Traditional Chinese medicine decoction piece drying device

Abstract

The utility model discloses a traditional chinese medicine decoction pieces drying device belongs to traditional chinese medicine decoction pieces processing technical field, and the device includes box, drying unit, hot -blast circulation system, drainage system and intelligent control system. Drying unit contains multilayer oblique setting drying board subassembly, and its core is the vertical and horizontal interlaced V type flow guide groove of main drying board surface precision machining, and covers above, and the detachable food -grade silica gel pad of matching convex projection grid, and this structure has solved drainage channel blockage problem fundamentally. The below of each layer component is equipped with the water -connecting dish of pull -out, and its inside is the inclined liquid collecting groove and is communicated through the liquid outlet pipe and the rear drainage pipe of box, realizes automatic, closed drainage, and prevents secondary pollution. Hot -blast circulation system sends air through side top strip air port, forms uniform airflow, eliminates drying dead angle. The utility model integrates efficient drainage, uniform drying, convenient cleaning and intelligent control, and remarkably improves the drying quality and production efficiency of traditional chinese medicine decoction pieces.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of traditional Chinese medicine decoction piece processing technology, specifically relating to a traditional Chinese medicine decoction piece drying device. Background Technology

[0002] Prepared medicinal herbs are Chinese medicinal materials that have undergone processing according to traditional Chinese medicine theories and methods, and can be directly used in clinical practice. During the processing, the washed herbs contain a large amount of moisture and must be dried promptly to prevent mold and insect infestation, ensuring the stability of the medicinal components and facilitating storage and transportation. The uniformity, efficiency, and hygiene of the drying process directly affect the final quality of the prepared medicinal herbs.

[0003] In existing technologies, hot air circulating ovens, conveyor belt dryers, or chamber drying equipment are commonly used to dry Chinese medicinal herbs. For example, Chinese patent CN222865496U discloses a drying device for Chinese medicinal herbs, which adopts a multi-layer herb placement box structure. The box is equipped with a water filter and a water storage tank to collect water dripping from the upper layers, and then dries the herbs using hot air. This type of structure achieves simultaneous drying of multiple layers to a certain extent, improving space utilization.

[0004] However, the existing technology and similar devices still have the following obvious drawbacks: 1. Traditional flat filter screens or simple mesh screens are prone to clogging when handling small medicinal slices (such as seeds or powdered slices) or processing debris, preventing moisture from penetrating smoothly. This not only prolongs the drying time, but more seriously, it causes the medicinal slices to be soaked in their own precipitated water for an extended period, which can easily lead to the loss of active ingredients, fermentation, or even mold growth, severely affecting product quality.

[0005] 2. In most equipment, hot air is usually delivered from one side or one direction. In multi-layer placement box structures, the airflow path is fixed, resulting in uneven wind force and temperature on different layers and different positions of the same layer of the medicinal slices, leading to large differences in the degree of drying.

[0006] 3. The structure of multi-layered placement boxes and fixing plates is usually quite complex. The water storage tank used to catch dripping water is usually fixed or has a narrow cleaning opening, making cleaning extremely difficult. Residual moisture and medicinal debris can easily breed bacteria and mold in the tank, causing cross-contamination of subsequent batches of medicine.

[0007] 4. Although a water storage tank is installed, there is a risk that the accumulated wastewater may splash out when the pull-out placement box or the airflow is disturbed during equipment operation, which may contaminate the dried beverage pieces on the lower layer or the inner wall of the box, forming a secondary source of pollution.

[0008] Therefore, given the shortcomings of the existing technology, there is an urgent need for a new type of Chinese herbal medicine drying device that can fundamentally solve the problem of drainage blockage, ensure uniform drying, and facilitate thorough maintenance and cleaning. Utility Model Content

[0009] This invention provides a drying device for traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces. Each layer of the assembly has a pull-out water collection tray underneath, with an inclined liquid collection trough inside, connected to a drain pipe at the rear of the unit via an outlet pipe, achieving automatic, closed-loop drainage and preventing secondary contamination. A hot air circulation system delivers air through side-mounted strip vents, creating a uniform airflow and eliminating drying dead zones, thus solving the problems mentioned in the background section.

[0010] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution: a drying device for traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces, comprising a housing, a drying unit disposed within the housing, a hot air circulation system, and a drainage system. The drying unit includes at least one drying plate assembly, each of the drying plate assemblies including a main drying plate. The surface of the main drying plate is provided with V-shaped guide grooves for guiding liquid flow and air permeability. The main drying plate is installed at an angle by supports on both sides of it. Each of the aforementioned drying plate assemblies is provided with a pull-out water receiving tray at its bottom; The drainage system includes a drain pipe installed on the tank body, the drain pipe having an inlet; and an outlet pipe at the rear end of the water receiving tray. When the water receiving tray is placed in the working position inside the tank body, the outlet pipe is connected to the inlet of the drain pipe.

[0011] Furthermore, a removable food-grade silicone pad is laid on the main drying plate, and the surface of the silicone pad is provided with a raised grid that matches the V-shaped flow channel.

[0012] Furthermore, the four sides of the silicone pad are fixed to the main drying plate by fasteners.

[0013] Furthermore, the installation angle of the main drying plate is 2°-5°; the width of the V-shaped guide groove is 5cm and the depth is 3cm.

[0014] Furthermore, the inside of the water receiving tray is a liquid collection trough structure with high sides and a concave center, and the bottom of the tray is designed as an inclined surface with a higher front and a lower back.

[0015] Furthermore, the box is equipped with a guide rail, and the bottom of the water receiving tray is equipped with a guide rail groove that cooperates with the guide rail; the front end of the water receiving tray is equipped with a handle, and when the sealed door of the box is closed, its inner wall abuts against the handle to position the water receiving tray.

[0016] Furthermore, the hot air circulation system includes a hot air blower, a pressure equalizing branch air duct, and strip-shaped air outlets corresponding to each layer of the drying plate assembly; the strip-shaped air outlets are located on the upper side of the drying plate assembly.

[0017] Furthermore, both the strip-shaped air vent and the air outlet on the housing are equipped with washable filters.

[0018] Furthermore, it also includes an intelligent control system, which includes a control panel mounted on the enclosure and a temperature and humidity sensor mounted inside the enclosure. The control panel is electrically connected to the hot air blower and the temperature and humidity sensor.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are: 1. Through the triple design of inclined plate, V-shaped guide channel, and drain pipe, water is actively guided and quickly discharged. The V-shaped channel structure ensures that the medicine slices are in line or point contact with the channel opening, which cannot completely block the drainage channel. This fundamentally solves the drainage blockage problem from a physical structure perspective, greatly improving drainage efficiency and reliability.

[0020] 2. After being distributed through the pressure equalization branch air duct, the hot air is blown out horizontally from the strip-shaped air outlet on the upper side, sweeping over the surface of the medicinal slices on each drying plate, and forming turbulence with the airflow rising from the V-shaped groove and gap below the drying plate, so that the hot air is evenly distributed between the layers of medicinal slices, effectively eliminating the drying dead corners and ensuring the uniformity of the drying of the medicinal slices.

[0021] 3. The removable silicone pad and fully pull-out drip tray design make cleaning simple and quick. The silicone pad can be removed for cleaning and disinfection, and the drip tray can be completely pulled out for thorough cleaning, greatly reducing the risk of cross-contamination and bacterial growth, and meeting the stringent hygiene requirements of pharmaceutical production.

[0022] 4. The intelligent control system can precisely control the drying process and automatically adjust the operating conditions according to the material's moisture content, effectively saving energy while ensuring the drying effect.

[0023] 5. The drying plate assembly and water receiving tray are both independent modules, making installation and maintenance convenient; the design of the observation window, door handle, and pull-out rails improves the ease of operation and user experience of the equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of this utility model; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal main structure of this utility model; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal side view structure of this utility model; Figure 4 This is a top view of the silicone pad structure of this utility model; Figure 5 This is a top view schematic diagram of the water receiving tray of this utility model.

[0025] In the diagram: 1. Cabinet; 101. Outer shell; 102. Insulated inner liner; 103. Hinge; 104. Sealed door; 105. Observation window; 106. Door handle; 107. Support leg; 2. Drying plate assembly; 201. Main drying plate; 202. Bracket; 203. V-shaped guide groove; 204. Silicone pad; 3. Water tray; 301. Liquid outlet pipe; 4. Drain pipe; 401. Liquid inlet; 501. Hot air blower; 502. Branch air duct; 503. Strip air outlet; 504. Air outlet; 6. Control panel. Detailed Implementation

[0026] 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.

[0027] Please see Figures 1-5 This utility model provides a drying device for Chinese herbal medicine slices, including a box body 1, a drying unit, a hot air circulation system, a drainage system and an intelligent control system.

[0028] The enclosure 1 consists of an outer shell 101 and an insulated inner liner 102, effectively reducing heat loss and improving energy efficiency. A sealed door 104 is hinged to the front via a hinge 103, and the door is equipped with an observation window 105 and a door handle 106 for easy observation of the internal working conditions and door opening / closing operations. Support legs 107 are provided at the bottom of the enclosure for support and ventilation.

[0029] See Figure 2 , Figure 3 The chamber contains a three-layer drying plate assembly 2. Each assembly includes a main drying plate 201 made of aluminum alloy. The surface of the main drying plate 201 is precision milled with crisscrossing V-shaped guide grooves 203, with a groove opening width of approximately 5cm and a groove depth of approximately 3cm. This V-shaped structure ensures that the contact between the medicinal slices and the groove opening is line contact or point contact, preventing complete blockage like a flat filter screen, thus ensuring that the drainage channel remains unobstructed. At the same time, the grooves also provide a channel for hot airflow to enter from the bottom of the medicinal slices, achieving double-sided drying and improving efficiency. The four sides of the main drying plate 201 do not contact the interior of the chamber 1, providing additional channels for seepage drainage and airflow.

[0030] Furthermore, a food-grade silicone mat 204, approximately 2mm thick, is laid flat and fixed onto the main drying plate 201. Its raised mesh surface fits precisely into the V-shaped flow channel 203, and it is secured on all four sides with screws. The silicone mat 204 not only prevents small medicinal slices from falling into the V-shaped channel, but its soft texture also provides anti-slip and cushioning effects, protecting the shape of the slices. More importantly, it is removable, facilitating thorough cleaning and sterilization.

[0031] Each drying plate assembly 2 is equipped with a stainless steel pull-out water collection tray 3. The main drying plate 201 is fixed to the pull-out water collection tray 3 at an angle of 2°-5° by the brackets 202 on both sides. This inclined design allows the moisture on the beverage slices and residual water from rinsing to flow quickly along the surface of the silicone pad to a lower position, and collect through the V-shaped guide groove 203, finally dripping into the water collection tray 3 below. The water collection tray 3 is designed with high sides and a groove in the middle, which can effectively collect liquid and prevent splashing. The housing 1 is equipped with guide rails, and the bottom of the water collection tray 3 is equipped with guide rail grooves for pull-out positioning. The front of the water collection tray 3 is equipped with a handle for easy operation. After the sealing door 104 is closed, its inner wall just abuts against the handle, so that the water collection tray 3 cannot move back and forth during operation, ensuring the stability of the connection.

[0032] Furthermore, a drain pipe 4 is installed at the rear of the tank 1, with its inlet 401 penetrating the interior of the tank 1. The bottom surface of the water collection tray 3 is also designed with an incline, higher at the front and lower at the back, and an outlet pipe 301 is located at the center of the rear end. When the water collection tray 3 is pushed into place along the guide rail inside the tank 1, its outlet pipe 301 can precisely extend into the inlet 401 of the drain pipe 4. In this way, the liquid collected in the water collection tray 3 can be discharged from the tank continuously or intermittently through the inlet 401 and the drain pipe 4, achieving automatic and closed drainage and completely avoiding the risk of water accumulation and secondary pollution inside the tank.

[0033] See Figure 2 and Figure 5 The hot air circulation system includes a hot air blower 501 installed on the rear outer side of the chamber. Heated air is sent into a pressure-equalizing branch air duct 502 on the side of the chamber 1 to ensure uniform air pressure at each outlet. A set of strip-shaped air vents 503 is provided on the upper side of each drying plate assembly 2 inside the chamber 1. This side-flow method allows hot air to pass parallel over the surface of the dried food pieces, forming a uniform air curtain. The strip-shaped air vents 503 are equipped with washable pre-filters, which filter external dust and further promote uniform airflow. The hot air blower 501 can be selected to operate at low speed to maintain a gentle and continuous flow of hot air, preventing the dried food pieces from being blown off the drying plate assembly 2. An air outlet 504 is also provided at the top or rear of the chamber to exhaust humid air from inside. The air outlet 504 is also equipped with a filter to prevent backflow of external foreign objects or escape of internal material particles.

[0034] The intelligent control system includes a control panel 6 located on the side of the chamber 1, which integrates a touch screen, a start / stop switch, and a speed control knob. The core of the control system connects to the temperature and humidity sensors, fan speed control module, and heater power controller inside the chamber. Users can flexibly set parameters such as drying temperature and time according to the characteristics of different dried beverage slices. The system can also automatically adjust the dehumidification cycle and heating power based on real-time feedback from the humidity sensor, achieving an intelligent and adaptive drying process that ensures drying quality while achieving energy conservation and consumption reduction.

[0035] To facilitate understanding of the above-mentioned technical solutions of this utility model, the working principle or operation method of this utility model in actual process will be described in detail below.

[0036] Working Principle: During operation, the medicinal herbs to be dried are evenly spread on the silicone pads 204 in each layer. After closing the sealing door 104, the appropriate drying process parameters are set through the control panel 6 and the equipment is started. The hot air blower 501 starts working, and the clean hot air generated is evenly delivered into each drying space through the pressure equalization branch air duct 502 and the strip air outlet 503 to heat the herbs. The moisture released from the heated herbs flows to the V-shaped guide groove 203 under the action of gravity and the inclined plate surface, and drips into the water receiving tray 3 below. The liquid in the water receiving tray 3 is collected through its inclined bottom surface into the liquid outlet pipe 301, and then flows into the drain pipe 4, and is continuously discharged out of the chamber. At the same time, the intelligent control system monitors the temperature and humidity inside the chamber in real time, and dynamically adjusts the hot air temperature and air volume to ensure that the drying process is always in the optimal state. After drying, the sealing door 104 is opened, and the water receiving tray 3 can be easily pulled out for cleaning, and the silicone pads 204 can be removed for cleaning and disinfection, preparing for the next batch of production.

[0037] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A drying device for traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces, comprising a housing (1), a drying unit disposed within the housing (1), a hot air circulation system, and a drainage system, characterized in that: The drying unit includes at least one drying plate assembly (2), each of the drying plate assemblies (2) includes a main drying plate (201), the surface of the main drying plate (201) is provided with V-shaped guide grooves (203) for guiding liquid flow and air permeability; the main drying plate (201) is installed at an angle by supports (202) on both sides of it. Each of the aforementioned drying plate assemblies (2) is provided with a pull-out water receiving tray (3) at its bottom; The drainage system includes a drain pipe (4) installed on the box (1), the drain pipe (4) having an inlet (401); the water receiving tray (3) has an outlet pipe (301) at its rear end, and when the water receiving tray (3) is placed in the working position inside the box (1), the outlet pipe (301) is connected to the inlet (401) of the drain pipe (4).

2. The drying device for traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces according to claim 1, characterized in that: A removable food-grade silicone pad (204) is laid on the main drying plate (201), and the surface of the silicone pad (204) is provided with a raised grid that matches the V-shaped guide groove (203).

3. The drying device for traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces according to claim 2, characterized in that: The four sides of the silicone pad (204) are fixed to the main drying plate (201) by fasteners.

4. The drying device for traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces according to claim 1, characterized in that: The installation angle of the main drying plate (201) is 2°-5°; the groove width of the V-shaped guide groove (203) is 5cm and the groove depth is 3cm.

5. The drying device for traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water receiving tray (3) has a liquid collection trough structure with high sides and concave center, and the bottom of the tray is designed as an inclined surface with high front and low back.

6. The drying device for traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces according to claim 1, characterized in that: The box (1) is provided with a guide rail, and the bottom of the water receiving tray (3) is provided with a guide rail groove that cooperates with the guide rail; the front end of the water receiving tray (3) is provided with a handle, and when the sealing door (104) of the box (1) is closed, its inner wall abuts against the handle to position the water receiving tray (3).

7. The drying device for traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hot air circulation system includes a hot air blower (501), a pressure equalization branch air duct (502), and a strip air outlet (503) corresponding to each drying plate assembly (2); the strip air outlet (503) is located on the upper side of the drying plate assembly (2).

8. A drying device for traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces according to claim 7, characterized in that: The strip-shaped air vent (503) and the air outlet (504) on the housing (1) are both equipped with washable filters.

9. A drying device for traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an intelligent control system, which includes a control panel (6) on the housing (1) and a temperature and humidity sensor inside the housing (1). The control panel (6) is electrically connected to the hot air blower (501) and the temperature and humidity sensor.

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