Curing barn automatic weighing device

Abstract

This utility model provides an automatic weighing device for tobacco curing barns, relating to the technical field of tobacco curing equipment. It includes a main component and a user interaction unit. The main component comprises a curing rack, temperature and humidity sensors, embedded cover plates, and a weighing component. Temperature and humidity sensors are installed at the top, middle, and bottom of the vertical frame of the curing rack. Embedded cover plates are symmetrically installed at the bottom of the curing rack, and the bottom of the embedded cover plates connects to the top of the weighing component. A data acquisition and transmission component is provided on the outside of the main component, and the data acquisition and transmission component is communicatively connected to the user interaction unit. This utility model uses lifting lugs at the top of the curing rack to simplify handling operations, and the embedded cover plates at the bottom ensure uniform force distribution on the weighing component, reducing weight measurement errors. The temperature and humidity sensors are arranged at the top, middle, and bottom of the vertical frame, covering the entire height area of ​​the tobacco leaves, resulting in more comprehensive data collection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of tobacco curing equipment, specifically an automatic weighing device for curing barns. Background Technology

[0002] Tobacco curing is a core step in tobacco production. Changes in tobacco leaf weight during this process directly impact moisture evaporation efficiency and the final quality of dried tobacco. Temperature and humidity parameters affect the stability of the curing process, and the traceability between curing and purchasing is crucial for ensuring tobacco quality traceability. Current technologies suffer from the following prominent problems:

[0003] Poor adaptability of tobacco curing rack structure: Traditional tobacco curing racks lack a structure that adapts to the weighing components, and uneven force is prone to occur when the weighing components are installed, resulting in increased weight measurement error; in addition, there is no convenient handling structure, resulting in low efficiency of tobacco leaf transfer.

[0004] Incomplete temperature and humidity data collection: Temperature and humidity sensors are mostly concentrated in local areas of the curing barn and are not deployed in the lower part of the vertical racks of the tobacco curing racks (where tobacco leaves are densely distributed), which cannot truly reflect the differences in the curing environment of tobacco leaves at different heights.

[0005] Data acquisition modules are scattered: Data acquisition components such as controllers and IoT modules lack a unified integrated carrier, are installed haphazardly, and are easily affected by the high temperature and moisture in the drying room, resulting in high equipment failure rate and increased maintenance costs.

[0006] The location of traceability labels is unreasonable: existing traceability barcodes are mostly affixed to tobacco leaf packaging, which are easily detached due to high temperature and friction during the curing process. Moreover, the location is hidden and inconvenient for scanning and verification during the acquisition process. Therefore, an automatic weighing device for curing barns is proposed. Utility Model Content

[0007] In view of this, the present invention provides an automatic weighing device for tobacco curing barns, which aims to solve one of the technical problems in the prior art: poor compatibility between tobacco curing racks and weighing components, lack of convenient handling structure; temperature and humidity sensors not covering key areas of the tobacco curing rack, resulting in incomplete data collection; data acquisition and transmission components being scattered, with low integration and susceptibility to environmental interference; and unreasonable placement of traceability barcodes, which are easy to fall off and inconvenient to scan.

[0008] The technical solution of this utility model embodiment is implemented as follows: an automatic weighing device for tobacco curing barn, including a main component and a user interaction unit, wherein the main component includes a tobacco curing rack, a temperature and humidity sensor, a pre-embedded cover plate and a weighing component; temperature and humidity sensors are installed on the upper, middle and lower parts of the vertical frame of the tobacco curing rack;

[0009] The bottom of the tobacco curing rack is symmetrically equipped with embedded cover plates, the bottom of which is connected to the top of the weighing component. A data acquisition and transmission component is provided on the outside of the main component, and the data acquisition and transmission component is communicatively connected to the user interaction unit.

[0010] A further preferred embodiment: the top crossbeam of the tobacco curing rack is symmetrically and fixedly connected with lifting lugs.

[0011] A further preferred embodiment: a barcode is affixed to the front of the top crossbeam of the tobacco curing rack.

[0012] A further preferred embodiment: the weighing assembly includes a fixed plate, a pressure sensor, and a connecting plate, wherein the connecting plate is threadedly connected to the top side of the fixed plate, and the bottom of the connecting plate is connected to the pressure sensor.

[0013] A further preferred embodiment: the data acquisition and transmission component includes a power distribution box, a controller, an Internet of Things module, a GPS module, and a cloud server.

[0014] A further preferred embodiment: the power distribution box is equipped with a controller, an Internet of Things (IoT) module, a GPS module, and a cloud server; the controller is electrically connected to the temperature and humidity sensor, the weighing component, the IoT module, and the GPS module via wires, and the IoT module is connected to the cloud server via wireless communication.

[0015] A further preferred embodiment: the user interaction unit includes a WeChat client and a control terminal, both of which are communicatively connected to the cloud server.

[0016] Main components:

[0017] The main component is the core load-bearing and monitoring structure of the device, which directly contacts the tobacco leaves and collects basic parameters, including:

[0018] Tobacco curing rack: Made of stainless steel (high temperature resistant and corrosion resistant), it has a rectangular frame structure and is used to support fresh / dry tobacco leaves. The top crossbeam is symmetrically fixed with lifting lugs (2 on each side, 4 in total). The lug holes are 10-15mm in diameter, which are suitable for hoisting equipment and facilitate the handling and entry / exit of the tobacco curing rack from the curing barn. The front of the top crossbeam is affixed with a barcode made of high temperature resistant polyimide (temperature resistance ≥200℃). The barcode can be repeatedly peeled and pasted ≥5 times. The barcode is exposed and not easily rubbed, making it easy to attach before curing and scan during purchase.

[0019] Temperature and humidity sensors: High-precision sensors (temperature accuracy ±0.3℃, humidity accuracy ±2%RH) are used. One sensor is installed at each of the three positions (top, middle, and bottom) on each tobacco curing rack, for a total of 3-6 sensors (adapted to the number of vertical racks) to ensure coverage of the entire height area of ​​the tobacco leaf distribution and accurately collect the temperature and humidity of the curing environment at different heights.

[0020] Embedded cover plate: Made of steel plate (3-5mm thick), the number matches the bottom support legs of the tobacco curing rack (usually 4), and is symmetrically fixed to the end of the bottom support legs of the tobacco curing rack. The cover plate has pre-drilled threaded holes for stable connection with the weighing components to prevent force deviation during weighing.

[0021] Weighing Components: A pressure-type weighing structure, comprising a fixed plate, a pressure sensor, and a connecting plate. The fixed plate is a rectangular steel plate (200×150×5mm), fixed in a pre-set mounting groove on the floor of the curing barn, with its top side threadedly connected to the connecting plate via bolts. The connecting plate is an L-shaped steel plate (100×80×5mm), its bottom welded to the top of the pressure sensor (measurement error ≤0.1%). The bottom of the pressure sensor is attached to the other side of the top of the fixed plate, forming a force transmission path of "fixed plate - pressure sensor - connecting plate - pre-embedded cover plate - curing rack," ensuring that the weight of the tobacco leaves is fully applied to the pressure sensor.

[0022] Data acquisition and transmission components:

[0023] As the core unit for data processing and transmission, it realizes the aggregation, uploading, and storage of sensor data, including:

[0024] Distribution box: It adopts a waterproof and dustproof metal box (400×300×200mm), which is installed on the outer wall of the curing barn (1.5-2m above the ground to avoid the intrusion of high temperature and moisture). The box is equipped with a fixed bracket for the integrated installation of controller, IoT module and GPS module. The inner side of the box is lined with heat insulation cotton to further isolate the heat of the curing barn.

[0025] Controller: It adopts an STM32 series microcontroller and is electrically connected to the temperature and humidity sensor, pressure sensor, IoT module and GPS module through wires. It can read the data of each sensor and the location information of the drying room collected by the GPS module at preset intervals (10-30 minutes) and perform preliminary verification of the data (such as removing outliers).

[0026] IoT Module: It adopts an NB-IoT wireless communication module, which connects to the mobile network through a SIM card and establishes stable communication with the cloud server to upload "weight data, temperature and humidity data, collection time, GPS location, and barcode association information" to the cloud server in real time.

[0027] GPS module: Ublox series positioning module with positioning accuracy ≤10m is used to collect the geographic coordinates of the curing barn, ensuring that the data is bound to the specific location of the curing barn, which facilitates regional management.

[0028] Cloud server: Build an automatic data collection cloud platform for tobacco curing (such as a dedicated platform for Liangshan Prefecture) to store data throughout the entire process and support data query, curve generation and interface opening (to provide data for yield prediction models).

[0029] User interaction unit:

[0030] Terminals for user operation and data viewing include:

[0031] WeChat client: Tobacco farmers log in to the cloud platform via WeChat mini program, upload basic information about the curing barn (number, type, capacity), quantity of cured tobacco, batch number, and photos of fresh tobacco leaves, and manually click the start and end of curing buttons to record key time points.

[0032] Control terminal: A computer or tablet terminal. Technicians / managers can log in to the cloud platform with their permissions to view the weight change curves, temperature and humidity curves, GPS location and barcode association information of single / multiple drying chambers in real time, so as to realize remote monitoring and abnormal early warning.

[0033] The present invention has the following advantages due to the adoption of the above technical solution:

[0034] 1. This utility model adopts the lifting lugs on the top of the tobacco curing rack to simplify the handling operation, and the pre-embedded cover plate at the bottom ensures that the weighing components are evenly stressed, reducing the weight measurement error; the temperature and humidity sensors are arranged at the top, middle and bottom of the vertical frame to cover the entire height area of ​​the tobacco leaves, and collect more comprehensive data.

[0035] 2. This utility model integrates a controller, an IoT module, and a GPS module into a distribution box, avoiding interference problems caused by the scattered installation of components. At the same time, the heat insulation and waterproof design improves the service life of the equipment and reduces maintenance costs.

[0036] 3. The barcode of this utility model is affixed to the front of the top crossbeam of the tobacco curing rack. The position is exposed and resistant to high temperature. It is not easy to fall off and is easy to scan quickly in the purchasing process, so as to achieve seamless connection of "curing-purchasing" traceability.

[0037] 4. With this utility model, tobacco farmers can complete basic operations through a WeChat client, and the control terminal can remotely monitor in real time, eliminating the need for on-site duty and improving the efficiency of tobacco curing management.

[0038] The above overview is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be limiting in any way. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features of the present invention will become readily apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. Attached Figure Description

[0039] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0040] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the data acquisition and transmission component of this utility model;

[0042] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the weighing component of this utility model;

[0043] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the user interaction unit of this utility model.

[0044] Figure label:

[0045] 10. Main Components; 101. Tobacco Curing Rack; 102. Lifting Lugs; 103. Barcode; 104. Temperature and Humidity Sensor; 105. Embedded Cover Plate; 106. Weighing Components; 1061. Fixing Plate; 1062. Pressure Sensor; 1063. Connecting Plate; 20. Data Acquisition and Transmission Components; 201. Power Distribution Box; 202. Controller; 203. Internet of Things Module; 204. GPS Module; 205. Cloud Server; 30. User Interaction Unit; 301. WeChat Client; 302. Control Terminal. Detailed Implementation

[0046] In the following description, only certain exemplary embodiments are briefly described. As those skilled in the art will recognize, the described embodiments can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention. Therefore, the drawings and description are considered exemplary in nature and not restrictive.

[0047] It should be noted that when a component is considered to be "connected" to another component, it can be directly connected to the other component, or there may be an intervening component. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. It should also be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly, for example, as a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; as a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; or as a connection within two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0048] It should also be noted that in the description of this application, the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings and are 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, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on this application. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0049] The specific examples described above further illustrate the purpose, technical solution, and beneficial effects of this application. It should be understood that the above descriptions are merely specific embodiments of this utility model and are not intended to limit this utility model. 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.

[0050] The embodiments of this utility model will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0051] Example

[0052] like Figures 1-4 As shown, this utility model embodiment provides an automatic weighing device for tobacco curing barns, including a main component 10 and a user interaction unit 30. The main component 10 includes a tobacco curing rack 101, a temperature and humidity sensor 104, a pre-embedded cover plate 105, and a weighing component 106. Temperature and humidity sensors 104 are installed on the upper, middle, and lower parts of the vertical frame of the tobacco curing rack 101.

[0053] The bottom of the tobacco curing rack 101 is symmetrically equipped with embedded cover plates 105. The bottom of the embedded cover plates 105 is connected to the top of the weighing component 106. A data acquisition and transmission component 20 is provided on the outside of the main component 10. The data acquisition and transmission component 20 is communicatively connected to the user interaction unit 30.

[0054] 1. Installation of main components: Select one dense curing barn in the base and modify the curing rack 101: symmetrically weld four lifting lugs 102 (12mm diameter) on both sides of the top crossbeam, and attach a polyimide barcode 103 (number "LS20241001-01") to the front; drill holes at the top (30cm from the top), middle (midpoint of the vertical frame), and bottom (30cm from the bottom) positions of each vertical frame and install one temperature and humidity sensor 104 (model SHT35); weld pre-embedded cover plates 105 (150×100×4mm in size, with four pre-set threaded holes) at the ends of the four support legs at the bottom of the curing rack 101.

[0055] Weighing component installation: Excavate an installation groove at the position corresponding to the pre-embedded cover plate 105 on the floor of the drying room, and fix the fixing plate 1061 (200×150×5mm) in the groove with expansion bolts; connect the connecting plate 1063 (100×80×5mm) to one side of the fixing plate 1061 with bolts, and weld the pressure sensor 1062 (model ZEMICH8C, error 0.1%) to the bottom of the connecting plate 1063. The bottom of the pressure sensor 1062 is attached to the other side of the fixing plate 1061.

[0056] Data acquisition and transmission component installation: Install a distribution box 201 (400×300×200mm) on the outer wall of the drying room, and fix a controller 202 (STM32F407), an IoT module 203 (BC95), and a GPS module 204 (UbloxNEO-6M) inside. The inside of the box is lined with 5mm thick heat insulation cotton. Connect the controller 202 to the temperature and humidity sensor 104 and the pressure sensor 1062 with wires, and insert a local operator SIM card into the IoT module 203.

[0057] 2. Preparation before curing: Tobacco farmers log in to the "Liangshan Prefecture Tobacco Leaf Curing Data Automatic Collection Cloud Platform" via WeChat on their mobile phones and complete the following operations:

[0058] Upload basic information about the curing barn: ID "LS-KF2024-001", type "intensive", capacity "250kg / batch";

[0059] Upload tobacco information: quantity "1 rack", batch number "20241001-001", and a photo of fresh tobacco leaves (to record the initial state);

[0060] By hooking the lifting lug 102 with the hoisting equipment, the tobacco curing rack 101 containing fresh tobacco leaves (about 200 kg) is hoisted into the curing barn, so that the pre-embedded cover plate 105 is aligned with the connecting plate 1063 of the weighing component 106 and fixed with bolts.

[0061] Click the "Start Baking" button in WeChat client 301, and the system records the start time as "2024-10-01 09:00".

[0062] 3. Baking process data acquisition and monitoring:

[0063] Data Acquisition: Controller 202 automatically reads data at 20-minute intervals: for example, at 09:00, pressure sensor 1062 reads 200.3 kg, upper temperature and humidity 39℃ / 76%RH, middle 38℃ / 75%RH, lower 37℃ / 74%RH; GPS module 204 collects the location "27°58′N, 102°26′E"; the data is uploaded to cloud server 205 via IoT module 203 and bound to barcode "LS20241001-01".

[0064] Remote monitoring: Base technicians log into the cloud platform via control terminal 302 (computer) to view the weight change curve of the drying room in real time (e.g., the weight drops from 200.3kg to 192.5kg from 09:00 to 11:00, reflecting normal moisture evaporation) and temperature and humidity curve (the temperature and humidity gradients at each height meet the process requirements), and no abnormalities are found.

[0065] 4. Baking completion and procurement traceability:

[0066] End of operation: After 70 hours of baking (2024-10-04 07:00), the tobacco farmer checked the reading of pressure sensor 1062 on the WeChat client 301, which showed 68.2 kg (weight of dry tobacco leaves). He clicked "End of baking". The system recorded the end time and the cloud server 205 automatically stored the entire process data of this batch.

[0067] Acquisition traceability: After the tobacco leaves are transported to the acquisition station, the staff scans the barcode "LS20241001-01" on the top of the tobacco curing rack 101 with a scanner. The cloud platform immediately retrieves the batch data (initial weight 200.3kg, weight change during the process, temperature and humidity curves at various heights, and location of the curing barn), confirms that the data matches the actual product, and accurately calculates the price based on the dry tobacco weight of 68.2kg, thus completing the traceability verification.

[0068] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0069] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this utility model, but the protection scope of this utility model is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various variations or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this utility model, and these should all be included within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model should be determined by the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An automatic weighing device for a drying room, comprising a main component (10) and a user interaction unit (30), characterized in that: The main component (10) includes a tobacco curing rack (101), a temperature and humidity sensor (104), a pre-embedded cover plate (105), and a weighing component (106); the temperature and humidity sensor (104) is installed on the upper, middle, and lower parts of the vertical frame of the tobacco curing rack (101); The bottom of the tobacco curing rack (101) is symmetrically equipped with embedded cover plates (105), the bottom of the embedded cover plates (105) is connected to the top of the weighing component (106), and a data acquisition and transmission component (20) is provided on the outside of the main component (10), and the data acquisition and transmission component (20) is communicatively connected to the user interaction unit (30).

2. The automatic weighing device for a drying room according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top crossbeam of the tobacco curing rack (101) is symmetrically and fixedly connected with lifting lugs (102).

3. The automatic weighing device for a drying room according to claim 1, characterized in that: A barcode (103) is affixed to the front of the top crossbeam of the tobacco curing rack (101).

4. The automatic weighing device for the drying room according to claim 1, characterized in that: The weighing assembly (106) includes a fixed plate (1061), a pressure sensor (1062), and a connecting plate (1063). The top side of the fixed plate (1061) is threadedly connected to the connecting plate (1063), and the bottom of the connecting plate (1063) is connected to the pressure sensor (1062).

5. The automatic weighing device for the drying room according to claim 1, characterized in that: The data acquisition and transmission component (20) includes a power distribution box (201), a controller (202), an Internet of Things module (203), a GPS module (204), and a cloud server (205).

6. The automatic weighing device for a drying room according to claim 5, characterized in that: The power distribution box (201) is equipped with a controller (202), an Internet of Things (IoT) module (203), a GPS module (204), and a cloud server (205). The controller (202) is electrically connected to the temperature and humidity sensor (104), the weighing component (106), the IoT module (203), and the GPS module (204) via wires. The IoT module (203) is connected to the cloud server (205) via wireless communication.

7. The automatic weighing device for a drying room according to claim 6, characterized in that: The user interaction unit (30) includes a WeChat client (301) and a control terminal (302), both of which are connected to the cloud server (205).

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