Walking feeding mechanism and feeding device
By combining a walking feeding mechanism and a rotating feeding mechanism with a cleaning system, the problems of precise control and equipment protection in manual feeding in recirculating aquaculture have been solved, achieving efficient and precise feed feeding and equipment protection, and reducing labor costs and biosecurity risks.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- FAMSUN CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2023-08-25
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-26
AI Technical Summary
Existing technologies cannot precisely control the feeding effect when manually feeding feed in recirculating aquaculture systems, resulting in high labor costs and a high probability of errors. In particular, in high temperature and high humidity environments, it can easily lead to feed mold and biosecurity risks.
The system employs a walking feeding mechanism, including a track, feeding cart unit, wheel system support, feeding components, and control module. It utilizes gear transmission and guide wheel sets to achieve precise control of feeding. Combined with a rotating feeding mechanism and a cleaning mechanism, it ensures feeding accuracy and equipment protection.
It enables precise control of feeding in recirculating aquaculture systems, reduces labor costs, minimizes equipment corrosion and biosecurity risks, ensures feeding accuracy and equipment cleanliness, and adapts to high temperature and humidity environments.
Smart Images

Figure CN116889209B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention belongs to the field of feeding device technology, specifically relating to a walking feeding mechanism and a feeding device including the above-mentioned walking feeding mechanism. Background Technology
[0002] Indoor recirculating aquaculture systems for fish and shrimp are a type of "factory-style" aquaculture that has developed in recent years. While factory-style aquaculture has grown rapidly in recent years, with increasing acreage and yield, it still primarily relies on extensive water-exchange methods, often resulting in problems such as waste of groundwater resources, frequent disease outbreaks, unstable success rates, and severe organic pollution in wastewater. The advanced factory-style recirculating aquaculture technology, relying on modern aquaculture engineering and water treatment facilities, comprehensively utilizes technologies such as micropore aeration, immune enhancement, water quality control, and wastewater treatment to achieve a year-round, efficient, and ecological aquaculture model. This technology is a crucial pathway to promoting the transformation and restructuring of my country's fish and shrimp aquaculture industry, achieving "quality improvement, efficiency enhancement, and green development," and is also significant for the efficient utilization and protection of precious water and soil resources. However, the emergence of this new technology also brings new challenges that urgently need to be addressed.
[0003] To reduce water treatment complexity and improve feeding efficiency, recirculating aquaculture systems typically employ a "small, frequent feeding" approach, feeding 8-12 times daily. This means feeding every 2-3 hours, a very high frequency. Manual feeding would be extremely costly, and aquaculture farms would face recruitment difficulties. Furthermore, manual feeding makes it impossible to precisely control the feeding effect. More frequent feedings also mean a higher probability of error, especially during night shifts. Summary of the Invention
[0004] The first objective of this invention is to provide a walking feeding mechanism to solve the technical problem that manual feeding cannot accurately control the feeding effect.
[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a walking feeding mechanism, comprising:
[0006] A track, with several feeding points set along the track direction;
[0007] The feeding trolley unit is suspended on the track; the feeding trolley unit includes:
[0008] A walking assembly is slidably disposed on the track, and the walking assembly is used to drive the feeding cart to move along the track;
[0009] A feeding assembly is disposed on the walking assembly, and the feeding assembly is used to feed materials to different feeding points.
[0010] This invention arranges a track above a recirculating aquaculture pond, and suspends a feeding cart unit on the track. The feeding cart unit, which travels on the track, feeds different feeding points, greatly improving feeding efficiency, saving time and effort, and at the same time, enabling precise control of feeding.
[0011] To address the technical problem of how to implement the walking component, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: the walking component includes a wheel system bracket, on which a walking wheel set and a drive component are disposed; the wheel system bracket is suspended on the track via the walking wheel set;
[0012] The walking wheel set includes a driving walking wheel set and a driven walking wheel set;
[0013] The drive unit is connected to the drive wheel assembly via a transmission component.
[0014] This invention utilizes a wheel system bracket to mount the walking wheel set, drive component, and transmission component, resulting in a compact structure. The driving walking wheel set drives the driven walking wheel set to roll, thereby enabling the walking component to move or turn on the track.
[0015] To address the technical problem of how to implement the transmission component, this invention adopts the following technical solution: the transmission component is a gear transmission component. This invention utilizes gear transmission, resulting in smooth transmission, precise transmission ratio, reliable operation, compact structure, high efficiency, and long service life.
[0016] To address the technical problem of the feeding car unit being hindered from moving forward due to friction between the wheel system support and the track when turning, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a guide wheel assembly is provided on the wheel system support. When the feeding car unit moves straight and turns, the guide wheel directly contacts the track and generates rolling friction, thereby avoiding sliding friction resistance generated by the wheel system support contacting the track.
[0017] To solve the technical problem of derailment due to unbalanced force on the feeding car unit, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a limiting roller group is provided on the wheel system bracket, and the limiting roller group is located at the bottom of the track. It is used to prevent the traveling wheel group from leaving the track when the feeding car unit is under unbalanced force, and to prevent the feeding car unit from tilting.
[0018] To address the technical problem of how the feeding assembly is implemented, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: the feeding assembly includes a material tube support, a material tube unit is disposed on the material tube support, and a discharge assembly is disposed on the material tube unit. Preferably, the material tube units are arranged in rows, at least two rows. Utilizing the arranged material tube units in rows increases the load on the feeding vehicle unit, further improving feeding efficiency.
[0019] To address the technical problem of when the feeding component triggers feeding, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a feeding switch component is provided on the walking feeding mechanism;
[0020] When the feeding vehicle unit reaches the corresponding feeding point, the switching assembly controls the unloading of the feeding assembly. This invention utilizes a feeding switch assembly as a trigger switch for unloading from the feed tube unit, further improving feeding accuracy.
[0021] To solve the technical problem of how to implement the feeding switch assembly, the present invention adopts the following technical solution, wherein the feeding switch assembly includes a matching photoelectric sensor and a reflector;
[0022] Alternatively, the feed switch assembly may include a matching proximity switch;
[0023] Alternatively, the feeding switch assembly may include a matching barcode and barcode scanning sensor;
[0024] Alternatively, the feeding switch assembly may include a matching QR code and a barcode scanning sensor;
[0025] Alternatively, the feeding switch assembly may include a matching RFID radio frequency signal transmitting unit and receiving unit.
[0026] To address the technical challenges posed by the diverse layouts of actual recirculating aquaculture systems, this invention employs the following technical solution: the track can be a closed or non-closed track. The track is non-closed-loop; depending on the actual workshop layout, it can be replaced by a closed-loop track. The feeding vehicle unit can achieve reciprocating motion or unidirectional motion along the closed-loop track.
[0027] To address the technical problem of low load on the feeding cart unit, this invention adopts the following technical solution: several feeding cart units are sequentially connected to form a feeding cart module. The traveling feeding mechanism can consist of only one feeding cart unit, but in actual production, it can be composed of multiple feeding cart units, further increasing the load capacity and feeding efficiency of the traveling feeding mechanism.
[0028] To solve the technical problem of how to control the feeding vehicle unit, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: the walking feeding mechanism further includes a control module for controlling the walking component of the feeding vehicle unit and the loading and unloading of the feeding component.
[0029] To address the technical problem of how the control module is implemented, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: the control module includes a main control module and a following control module, the following control module is installed on the feeding vehicle unit, and the main control module and the following control module communicate with each other via a communication module.
[0030] This invention utilizes a communication module to enable communication between the main control module and the onboard control module; preferably, the communication module is a wireless communication module to achieve wireless communication between the two. This invention uses the main control module and the onboard control module to complete the operation of the feeding vehicle unit along the track and to enable the feed pipe unit to feed the corresponding feeding tanks.
[0031] A second objective of the present invention is to provide a feeding device, including a rotary feeding mechanism and a traveling feeding mechanism as described in any one of the above.
[0032] To solve the technical problem of how to feed materials into rows of feeding components, the present invention adopts the following technical solution, wherein the rotary feeding mechanism includes:
[0033] The feeding unit is located on the rotating platform;
[0034] A rotary platform drive unit, connected to the rotary platform, is used to adjust and control the position of the discharge port of the feeding unit.
[0035] The present invention mounts the feeding unit on a rotating platform and uses a rotating platform drive unit to drive the rotating platform to rotate, so that the discharge port of the feeding unit rotates, thereby feeding the material pipe units of different rows, and fully ensuring the load capacity of the feeding car unit.
[0036] To solve the technical problems of the rotary platform drive unit, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: the rotary platform drive unit includes a drive component and a rotating shaft; the output end of the drive component is connected to the rotating shaft via a connecting rod; the rotating shaft is rotatably mounted on the mounting platform; and the rotary platform is mounted on the rotating shaft.
[0037] This invention utilizes the extension and retraction of the output shaft of the drive component to drive the connecting rod and rotating shaft to rotate. The rotating shaft drives the mounting platform to rotate, thereby enabling the discharge pipe of the feeding unit to rotate, thus feeding different rows of material pipe units and fully ensuring the load capacity of the feeding vehicle unit.
[0038] To solve the technical problem of how the feeding unit feeds materials, this invention adopts the following technical solution: the feeding unit includes a buffer bin and a weighing and feeding assembly arranged sequentially along the feeding direction. The weighing and feeding assembly is used to weigh the material and feed it to the feeding cart unit. This invention utilizes the buffer bin to store materials for supplying them to the weighing and feeding assembly; after weighing the material, the weighing and feeding assembly feeds it to the material pipe unit of the feeding cart unit, ensuring feeding accuracy.
[0039] To address the technical problem of mold growth on residual material caused by the walking feeding mechanism operating in high-temperature environments, this invention employs the following technical solution: the feeding device further includes a cleaning mechanism for cleaning the feeding mechanism and the walking feeding mechanism. This invention utilizes the cleaning mechanism to clean the feeding mechanism and the walking feeding mechanism, achieving surface dust removal and drying, thus reducing corrosion of the walking feeding mechanism by high-humidity environments. Furthermore, the cleaning mechanism can easily clean residual material from the material pipe unit, preventing mold growth on residual material after exposure to high-temperature environments.
[0040] To address the technical problem of how the cleaning mechanism is implemented, the present invention adopts the following technical solution, wherein the cleaning mechanism includes:
[0041] Fan;
[0042] The dust removal component is connected to the fan via a pipe;
[0043] The material collection component is connected to the dust removal component via a pipe, and the material collection component is used to collect the residual material of the feeding vehicle unit.
[0044] This invention utilizes a fan, dust removal components, and material collection components to clean, dry, collect residual materials, and remove dust from the feeding vehicle components, thereby achieving clean production. Attached Figure Description
[0045] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the walking feeding mechanism of the present invention;
[0046] Figure 2 This is a front view of the walking feeding mechanism of the present invention;
[0047] Figure 3 This is a left view of the walking feeding mechanism of the present invention;
[0048] Figure 4 This is a right view of the walking feeding mechanism of the present invention;
[0049] Figure 5 This is a top view of the walking feeding mechanism of the present invention;
[0050] Figure 6 This is a perspective view of the rotary feeding mechanism of the feeding device of the present invention;
[0051] Figure 7 This is a side view of the rotary feeding mechanism of the feeding device of the present invention;
[0052] Figure 8 This is a top view of the rotary feeding mechanism of the feeding device of the present invention;
[0053] Figure 9 yes Figure 7 View A in the middle;
[0054] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the feeding circuit of the rotary feeding mechanism of the feeding device of the present invention;
[0055] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the cleaning mechanism of the feeding device of the present invention;
[0056] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the feeding device of the present invention;
[0057] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the control module of the feeding device of the present invention;
[0058] Figure 14 This is a diagram showing the usage state of the feeding device of the present invention;
[0059] Figure label:
[0060] Walking feeding mechanism 1;
[0061] Track 1-1; Suspension bracket 1-1-1; Walking assembly 1-2; Stepper motor 1-2-1; Reducer 1-2-2; Wheel system bracket 1-2-3; Driven walking wheel assembly 1-2-4; Driven walking wheel assembly 1-2-5; Guide wheel assembly 1-2-6; Limit roller assembly 1-2-7; Drive gear 1-2-8; Driven gear 1-2-9;
[0062] Feeding assembly 1-3; material pipe support 1-3-1; material pipe unit 1-3-2; unloading valve 1-3-3; unloading valve drive 1-3-4; feeding switch assembly 1-4;
[0063] Power supply units 1-5;
[0064] Rotary feeding mechanism 2:
[0065] Vacuum feeder 2-1; Vortex blower 2-1-1; Vacuum tank 2-1-2; Suction hose 2-1-3; Material suction hose 2-1-4;
[0066] Buffer bin 2-2; hopper 2-2-1; discharge butterfly valve 2-2-2; level sensor 2-2-3;
[0067] Differential feeder 2-3;
[0068] Platform 2-4; Step ladder 2-4-1; Mounting platform 2-4-2; Frame 2-4-4;
[0069] Rotating platform 2-5;
[0070] Rotary platform drive unit 2-6; drive component 2-6-1; connecting rod 2-6-2; rotating shaft 2-6-3;
[0071] Cleaning facility 3;
[0072] Material collection assembly 3-1; air duct 3-2; dust removal assembly 3-3; fan 3-4;
[0073] Control module 4;
[0074] Communication module 4-1; Main control module 4-2; Following control module 4-3;
[0075] 5. Aquaculture ponds. Detailed Implementation
[0076] Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) typically require temperature control, maintaining the water temperature at around 25℃ to 30℃, a temperature suitable for the growth of farmed organisms. To ensure high-density farming, air or oxygen is usually introduced into the water to maintain dissolved oxygen levels. The temperature and water agitation create a typically hot and humid environment. Furthermore, since shrimp and marine fish farming often uses seawater, the environment is characterized by four highs: high temperature, high humidity, high salinity, and high oxygen. This environment easily corrodes metal materials exposed to it for extended periods, ultimately leading to equipment failure.
[0077] Biosecurity issues are fatal for livestock farms! The risks are even more severe with high-density farming. Mold growth leads to biosecurity risks. Currently available feed feeding technologies cannot completely eliminate the risk of mold growth in feeding dead zones. For example, pneumatic conveyor feeding systems have extremely long ventilation and feed flow pipes, and the discharge port is always above the feeding tank. The high temperature, high humidity, and high oxygen environment, combined with the oil in the feed, will inevitably cause it to stick to the pipes. These residual powder layers, oil, and even feed particles will inevitably breed bacteria over time, ultimately leading to biosecurity risks. Furthermore, because feed usually contains a powder layer, during pneumatic conveying, this powder layer is often blown outside the feeding tank. If not cleaned promptly, it will inevitably rot and breed bacteria. Similarly, pipeline conveyors and hydraulic conveyors also have similar enclosed spaces, but these "enclosed" spaces cannot be completely sealed off, and high temperature, high humidity, and high oxygen can penetrate everywhere.
[0078] Small shrimp (fish) eat less, while large shrimp (fish) eat more. The amount of feed per meal varies at different stages of aquaculture. Furthermore, aquaculture farms usually have strict requirements for the accuracy of feed weight. There are some feeders on the market that measure feed while simultaneously feeding, but this dynamic measurement is often difficult to control accurately due to vibration.
[0079] Recirculating aquaculture systems typically consist of multiple rearing tanks, and different tanks may require different feed formulations and particle sizes. Single-tank feeding units on the market cannot address these differentiated feeding needs.
[0080] Currently, a fixed feeding platform is available on the market, but this solution cannot avoid the risk of mold growth. Furthermore, due to the need for prolonged exposure to high temperature and humidity, the lifespan of moving parts and power units will be shortened due to corrosion. Improvements to the feeding setup of existing aquaculture ponds yield the technical solutions of Examples 1 and 2.
[0081] Example 1
[0082] like Figure 1-5 As shown, the traveling feeding mechanism 1 includes a track unit 1-1 and a feeding cart unit. The track 1-1 is formed by welding several I-shaped track units end-to-end. The track 1-1 includes straight rails and curved rails. In one embodiment, the track 1-1 is a closed track. In another embodiment, the track 1-1 is a non-closed track. The above scheme... Figure 12 , 14 In the middle, track 1-1 is not a closed loop. Depending on the actual workshop layout, it can be replaced by a closed loop track. The feeding car unit can achieve reciprocating motion or move unidirectionally along the closed loop track.
[0083] The feeding car unit is suspended and installed on the track unit 1-1. The feeding car unit includes the traveling assembly 1-2 and the feeding assembly 1-3.
[0084] The traveling assembly 1-2 is slidably mounted on the track 1-1, and is used to drive the feeding cart to move along the track. The traveling assembly 1-2 includes a wheel system bracket 1-2-3, a drive component, and a traveling wheel set. The wheel system bracket 1-2-3 is suspended on the track via the traveling wheel set. The drive component and the traveling wheel set are mounted on the wheel system bracket 1-2-3. The traveling wheel set includes a driven traveling wheel set 1-2-4 and a driving traveling wheel set 1-2-5.
[0085] Specifically, the wheel system bracket 1-2-3 is preferably two in number. Wheel system bracket one is used to install the driving component and drive the walking wheel set 1-2-5, and wheel system bracket two is used to install the driven walking wheel set 1-2-4. Wheel system bracket 1-2-3 includes a base plate, and side plates are respectively provided at both ends of the base plate.
[0086] Specifically, the driving components include a stepper motor 1-2-1 and a reducer 1-2-2 connected together, with the stepper motor 1-2-1 and reducer 1-2-2 mounted on one side of the wheel system bracket. The output shaft of the reducer 1-2-2 is connected to the drive wheel set 1-2-5 via a transmission component.
[0087] In one embodiment, the transmission component includes a driving gear 1-2-8 and two driven gears 1-2-9. The outer diameter of the driven gears 1-2-9 is larger than that of the driving gear 1-2-8. The driving gear 1-2-8 is mounted on the output shaft of the reducer 1-2-2. A drive wheel assembly 1-2-5 is rotatably mounted on the wheel train brackets 1-2-3 on both sides of the reducer 1-2-2. The drive wheel assembly 1-2-5 includes a first drive wheel and a second drive wheel. Driven gears 1-2-9 are respectively mounted on the shafts of the first and second drive wheels. The two driven gears 1-2-9 are located on both sides of the driving gear 1-2-8, and the driven gears 1-2-9 mesh with the driving gear 1-2-8. Stepper motor 1-2-1 and reducer 1-2-2 drive the main drive wheel to rotate 1-2-8. The drive gear 1-2-8 drives two driven gears 1-2-9 to rotate. The rotation of driven gears 1-2-9 drives the shafts of drive wheels one and two to rotate. The rotation of the shafts of drive wheels one and two drives drive wheels one and two to move forward or backward.
[0088] The driven travel wheel set 1-2-4 is installed on the other side of the wheel system bracket. Specifically, the driven travel wheel set 1-2-4 includes driven travel wheel one and driven travel wheel two, both of which are rotatably mounted on the wheel system bracket one.
[0089] Driven wheel sets 1-2-4 are installed on both sides of wheel system bracket 2. Specifically, driven wheel sets 1-2-4 include driven wheel 1 and driven wheel 2, both of which are rotatably mounted on wheel system bracket 2.
[0090] In one embodiment, guide wheel sets 1-2-6 are provided on both wheel system supports one and two. When the feeding car unit moves straight and turns, the guide wheels directly contact the track and generate rolling friction, preventing sliding friction resistance caused by direct contact between the wheel system supports and the track. Specifically, the guide wheel set 1-2-6 includes guide wheel one, guide wheel two, guide wheel three, and guide wheel four. Guide wheel one and guide wheel two are rotatably mounted on one side of wheel system supports one and two, located on one side of the track base plate. Guide wheel three and guide wheel four are rotatably mounted on the other side of wheel system supports one and two, located on the other side of the track base plate. The rotation axes of guide wheel one, guide wheel two, guide wheel three, and guide wheel four are all vertically oriented. The function of the guide wheels is to prevent the webs of the drive wheels and driven wheels from directly contacting the track and generating sliding friction resistance when the feeding car unit turns.
[0091] In one embodiment, a set of limiting rollers 1-2-7 is provided on the wheel train support, and the set of limiting rollers 1-2-7 is located at the bottom of the track. The set of limiting rollers 1-2-7 includes a limiting roller shaft, the two ends of which are rotatably mounted on the two side plates of the wheel train support, and two limiting rollers are mounted on the limiting roller shaft. The set of limiting rollers 1-2-7 can prevent the traveling wheels from derailing when the feeding car unit is under unbalanced force, and can also be used to prevent the feeding car unit from tilting.
[0092] In one embodiment, the feeding assembly 1-3 is mounted on the walking assembly 1-2. The feeding assembly 1-3 is used to feed materials to different feeding points. The feeding assembly 1-3 includes a material pipe support 1-3-1, a material pipe unit 1-3-2, and a discharge assembly. The material pipe support 1-3-1 is mounted on wheel system supports one and two. Several material pipe units 1-3-2 are mounted on the material pipe support. There are two ways to install the material pipe unit 1-3-2: (1) The material pipe unit has its own flange and is directly fitted onto the material pipe support. The material pipe support has a round hole slightly larger than the diameter of the material pipe. After fitting, the lower discharge assembly is installed; (2) For an integrated material pipe valve, after fitting from the bottom up, the limit bolt is installed.
[0093] Specifically, the feed tube unit 1-3-2 forms at least two rows of structures. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the feed tube units 1-3-2 form a two-row structure, with four feed tube units in the same row. Feeding can be switched between the two different feed tubes.
[0094] In one embodiment, a discharge assembly is provided on the feed pipe unit 1-3-2. Specifically, the discharge assembly includes a discharge valve 1-3-3 and a discharge valve drive 1-3-4.
[0095] In one embodiment, a feeding switch assembly 1-4 is installed on the traveling feeding mechanism 1. When the feeding vehicle unit moves to the corresponding feeding point, the switch assembly controls the unloading of the feeding assembly.
[0096] In one embodiment, the feeding switch assembly 1-4 includes a cooperating photoelectric sensor 1-4-1 and a reflector 1-4-2. Reflectors 1-4-2 are installed at different positions on the track. The photoelectric sensor 1-4-1 is mounted on the feeding cart unit via a mounting bracket, and consists of five photoelectric sensors arranged vertically. One reflector bracket is set for each aquaculture pond position, and the reflector bracket can install up to five reflectors. When the photoelectric sensor senses the light reflected by the reflector, the signal is 1. At positions without reflectors, the photoelectric sensor signal is 0. Therefore, by installing or not installing reflectors at the five reflector positions, the following binary signal codes can be obtained, such as: 00001, 00010, 00011, 00100, 00101, 00111… corresponding to pond 1, pond 2, pond 3… and any position where an action is desired. The position control of the feeding cart unit is achieved by recording and identifying the position through a code composed of multiple photoelectric sensors. The feeding switch components 1-8 can be replaced by other sensor solutions, such as RFID radio frequency signals, QR code recognition, proximity switches, etc.
[0097] In one embodiment, the feed switch assembly 1-8 includes a cooperating proximity switch.
[0098] In one embodiment, the feed switch assembly 1-8 includes a matching barcode and barcode scanning sensor.
[0099] In one embodiment, the feed switch assembly 1-8 includes a matching QR code and barcode scanning sensor.
[0100] In one embodiment, the feed switch assembly 1-8 includes a cooperating RFID radio frequency signal transmitting unit and a receiving unit, which is the prior art.
[0101] In one embodiment, the drive unit 1-2 further includes a power supply unit 1-5 for supplying power to the stepper motor 1-2-1. The power supply unit 1-5 is preferably a lithium battery.
[0102] In one embodiment, several feeding cart units are sequentially connected to form a feeding cart module. The feeding cart unit consists of an integral frame, and in actual production, it can be composed of multiple feeding cart units combined together.
[0103] In one embodiment, the walking feeding mechanism further includes a control module 4 for controlling the movement of the walking component of the feeding vehicle unit and the loading and unloading of the feeding component. Specifically, as shown... Figure 12 , 13 As shown, control module 4 includes main control module 4-2, following control module 4-3, and communication module 4-1. Following control module 4-3 is installed on feeding vehicle unit 1. Main control module 4-2 and following control module 4-3 communicate via communication module 4-1.
[0104] This invention utilizes a communication module to achieve communication between the main control module and the onboard control module; preferably, the communication module is a wireless communication module to enable wireless communication between the two. This invention uses the main control module and the onboard control module to complete the operation of the feeding vehicle unit along the track and to enable the feed pipe unit to feed the corresponding feeding tanks. The onboard control module 4-3 receives instructions from the main control module 4-2 to complete various operating modes of the feeding vehicle unit along track 1-1. Based on the signal from the feeding switch assembly 1-8, it controls the opening and closing of the unloading valve drive component 1-7 to achieve feed feeding to the corresponding feeding tanks.
[0105] Example 2
[0106] like Figure 14 As shown, there are 16 breeding ponds in total, arranged in two rows of 8. Track 1-1 is a non-closed track, arranged above the 16 breeding ponds in a U-shape. Each breeding pond forms a feeding point, forming a total of 16 feeding points.
[0107] like Figure 6-14 As shown, there is a feeding device, a rotating feeding mechanism 2, and a walking feeding mechanism 1 of any one of Embodiment 1.
[0108] like Figure 6-10 As shown, the rotary feeding mechanism includes a feeding unit, a rotary platform 2-5, and a rotary platform drive unit 2-6.
[0109] In one embodiment, the feeding unit includes a buffer bin and a weighing and feeding component arranged sequentially along the feeding direction. The weighing and feeding component is used to weigh the material and feed it to the feeding car unit.
[0110] The feeding unit includes a vacuum feeder 2-1, a buffer bin 2-2, a differential weight feeder 2-3, and a platform 2-4.
[0111] Specifically, the vacuum feeder 2-1 includes a vortex blower 2-1-1, a vacuum tank 2-1-2, an air suction hose 2-1-3, and a material suction hose 2-1-4.
[0112] Specifically, the buffer bin 2-2 includes a hopper 2-2-1, on which a discharge butterfly valve 2-2-2 and a material level sensor 2-2-3 are installed.
[0113] Specifically, platform 2-4 includes frame 2-4-4, step ladder 2-4-1, and mounting platform 2-4-2. Mounting platform 2-4-2 is mounted on frame 2-4-4, and step ladder 2-4-1 is installed on one side of mounting platform 2-4-2. A rotary platform drive unit 2-6 is installed at the bottom of mounting platform 2-4-2 to control the rotation of the differential feeder and discharge pipe, enabling switching between feeding from two different rows of material pipe units.
[0114] The feeding unit is mounted on the rotary platform 2-5. The rotary platform drive unit 2-6 drives and connects to the rotary platform 2-5. Specifically, the rotary platform drive unit 2-6 includes a drive component 2-6-1, a connecting rod 2-6-2, and a rotating shaft 2-6-3. The drive component 2-6-1 is preferably a cylinder, mounted at the bottom of the mounting platform 2-4-2. The output end of the drive component 2-6-1 is hinged to the connecting rod 2-6-2. The other end of the connecting rod 2-6-2 is fixedly connected to the lower end of the rotating shaft 2-6-3 located at the bottom of the mounting platform 2-4-2. A bearing is mounted on the mounting platform 2-4-2, and the bearing is rotatably engaged with the rotating shaft 2-6-3. The rotary platform 2-5 is mounted on the upper end of the rotating shaft 2-6-3 located above the mounting platform 2-4-2. A differential weight feeder 2-3 is mounted on the rotary platform 2-5. The buffer bin 2-2 is rotatably engaged with the differential weight feeder, which is existing technology. The differential feeder is fixedly fitted with the discharge pipe and rotates with the rotating platform 2-5 to meet the feeding needs of different feed pipe units.
[0115] The rotating platform is driven by a cylinder and can switch between two rows of material tubes; there are four material tubes in the same row, and the position of the four material tubes is controlled by the travel distance of the servo motor of the feeding car unit, which can realize the matching of the feeder outlet position with the position of different material tubes.
[0116] The differential weight feeder mainly consists of a motor-driven auger, a differential weight load cell, and a hopper for temporary material storage. During the feeding process, the motor starts to convey the material. When switching between the feed pipe and the feeder outlet position, the drive motor shuts off, cutting off the material flow; the weight of the fed material is measured by the load cell.
[0117] In one embodiment, the feeding device further includes a cleaning mechanism 3 for cleaning the feeding mechanism and the traveling feeding mechanism. Specifically, as shown... Figure 11 As shown, the cleaning mechanism 3 includes a material collection assembly 3-1, an air duct 3-2, a dust collection assembly 3-3, and a fan 3-4. The dust collection assembly 3-3 is connected to the fan 3-4 via a duct. The dust collection assembly is preferably made of cyclone. The material collection assembly 3-1 is connected to the dust collection assembly 3-3 via a duct, and the material collection assembly 3-1 is used to collect the residual material from the feeding vehicle unit.
[0118] This invention utilizes an online cleaning mechanism to achieve surface dust removal and drying, reducing the impact of high-humidity environments on the walking feeding mechanism. The walking feeding mechanism in high-humidity environments is a non-enclosed structure, allowing for convenient and thorough cleaning without blind spots. Furthermore, the online cleaning mechanism enables automatic cleaning, or allows for regular, thorough manual cleaning, thereby avoiding biosafety hazards.
[0119] Both the rotary feeding mechanism 2 and the online cleaning mechanism 3 are connected to the main control module 4-2. The main control module 4-2 enables automatic control of the rotary feeding mechanism 2 and the online cleaning mechanism 3.
[0120] The main control module is the master station, and the accompanying control module is the substation. The master station can control the actions of the dust removal components, fans, feeding mechanism, differential feeder, and rotary platform drive cylinders fixed in the weighing and metering area. These instructions are stored in the master station PLC. It also sends the instructions to be executed by the feeding vehicle unit to the substation PLC, which stores these instructions. When the customer changes the feeding plan via the industrial control computer, the new instructions can be transmitted to the substation PLC, and the feeding vehicle unit will execute the actions cyclically according to the new instructions.
[0121] like Figure 14 As shown, the working process of the feeding device is as follows:
[0122] After the walking feeding vehicle mechanism 1 loads the user-set weight of feed at the position of the rotating feeding mechanism 2, it runs along the track 1-1 under the control of the control module 4. When the feeding vehicle unit passes the breeding pond 5 and senses the signal of the feeding switch component 1-4, the unloading component of the feed pipe unit 1-3-2 corresponding to the breeding pond opens, and the material falls into the pond under the action of gravity. During the feeding process, the walking feeding vehicle mechanism 1 moves forward at a predetermined speed to achieve linear feeding while moving forward. The running time of the walking feeding vehicle mechanism 1 above the corresponding breeding pond must ensure that all feeding is completed.
[0123] After all feeding operations in the aquaculture ponds are completed, the feeding cart unit can return along the same route. If a closed-loop track is used, it can return in one direction or along the same route. Upon returning to the origin of the automatic feeding cart unit, the discharge valve of the feed pipe unit opens. Simultaneously, eight compressed air nozzles located directly above the eight discharge valves on the feed pipe unit blow air onto the unit, cleaning dust, moisture, and other contaminants adhering to the pipe walls, which then fall into the collection assembly. The online cleaning mechanism 3 is activated, using the suction of a fan to remove dust and other contaminants from the collection assembly, thoroughly cleaning the powder layer remaining on the feed pipe unit 1-3-2 and drying it. After the cleaning process is complete, the electrical control program closes the discharge valve 1-3-3 of the feed pipe unit 1-3-2; similarly, the feed switch assembly 1-4 for the feed pipe unit 1-3-2 is located at the origin. The control program uses this signal to determine which feed pipe unit 1-3-2's inlet the discharge port of the differential feeder 2-3 aligns with, and controls the feed weight of the feed pipe unit 1-3-2 accordingly. Once that feed pipe completes its feeding process, the traveling feeder mechanism 1, driven by the stepper motor 1-2-1 and limited by the signal from the feed switch assembly 1-4, allows feed to be added to other feed pipes.
[0124] In this invention, the feed tubes of the feeding cart unit are arranged in 4 rows and 2 columns. After the feed is added to the first column, the differential feeder 2-3 will rotate at an angle under the action of the rotating platform drive unit 2-6 to align the discharge pipe with the second column. Then, the above steps continue until all feed tube units 1-3-2 of the feeding cart unit 1 are loaded according to the customer-set parameters. The completed feeding cart unit will automatically feed the customer at the set time, location, and quantity according to the set feeding time and speed.
[0125] This invention significantly reduces labor costs associated with manual material feeding through automatic control, while also minimizing errors and mistakes caused by various factors during the manual material feeding process.
[0126] This invention adopts a dry and wet separation technical solution. The feeding vehicle unit only enters the high humidity environment for a short period of time when feeding feed, and stays in the parking space at other times. The online cleaning system can achieve surface dust removal and drying functions, reducing the impact of the high humidity environment on the hardware.
[0127] The feeding cart unit of this invention has a non-enclosed structure when entering high-humidity environments, allowing for convenient and thorough cleaning without blind spots. It can be automatically cleaned using an online cleaning system, or periodically thoroughly cleaned by personnel, thereby avoiding biosafety hazards.
[0128] This invention employs a fixed-point weighing scheme, where the weighing equipment does not move with the feeding vehicle unit. It utilizes a differential weighing feeding scheme to achieve precise measurement. Each feeding pool has an independent feed pipe and valve control, ensuring feeding accuracy with a single pipe per pool. The homogeneous design allows for differentiated feeding schemes for different pools, different feeds, and different weights.
Claims
1. A feeding device, characterized in that, It includes a rotary feeding mechanism and a traveling feeding mechanism, wherein the traveling feeding mechanism includes: A track, with several feeding points set along the track direction; The feeding trolley unit is suspended on the track; the feeding trolley unit includes: A traveling assembly is slidably mounted on the track, and the traveling assembly is used to drive the feeding cart to move along the track; the traveling assembly includes a wheel system bracket, on which a traveling wheel set and a driving component are mounted; the wheel system bracket is suspended from the track via the traveling wheel set; The walking wheel set includes a driving walking wheel set and a driven walking wheel set; The driving component is connected to the driving wheel assembly via a transmission component; the driving component includes a stepper motor and a reducer connected together; the transmission component includes one driving gear and two driven gears; the outer diameter of the driven gear is larger than the outer diameter of the driving gear; the driving gear is mounted on the output shaft of the reducer; the driving wheel assembly is rotatably mounted on the wheel system brackets on both sides of the reducer; the driving wheel assembly includes a first driving wheel and a second driving wheel; driven gears are respectively mounted on the shafts of the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel, the two driven gears are located on both sides of the driving gear, and the driven gears mesh with the driving gear; the stepper motor and the reducer drive the driving gear to rotate, the driving gear drives the two driven gears to rotate, the rotation of the driven gears drives the shafts of the first and second driving wheels to rotate, and the rotation of the shafts of the first and second driving wheels drives the first and second driving wheels to move forward or backward; The wheel system support is equipped with a guide wheel assembly. When the feeding vehicle unit moves straight and turns, the guide wheel assembly directly contacts the track and generates rolling friction, avoiding sliding friction resistance between the wheel system support and the track. The guide wheel assembly includes guide wheel one, guide wheel two, guide wheel three, and guide wheel four. Guide wheel one and guide wheel two are rotatably mounted on one side of one wheel system support and located on one side of the track base plate. Guide wheel three and guide wheel four are rotatably mounted on the other side of the other wheel system support and located on the other side of the track base plate. The rotation shafts of guide wheel one, guide wheel two, guide wheel three, and guide wheel four are all vertically oriented. The wheel system support is provided with a set of limiting rollers, which are located at the bottom of the track. The limiting rollers are used to prevent the walking wheel set from leaving the track when the feeding car unit is under unbalanced force, and to prevent the feeding car unit from tilting. The limiting roller set includes a limiting roller shaft, with both ends of the limiting roller shaft rotatably mounted on the two side plates of the wheel system support. Two limiting rollers are installed on the limiting roller shaft. A feeding assembly is disposed on the walking assembly, and the feeding assembly is used to feed materials to different feeding points; A feeding switch assembly is installed on the walking feeding mechanism; when the feeding vehicle unit runs to the corresponding feeding point, the switch assembly controls the unloading of the feeding vehicle unit; the feeding switch assembly includes a cooperating photoelectric sensor and a reflector; reflectors are installed at different positions on the track, and the photoelectric sensors are mounted on the feeding vehicle unit through mounting brackets, and are arranged vertically; a reflector bracket is set for each breeding pond position, and a reflector is installed on the reflector bracket; when the photoelectric sensor senses the light reflected by the reflector, the signal is 1; at the position without a reflector, the photoelectric sensor signal is 0. Different binary signal codes can be obtained by installing or not installing reflectors; the position control of the feeding vehicle unit is achieved by recording and identifying the position through the encoding composed of multiple photoelectric sensors; The rotary feeding mechanism includes: A feeding unit is set on a rotating platform; the feeding unit includes a buffer bin and a weighing and feeding component arranged sequentially along the feeding direction, the weighing and feeding component being used to weigh the material and feed it to the feeding cart unit; A rotary platform drive unit, connected to the rotary platform, is used to adjust and control the position of the discharge port of the feeding unit; The discharge port position control mechanism of the differential weight feeder includes a drive component and a rotating shaft. The output end of the drive component is connected to the rotating shaft via a connecting rod. The rotating shaft is rotatably mounted on a mounting platform. The rotating platform is mounted on the rotating shaft.
2. The feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding assembly includes a feed tube support, a feed tube unit is mounted on the feed tube support, and a discharge assembly is mounted on the feed tube unit.
3. The feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The track can be a closed track or a non-closed track.
4. The feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Several of the aforementioned feeding cart units are sequentially connected to form a feeding cart module.
5. The feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The walking feeding mechanism also includes a control module for controlling the walking component of the feeding vehicle unit and the loading and unloading of the feeding component.
6. The feeding device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The control module includes a main control module and a vehicle-following control module. The vehicle-following control module is installed on the feeding vehicle unit, and the main control module and the vehicle-following control module communicate with each other via a communication module.
7. The feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding device also includes a cleaning mechanism for cleaning the feeding mechanism and the traveling feeding mechanism.
8. The feeding device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The cleaning facility includes: Fan; The dust removal component is connected to the fan via a pipe; The material collection assembly is connected to the dust removal assembly via a pipe, and the material collection assembly is used to collect the residual material of the feeding vehicle unit; A blowing mechanism is provided on the feeding assembly, and the blowing mechanism is used to blow and clean the feeding assembly.