Multi-sensor based automatic brewing mass overturn machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9347029-B2
Application number	US-201214004703-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2012
Priority date	Sep 3, 2012
Publication date	May 24, 2016
Grant date	May 24, 2016

Abstract

A multi-sensor based automatic brewing mass overturn machine comprising a moving module, a vinegar brewing mass information monitoring module, a system control module and a brewing mass overturn execution module is provided. The moving module comprises a moving motor, and the vinegar brewing mass information monitoring module comprises a vinegar brewing mass temperature and acidity information monitoring unit, a vinegar brewing mass smell information monitoring unit, and an overturned brewing mass appearance information monitoring unit. The system control module comprises a computer and a programmable controller, the computer being connected with a temperature sensor, an acidity sensor, a gas sensor array, a color camera and the programmable controller, respectively. The brewing mass overturn execution module comprises an overturn motor and brewing mass overturn motors.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multi-sensor based automatic brewing mass overturn machine comprising:
a moving module, the moving module including a rack, four moving wheels disposed in a front row and a rear row below the rack such that there are two moving wheels in the front row and two moving wheels in the rear row, and moving motor located on a top of the rack, a first moving chain wheel pair being provided between the moving motor and a first front moving wheel disposed at a left end of the front row below the rack, a second moving chain wheel pair being provided between the two moving wheels in the front row, wherein the two moving wheels in the front row move on a front edge of a brewing mass pool, and the two moving wheels in the rear row move on a rear edge of the brewing mass pool;
a vinegar brewing mass information monitoring module, the vinegar information monitoring module including a vinegar brewing mass temperature and acidity information monitoring unit, a vinegar brewing mass smell information monitoring unit and an overturned brewing mass appearance information monitoring unit, which are in turn arrayed equidistantly from left to right along a front-rear symmetry axis of an upper surface of the rack, wherein the brewing mass temperature and acidity information monitoring unit comprises a temperature sensor and an acidity sensor, the brewing mass smell information monitoring unit comprises a gas sensor array consisting of a plurality of different gas sensors, and the overturned brewing mass appearance information monitoring unit comprises a color camera;
a system control module, the system control module including a computer and a programmable controller that are fixed on an upper surface of the rack, the computer being connected with the temperature sensor, the acidity sensor, the gas sensor array, the color camera, and the programmable controller via data lines; and
a brewing mass overturn execution module, the brewing mass overturn execution module including an overturn motor that is fixed on the upper surface of the rack and connected with an overturn transmission shaft via an overturn chain wheel pair, the overturn transmission shaft being fixed on the upper surface of the rack and disposed axially in a front-rear direction, each end of the overturn transmission shaft being fixed with a transmission gear, such that there are two transmission gears, each of the two transmission gears being in meshed transmission with a cluster gear, such that there are two cluster gears, the two cluster gears being movably sleeved on opposite ends of a main shaft, wherein upper parts of two parallel overturn frames also being movably sleeved on the two ends of the main shaft, while lower parts thereof being fixedly connected with two ends of an auxiliary shaft, further wherein two positioning clamps are fixedly connected with the two cluster gears at corresponding ends, and being clamped at the upper ends of the overturn frames at the corresponding ends;
wherein two brewing mass overturn motors are fixed at front and rear positions on the upper surface of the rack and connected with the main shaft via corresponding overturn chain wheel pairs, and lower ends of the overturn frames are fixed with the auxiliary shaft parallel to the main shaft, further wherein an upper chain wheel group is close to an inside of the overturn frames and fixed at two ends of the main shaft, a lower chain wheel group being close to the inside of the overturn frames and sleeved at two ends of the auxiliary shaft, the upper chain wheel group being connected with the lower chain wheel group via a chain group,
wherein a brewing mass overturn hopper group parallel to the main shaft is fixed on the chain group, and the rack on left and right sides of the cluster gears are provided with limiting columns for the limiting an ultimate overturn angle of the overturn frames;
wherein the programmable controller is connected with the moving motor, the overturn motor, and the brewing mass overturn motors via data lines;
wherein the brewing mass information monitoring module simultaneously acquires information about temperature, acidity, appearance and smell of the brewing mass at different positions of the brewing mass pool, and sends information values to the computer to be compared with brewing mass overturn thresholds stored therein in advance, further wherein, when the information values reach the thresholds, the computer sends an instruction to the brewing mass overturn execution module to execute a brewing mass overturn action.

2. The automatic brewing mass overturn machine based on multiple sensors according to claim 1 , wherein the brewing mass temperature and acidity information monitoring unit further comprises a protection arm, a screw stem, and first and second positioning nuts, further wherein the temperature sensor, the protection arm, and the acidity sensor are arrayed equidistantly from left to right and fixedly connected with the screw stem, and the screw stem being sleeved on the rack via the first positioning nut located above the upper surface of the rack and the second positioning nut located below the upper surface of the rack.

3. The automatic brewing mass overturn machine based on multiple sensors according to claim 1 , wherein the brewing mass smell information monitoring unit further comprises two support columns fixed below the upper surface of the rack, and a hollow glass tube fixed at the lower ends of the support columns, and the gas sensor array is located inside the hollow glass tube.

4. The automatic brewing mass overturn machine based on multiple sensors according to claim 1 , wherein the overturned brewing mass appearance information monitoring unit further comprises LED light sources fixed below the upper surface of the rack, and the color camera is fixed below the upper surface of the rack with a lens thereof vertical to the brewing mass pool.

5. The automatic brewing mass overturn machine based on multiple sensors according to claim 1 , wherein, on both sides of the rack, electric control boxes connected with the moving motor, the overturn motor, the brewing mass overturn motors, and the computer are designed.

6. The automatic brewing mass overturn machine based on multiple sensors according to claim 1 , wherein the cluster gears both form sectors with an angle of 75-90°, curved sides of the sectors being provided with gears meshed with the gears, the centers of the sectors being movably sleeved on two ends of the main shaft and fixedly connected with upper ends of the two overturn frames via the positioning clamps.

7. The automatic brewing mass overturn machine based on multiple sensors according to claim 1 , wherein the upper chain wheel group and the lower chain wheel group at least consist of four chain wheels corresponding to each other from up to down.

8. The automatic brewing mass overturn machine based on multiple sensors according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor and the acidity sensor are inserted into the brewing mass pool when in use.

9. The automatic brewing mass overturn machine based on multiple sensors according to claim 8 , wherein a depth at which the temperature sensor and the acidity sensor are inserted into the brewing mass pool is adjustable.

Assignees

• Univ Jiangsu

Inventors

• Zou Xiaobo
• Shi Jiyong
• Zhao Jiewen
• Sun Zongbao
• Xia Rong
• Sun Leliu
• Huang Xiaowei
• Huang Xingyi
• Cai Jianrong
• Chen Quansheng
• Lin Hao

Classifications

• C12M41/32

  of substances in solution · CPC title

• C12M41/48

  Automatic or computerized control (automatic analysis G01N35/00) · CPC title

• C12J1/10 Primary

  Apparatus · CPC title