding mechanism, the positive pressure air source blows air through the internal pipes of the suction cup 12 and the suction tube 11 under the control of the corresponding solenoid valve. While the shrimp leaves the suction cup 12 and enters the feeding mechanism, the internal pipes of the suction cup 12 and the suction tube 11 are cleaned, preventing pipe blockage and extending service life.

[0029] Specifically, the coordination between the various unit components in the shrimp feed bin and the shrimp feeding mechanism is uniformly controlled by the existing conventional control system. By controlling the control elements and solenoid valves of the corresponding components, the entire device completes the feeding operation, realizing automatic, continuous, and quantitative feeding of shrimp, which greatly improves production efficiency and reduces labor costs.

[0030] In some other embodiments, such as Figure 4As shown, the suction cup assembly has a needle at the output end of the lifting cylinder for piercing shrimp meat, and a silicone ejector plate at the feeding position of the corresponding feeding mechanism for scraping shrimp meat to release it. The needles are divided into baffle needles 16 and cross needles 17. The baffle needles 16 have a baffle 18 to limit the number of shrimp meat pierced; the cross needles 17 include two needles crossed at the output end of the lifting cylinder, effectively preventing shrimp meat from falling. Verification shows that using baffle needles and cross needles can effectively replace the suction cup and suction tube, with a simple structure, low cost, and no slippage.

[0031] Although some preferred embodiments of this application have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments as well as all changes and modifications falling within the scope of this application.

[0032] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of its inventive concept. Therefore, if such modifications and variations to this disclosure fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A shrimp sorting device, characterized in that, The system includes a shrimp feed hopper and a shrimp feeding mechanism for correspondingly absorbing shrimp from the shrimp feed hopper and conveying them to a feeding mechanism. The shrimp feed hopper includes a primary feed hopper for storing shrimp, a secondary feed hopper corresponding to the outlet of the primary feed hopper, a feeding component located at the primary feed hopper for pushing shrimp into the secondary feed hopper, and a sorting device connected to the secondary feed hopper for evenly distributing shrimp along the length of the secondary feed hopper. The shrimp feeding mechanism includes a moving component whose movable end reciprocates between the outlet of the secondary feed hopper and the feeding mechanism, a transverse transfer plate fixed to the moving end, and several suction cup components fixed along the length of the secondary feed hopper on the transverse transfer plate for absorbing shrimp from the secondary feed hopper.

2. The shrimp sorting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding assembly includes a slide rail located in the primary silo corresponding to the discharge port of the primary silo, a push plate slidably fitted on the slide rail, a drive cylinder fixed to the slide rail for driving the push plate to slide along the slide rail, and a feeding ramp opened at the end of the push plate corresponding to the discharge port of the primary silo.

3. The shrimp sorting device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The feeder includes a movable cylinder fixed below the secondary silo by a corresponding bracket. The output end of the movable cylinder is connected to the bottom of the secondary silo, and the direction of movement of the output end is the same as the length direction of the secondary silo.

4. The shrimp sorting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The suction cup assembly includes a lifting cylinder fixed to the horizontal moving plate with its output end located below the horizontal moving plate, a suction tube connected to the output end of the lifting cylinder, a suction cup fixed to the bottom interface of the suction tube, and a pressure gauge fixed to the horizontal moving plate for detecting the air pressure of the suction cup.

5. The shrimp sorting device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The lifting cylinder includes two cylinder interfaces that are connected to an external cylinder air source and controlled by corresponding solenoid valves.

6. The shrimp sorting device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The suction tube is equipped with a suction cup interface that connects to an external positive pressure air source and a negative pressure air source and is controlled by a corresponding solenoid valve.

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