Fully automated system for artemia hatching and supply

Abstract

This invention relates to a fully automated system for hatching and supplying brine shrimp, comprising: a brine shrimp hatching and supply device for collecting and automatically supplying brine shrimp larvae; and a tilted transparent membrane window selectively detachable from the brine shrimp hatching and supply device, the brine shrimp hatching and supply device comprising: a hatching tank for brine shrimp larvae to hatch from eggs; a collection tank for collecting only larvae and connected to the hatching tank; and a quadrilateral central channel incidentally formed on the central portion of the rear wall of the hatching tank to spatially connect the hatching tank and the collection tank.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an automated device for hatching, collecting, and supplying larvae of Artemia, and to a fully automated system for hatching and supplying Artemia, which controls the water flow in the moving channel to be 100% attenuated, and collects only pure larvae except for shells and other foreign objects, and after cleaning even the tiny impurities adhering to the skin of the larvae, automatically supplies them to fish fry and small fish feeding tanks. Background Technology

[0002] The traditional method for hatching and harvesting brine shrimp (Artemia esculenta) by hand is as follows: Place brine shrimp eggs, fresh water, salt, an aerator (pea stones), and an underwater heater in a transparent container (e.g., a polyester bottle). After 24-30 hours, if the hatched larvae begin to float, stop the aerator. Then, if the shells float to the surface, cover the transparent container with black paper (or black cloth) and shine a light downwards. When the hatched larvae gather at the bottom, they can be directly sucked out using a dropper or by installing a valve at the bottom of the transparent container to extract them from the bottom. This method is based on the scientific fact that brine shrimp exhibit phototaxis (phototaxis) and move with light.

[0003] On the other hand, a product for artichoke eggs coated with iron powder was also developed. This product is very expensive, but despite this, its distribution and sales are booming worldwide. This product also uses the same method as described above, that is, after the artichoke eggs are hatched, a magnetic rod is directly placed into the hatching tank by hand to stick out the iron powder-coated shells and unhatched eggs, and then washed in running water. This process of placing the magnetic rod in again to separate them is repeated until only the artichoke larvae are left.

[0004] Furthermore, the brine shrimp hatchery products recently sold on the market use the following method: instead of using an aerator, a circular, repetitive fence-like structure is placed in a flat container, such as a round dish, and brine is poured in slowly. The brine shrimp eggs are then placed on the edge of the circular structure and left to stand. If they hatch after more than 24 hours, the brine shrimp larvae move to the center of the hole through which light enters and gather there. Then they are scooped out.

[0005] The techniques described above are all performed manually. In fact, the collection and screening process is tedious and difficult. Despite spending a lot of time and effort, it is difficult to guarantee that foreign objects such as eggshells are completely removed from the collected larvae. Moreover, there is an unavoidable problem that it is uneconomical to discard even unhatched brine shrimp eggs (unhatched durable eggs) along with the eggshells.

[0006] In addition, when brine shrimp hatch in large numbers, they must be frozen because they cannot be fed all at once. Furthermore, the biological tissues or yolks of the brine shrimp larvae are damaged by the formation of ice crystals, which poses a risk of spoilage when thawed. This can also cause water pollution in the fry and small fish feeding tanks when they are fed later.

[0007] In the case of the recently developed circular saucer-shaped brine shrimp hatchery, the air stone cannot be used (although the product is designed to accommodate an air stone, the problem of eggshells mixing with the larvae due to water flow makes it almost unusable). Although oxygen supply is an essential condition for increasing the hatching rate, due to technological limitations, it can be considered that oxygen supply has been abandoned, resulting in only a very small number of brine shrimp eggs hatching. Therefore, it has functional limitations for mass hatching.

[0008] On the other hand, in order to feed the fish fry healthily, it is absolutely necessary to provide a continuous supply of food. If they are not fed enough and go hungry, it will have a fatal impact on the growth of the fish fry. Therefore, the continuous supply of nutritious food determines the success or failure of fish fry feeding.

[0009] However, the hatching and supply of brine shrimp has been done manually until now. Therefore, the hatching and feeding of brine shrimp when feeding fish fry requires a lot of attention, labor and time. These heavy manual operations and tedious procedures reduce the efficiency of the operation and can only lead to economic losses.

[0010] It is known that from the moment of hatching, Artemia consumes its yolk sac for development, causing the yolk sac to gradually disappear. By the time the adult reaches adulthood, the yolk sac is completely depleted. Therefore, even if fish fry ingest Artemia sacs that do not carry yolk sacs, they cannot obtain much nutrition and thus do not contribute much to the growth of the fish fry.

[0011] Currently, commercially available frozen Artemia larvae are not guaranteed to be in a fully preserved yolk state, i.e., in the nauplius stage. The reason is that, for profit-and-loss commercial reasons, a large number of durable eggs must be hatched at once. It is difficult to discard a large number of unhatched eggs. To prevent unhatched eggs, excessive incubation time is unavoidable, and the focus is solely on larval production (volume). Therefore, only larvae that grow to more than three times the size of early-hatched larvae (Artemia nauplice) are produced to reach adulthood. From this perspective, selecting only early-hatched larvae (Artemia nauplice) is absolutely unrealistic for mass production of frozen products.

[0012] Even when collecting early-hatched larvae (Artemia nauplices) at an appropriate incubation time, all fry must be fed within a short period. The remaining fry are mostly frozen, but freezing damages the yolk sac and biological tissues, and they are highly susceptible to spoilage during handling. Upon placement in the tank, they thaw rapidly, and the highly nutritious yolk sac dissolves in the water in a broken state. Combined with the detached and damaged biological tissues, this contributes to water pollution, easily leading to fry mortality. Therefore, more meticulous water quality management and labor are required to prevent pollution.

[0013] While efforts are made to screen hatched larvae using traditional methods to select only larvae, perfect screening is practically impossible. Some eggshells, unhatched eggs, and decaying eggs mixed in with the hatched larvae may contain contaminants such as bacilli and bacteria. If fry ingest these foreign substances, they can cause serious diseases like enteritis and ascites. Therefore, it is sometimes recommended to clean durable eggs before hatching. Considering these factors holistically, the need arises for a fully automated system for the hatching and feeding of brine shrimp, a concept yet to be fully understood.

[0014] Prior art documents in the technical field to which this invention pertains include Korean Utility Model Publication No. 20-0377187, Korean Patent Publication No. 10-0927638, and Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2202636. Summary of the Invention

[0015] Technical issues

[0016] The purpose of this invention is to provide an efficient and cost-effective fully automated system for the hatching and supply of Artemia nauplices. This fully automated system supplies only a suitable amount of live, newly hatched early-stage larvae (Artemia nauplices) within a specified time, while unhatched eggs remain in the hatching tank to continue the hatching time. As a result, hatching is induced and the hatching rate is increased, thereby eliminating the situation of wasting expensive Artemia cyst eggs.

[0017] Another objective of this invention is to provide a fully automated system for hatching and supplying brine shrimp, which introduces an inclined transparent membrane window to reduce and block water flow, thereby 100% preventing the ingress of foreign matter such as eggshells and unhatched eggs, and is able to supply the cleaned larvae to the fry tank.

[0018] Solution

[0019] The aforementioned objective is achieved through a fully automated brine shrimp hatching and supply system, characterized by comprising: a brine shrimp hatching and supply device for collecting and automatically supplying brine shrimp larvae; and a tilted transparent membrane window selectively detachable from the hatching and supply device, the hatching and supply device comprising: a hatching tank for the hatching of brine shrimp larvae from their eggs; a collection tank for collecting only larvae and connected to the hatching tank; and a quadrilateral central channel incidentally formed at the center of the rear wall of the hatching tank to spatially connect the hatching tank and the collection tank.

[0020] The aforementioned incubation tank may include: an LED light located at the top; an underwater heater wire disposed in the water for selective heat release; an aerator tube insertion section; a separate funnel mounting port for inserting resisting eggs; and a cleaning outlet located at the bottom end of the lower part. Two quadrilateral silicon rings are embedded in a groove on the inner wall of the central channel of the incubation tank and are disposed at the inlet and outlet. The aforementioned inclined transparent membrane window is selectively inserted and fitted into the central channel.

[0021] A fish fry feeding tank and a brine discharge outlet can be installed at the bottom of the above-mentioned collection tank.

[0022] It may further include a back-to-back pushing door, which is located inside the collection tank and blocks the passage of larvae to the collection tank when incubation is being carried out in the incubation tank.

[0023] The aforementioned collection trough can be fixed by tightening screws through a waterproof silicone pad embedded in the groove on the outer wall of the central channel of the aforementioned incubation trough. A structure with a hinge structure connected to the channel is provided inside the aforementioned collection trough. The hinge structure of the aforementioned collection trough is configured to embed and install the silicone pad in a quadrilateral groove and connect the hinge connection part of the aforementioned push-back opening and closing door to the hinge connection part of the upper wall of the collection trough in an engaging manner.

[0024] The aforementioned push-back opening and closing gate is a pressure opening and closing gate installed in the water. During the process of discharging or supplying brine or fresh water to the aforementioned collection tank, it prevents the culture water of the aforementioned hatching tank from flowing in through the installation part channel of the aforementioned inclined transparent membrane window. It also opens the channel to allow the artichoke nauplii awakened in the aforementioned hatching tank to move to the aforementioned collection tank. The aforementioned push-back opening and closing gate can function by converting the vertical downward motion of moving outside the water surface above the aforementioned collection tank by the force of the motor into a horizontal motion, thereby forcefully squeezing and closing the sliding door of the installation part of the aforementioned inclined transparent membrane window.

[0025] The upper arm of the aforementioned push-back opening and closing door is connected to a linear motor at the top and to a lower arm at the bottom. The lower arm, through a streamlined tension structure, can perform the function of maintaining smooth and elastic pressure.

[0026] The aforementioned push-back opening and closing door has a transparent door panel that is hinged to the upper wall of the central passage, and the inner quadrilateral raised part can be embedded into the wall groove to fit tightly against the waterproof silicone pad and close.

[0027] The aforementioned inclined transparent membrane window is an underwater window in the shape of a sloping body, which is formed by longitudinally arranging and bonding multiple transparent upper and lower solid membranes into a configuration that is inclined only 70 degrees from the top and bottom to the inside, creating a contact point gap of 1.5 mm between the upper and lower transparent membranes. It can take advantage of the characteristic that the nauplius larvae instinctively move towards the light as soon as they hatch from the egg, and guide the nauplius larvae through the contact point gap between the upper and lower transparent solid membranes by making the nauplius larvae slide along the 70-degree inclined surface of the transparent membrane as they move.

[0028] In the aforementioned inclined transparent membrane window, a through-hole with a diameter of 1 mm is formed at the upper part of the upper canopy at the center of the upper transparent solid membrane. A silicone hose is connected to the first through-hole and led out to the air above the water surface for fixation, thereby preventing the formation of air pockets inside the aforementioned inclined transparent membrane window when brine is initially supplied to the aforementioned incubation tank.

[0029] Invention Effects

[0030] According to the present invention, only a suitable amount of live, newly hatched early-stage larvae (Artemia Nauplice) are supplied within a specified time, while unhatched eggs remain in the hatching tank to maintain the hatching time. As a result, hatching is induced and the hatching rate is increased, thereby eliminating the situation of wasting expensive Artemia eggs. Therefore, it has an effective and economical effect.

[0031] In addition, according to the present invention, the following effects are achieved: the introduction of an inclined transparent membrane window that reduces and blocks water flow prevents 100% of foreign matter such as eggshells and unhatched eggs from entering, and allows for the pure collection of larvae to be supplied to the fry tank after washing. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional view of a tilted transparent film window.

[0033] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Side view of the structure.

[0034] Figure 3 This is a diagram of a fully automated system for hatching and feeding brine shrimp according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 4 It is used for explanation Figure 3 The function Figure 3 Partial side sectional view.

[0036] Figure 5 This is a diagram of the brine discharge section of a collection tank in a fully automated system for hatching and supplying brine shrimp, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 6 This diagram illustrates the push-back opening and closing of a door.

[0038] Figure 7 It is a table that summarizes the conditions for placing durable eggs.

[0039] Figure 8 This is the operation flow of a fully automated system for hatching and supplying brine shrimp according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Symbol Explanation

[0041] 10—Upper solid membrane, 11—Lower solid membrane, 12—Contact point gap, 17—Upper LED light, 28—Central channel, 31—Shower, 32—Brine supply pipe, 33—Linear motor, 37—Fish fry feeding tank supply outlet, 39—Brine discharge section, 46—Brine reuse outlet, 47—Freshwater cleaning water outlet, 50—Hinge connection section, 51—Door panel, 100—Slanted transparent membrane window, 200—Artemia incubation and supply device, 300—Push-back opening and closing door. Detailed Implementation

[0042] The advantages and features of the present invention, as well as the methods for implementing them, will become clear from the accompanying drawings and the embodiments described in detail below.

[0043] However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but can be implemented in various different ways.

[0044] In this specification, these embodiments are provided to fully disclose the invention and to fully inform those skilled in the art of its scope. Furthermore, the invention is defined only by the scope of the claims.

[0045] Therefore, in several embodiments, well-known components, well-known operations, and well-known techniques are not specifically described in order to avoid the invention being misinterpreted.

[0046] Throughout this specification, the same reference numerals refer to the same constituent elements. Furthermore, the terminology used herein is illustrative and not intended to limit the invention.

[0047] In this specification, the singular form is used, unless otherwise specified in the text, to include the plural form. Furthermore, the inclusion (or having) of a constituent element or operation (function) does not preclude the presence or addition of more than one other constituent element or operation.

[0048] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used in this specification (including technical or scientific terms) are to be used in a meaning that is commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0049] Furthermore, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should not be interpreted ideally or excessively unless otherwise defined.

[0050] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0051] Figure 1 It is a 3D view of a tilted transparent membrane window. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Side view of the structure. Figure 3 This is a diagram of a fully automated system for hatching and feeding brine shrimp according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 It is used for explanation Figure 3 The function Figure 3 Partial side sectional view, Figure 5 This is a diagram of the brine discharge section of a collection tank in a fully automated system for hatching and supplying brine shrimp, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 This diagram illustrates the push-back opening and closing of a door. Figure 7 It is a table outlining the conditions for placing durable eggs. Figure 8 This is the operation flow of a fully automated system for hatching and supplying brine shrimp according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] Referring to these figures, the fully automated artemia nauplicate hatching and feeding system according to this embodiment supplies only a suitable amount of live, newly hatched early-stage larvae (Artemia nauplices) within a specified time, while unhatched eggs remain in the hatching tank to continue the hatching time. As a result, hatching is induced and the hatching rate is increased, thereby eliminating the situation of wasting expensive artemia eggs.

[0053] Furthermore, the fully automated brine shrimp hatching and supply system according to this embodiment introduces an inclined transparent membrane window 100 to reduce and block water flow, thereby 100% preventing foreign matter such as eggshells and unhatched eggs from entering, and can supply the pure collected larvae to the fry tank after washing.

[0054] In particular, the fully automated system for hatching and supplying brine shrimp according to this embodiment can eliminate the economic inefficiencies caused by traditional hatching and collection methods, such as abandoning unhatched eggs, collecting larvae with depleted yolks, and investing too much time and labor.

[0055] When the fully automated system for hatching and feeding brine shrimp according to this embodiment is applied, it is unnecessary to purchase brine shrimp eggs coated with iron powder, which are approximately 7 to 8 times more expensive than the market price of ordinary durable eggs, for fry feeding. Furthermore, a more advanced method can be proposed that completely eliminates the inefficiency and uneconomical nature of the existing process of hatching durable eggs coated with iron powder, which requires repeated manual work with a magnetic stick, and the danger of only being able to feed juveniles with impurities.

[0056] Moreover, the fully automated system for hatching and supplying brine shrimp according to this embodiment fully automates all steps of hatching, harvesting, and supplying, thereby not only bringing unparalleled efficiency compared to the old methods, but also enabling those skilled in the art to seek maximum competitiveness and economic benefits by increasing productivity.

[0057] For the fully automated brine shrimp hatching and feeding system according to this embodiment that can provide these effects, refer to... Figures 1 to 6 Especially refer to Figures 3 to 5 The following description is provided. The fully automated brine shrimp hatching and supply system according to this embodiment may include a brine shrimp hatching and supply device 200 for collecting brine shrimp larvae and automatically collecting and supplying brine shrimp larvae, and a tilted transparent membrane window 100 that is selectively attached and detached from the brine shrimp hatching and supply device 200.

[0058] In this embodiment, the brine shrimp hatching and supply device 200 is used to control the water flow in the moving channel to decrease by 100% so as to collect only the pure larvae except for the shells and other foreign objects. After cleaning even the tiny impurities adhering to the skin of the larvae, it is automatically supplied to the fish fry and small fish feeding tank. The brine shrimp hatching and supply device 200 may include a hatching tank 15 and a collection tank 16.

[0059] The incubation tank 15 is a matte black structure, while the collection tank 16 can be a transparent container. The connection between the incubation tank 15 and the collection tank 16 can be secured by screws or by a pressure-fitting adhesive ring. Of course, this is just one example, and other methods may also be applicable.

[0060] The raised quadrilateral portion of the collection tank enters the quadrilateral groove on the rear wall of the incubation tank 15 and fits snugly against the waterproof silicone pad 26 embedded therein. An inclined transparent membrane window mounting part (central channel) connecting the interiors of the two structures in water can be provided, and a water splash prevention membrane 29 can be provided on the upper part of the incubation tank and the collection tank.

[0061] LED lights 17, heaters 21, aerator pebbles 22, and aerator pipes 23 are installed in the hatching tank 15 according to their positions. This hatching tank 15 is a cultivation device that provides appropriate salinity, water temperature, light (light), and water flow to the artichoke eggs through the action of LED lights 17, heaters 21, aerator pebbles 22, and aerator pipes 23 so that they can hatch normally.

[0062] The incubation tank 15 has a central channel 28 that connects to the collection tank 16. The raised portion 25 of the collection tank 16 can be tightly fitted with a waterproof silicone pad 26 installed in the tank and embedded in the wall groove 24 of the incubation tank 15 by means of screw tightening 27 or by means of compression in the form of an adhesive ring.

[0063] A tilted transparent membrane window 100, which will be submerged in water, is installed in the central channel 28 of the quadrilateral channel of the hatching tank 15. That is, the tilted transparent membrane window 100 is selectively installed on the brine shrimp hatching and supply device 200.

[0064] This inclined transparent membrane window 100 is an underwater window in the shape of a sloped body, in which multiple transparent upper and lower solid membranes 10, 11 are arranged longitudinally and bonded together to form a contact point 12 with a gap of 1.5 mm.

[0065] The characteristic that arthropod nauplii instinctively move towards light as soon as they hatch from the egg can be utilized. Furthermore, the nauplii can be guided through the wide contact point gap 12 of the upper and lower transparent membranes 10 and 11 by making it easier for them to slide on the inclined surface (70 degrees) of the transparent membrane as they move.

[0066] The gaps 12 at each contact point of the upper and lower solid membranes 10 and 11 of the lower transparent membrane are wide from left to right and form a 1.5mm gap between front and back. The contact points of the transparent membrane are configured in a reverse bottlenect structure, which significantly reduces and blocks the intensity of the incoming water flow. Therefore, although the water flow in the incubation tank 15 during bubble formation is strong, apart from the tiny water flow inside the foremost contact point, no water flow is generated at the subsequent contact points and in the space between them.

[0067] Therefore, foreign objects such as eggshells, unhatched eggs, and decaying eggs cannot pass through the inclined transparent membrane window 100. Only the artichoke larvae, which slide in by their own movement, gather in the collection tank. As a result, the foreign object ingress rate reaches 0%.

[0068] The tilted transparent membrane window 100 can be attached to and removed from the brine shrimp hatching and supply device 200, and can be replaced at any time when it becomes contaminated by brine and impurities or loses its transparency for transmitting light (easy to maintain). The tilted transparent membrane window 100 itself can also be disassembled for separate internal cleaning.

[0069] A tiny circular opening, 1 mm in diameter, can be formed at the upper center of each transparent membrane, close to the upper ceiling. A silicone tube (1 mm inner diameter, 2 mm outer diameter) 14 is connected to the first opening and led out into the air above the water surface and fixed. In this way, when the incubation tank is filled with brine (culture water), the air inside the inclined transparent membrane window 100 can be expelled, thereby preventing the formation of air pockets that would hinder the movement of larvae.

[0070] In other words, the inclined transparent membrane window 100 has a tiny circular opening 13 with a diameter of 1 mm formed at the upper center of the upper transparent solid membrane, closely attached to the upper ceiling. A silicone flexible tube (1 mm inner diameter, 2 mm outer diameter) 14 is connected to the first opening and extended into the air above the water surface for fixation. This serves to prevent the formation of air pockets inside the inclined transparent membrane window 100 when brine is initially supplied to the hatching tank 15.

[0071] A cleaning outlet 20 is formed at the bottom of the incubation tank 15, which is made of a valve with a large valve stem to prevent grooves (depressions where durable eggs may accumulate) from appearing on the bottom surface to the greatest extent possible.

[0072] Furthermore, a splash-proof membrane 29 is provided on the upper part of the incubation tank 15. A funnel-shaped mounting opening 30 is formed in the upper cover, which serves as a direct channel for placing durable eggs from the automatic feeder to be placed on the cover into the culture water. The splash-proof membrane 29 can also be constructed in the same way for the collection tank 16.

[0073] The collection tank 16 is a transparent, structure-shaped guiding and supplying device that guides and collects the hatched Artemia nauplius larvae from the hatching tank 15, then rinses them with fresh water once, and supplies them to the fry and small fish feeding tanks while rinsing them with fresh water a second time.

[0074] The collection tank 16 includes inside a mounting part for a push-back opening and closing door 100 that can open and close the tilted transparent membrane window 100, and on the rear wall surface includes a groove for a track structure for the elbow or bearing wheel to move up and down so that the push-back opening and closing door 100 can work. The upper part includes a shower that can spray fresh water into the collection tank 16 when fresh water flows in from the outside, a brine supply pipe, and a linear motor.

[0075] The discharge section of the collection tank 16 includes a fry feeding tank supply outlet and a brine discharge section. The fry feeding tank supply outlet is where the pure fry, after being cleaned once to remove various bacteria, molds, and foreign matter that may adhere to the fry, flow into the fry feeding tank. Furthermore, the brine discharge section is fixedly connected to the lower rear part of the collection tank 16 by screws or by a tight-fitting adhesive ring, and is fixedly installed by embedding a mesh net silicone pad in the contact area and applying pressure.

[0076] The brine discharge section may include a brine reuse outlet, a freshwater cleaning water outlet, a mesh screen installation section, and an aerator pebbles installation section.

[0077] The brine reuse outlet is used to deliver brine to the external supply brine tank after guiding the larvae and before the freshwater rinsing process. The freshwater rinsing water outlet is used to discharge the rinsing water from the initial rinsing process to the outside for hygiene purposes before supplying the collected larvae to the fry feeding tank. The aerator pipes of the brine outlet aerator pebbles and the hatching tank aerator pipes work together with the same aerator, but both produce a minimum amount of bubbles to keep the larvae that have completed their movement and the portion of larvae remaining in the hatching tank alive. Manual valves and solenoid valves (electric valves) can be individually or repeatedly installed on the external protrusions at each outlet. A mesh screen is located in the channel between the collection tank and the brine outlet, and it is securely installed under pressure. The mesh screen is used to filter the brine larvae during the brine reuse discharge and freshwater rinsing water discharge. Considering the size of the larvae, the mesh size is set to less than 300 mesh (300 MESH, 0.045 mm), and the outer edge is coated with a certain thickness of silicone, thus also acting as a waterproof pad between the collection tank and the brine outlet.

[0078] A shower 31, a brine supply pipe 32, and a linear motor 33 are installed on the upper part of the collection tank 16, and a back-to-back pushing door 300 is installed on the side wall of the central channel.

[0079] Furthermore, a track-type groove 36 is formed on the rear wall of the collection tank 16, through which the bend 35 of the lower arm 34 of the push-back opening and closing door 300 passes. In addition, a fish fry feeding tank supply outlet 37 is formed at the lower part of the collection tank 16, and an LED light 38 for emitting light to guide the nauplius larvae is arranged on the rear outer wall, and a brine discharge part 39 is provided at the lower rear part.

[0080] A waterproof silicone pad 42 is placed between the groove 40 and the raised portion 41 on the lower part of the rear wall of the collection tank in the brine discharge section 39 and connected by screws 43 or a tight-fitting adhesive ring. At this time, a mesh 45 treated as a silicone pad is sandwiched in the mesh setting section 44, which serves as the contact part. The mesh 45 functions to filter larvae when the brine and fresh water are discharged from the collection tank. In addition, this system further includes a brine reuse outlet 46, a fresh water washing water outlet 47, and an aerator pebbles setting section 48.

[0081] The push-back opening and closing door 300 is a pressure opening and closing door installed in the water. During the process of discharging or supplying salt water or fresh water to the collection tank 16, it prevents the culture water of the hatching tank 15 from flowing in through the installation part channel of the inclined transparent membrane window 100, and also opens the channel to allow the artichoke nauplii larvae awakened in the hatching tank 15 to move to the collection tank 16.

[0082] The push-back opening and closing door 300 uses a method that converts the vertical downward motion of moving above the water surface above the collection tank 16 by the force of a motor into a horizontal motion, thereby forcefully squeezing and closing the sliding door of the mounting part of the inclined transparent membrane window 100. In addition, the lower arm directly connected to the push-back opening and closing door 300 is configured as a streamlined tension structure, which makes the compression process smooth and maintains elasticity while compressing.

[0083] The upper arm 49 of the push-back opening / closing door 300 is connected at the top to the linear motor 33 and at the bottom to the lower arm 34. The lower arm 34, through a streamlined tension structure, functions to maintain smooth and elastic compression. The upper arm 49 is connected to the lower arm 34 at the bottom and to the linear motor 33 at the top.

[0084] The elbow portion of the upper arm 49 can move along a vertical groove recessed in the rear wall of the collection groove 16. A bearing wheel can also be installed at the elbow portion of the upper arm 49.

[0085] The push-back opening and closing door 300 has a transparent door panel 51 that is hinged to the upper wall of the central passage 28, and has an inner quadrilateral raised portion 53 that is embedded in a wall groove 52 and pressed against a waterproof silicone pad 54 to close. The door panel 51 is a transparent solid plate with a lower arm connecting part in its lower center. The upper part of the door panel is connected to the upper wall of the mounting part of the inclined transparent membrane window 100 of the collection slot 16 by a strong hinge.

[0086] To operate the fully automated brine shrimp hatching and supply system according to this embodiment, first confirm that the push-back opening and closing door 300 inside the collection tank 16 is closed and sealed, and then put an appropriate amount of brine into the hatching tank 15.

[0087] Afterwards, if the cultivation start switch is turned on, power is supplied to the LED light 17 located at the lower end of the upper cover of the incubation tank 15, and the aerator pebbles 22 and water heater 21 located inside through the upper cover setting slot 18, and they start working.

[0088] The hatching tank 15 is a black, matte structure. The side wall of the water heater 21 is equipped with a shielding membrane 19, which prevents light from being reflected or scattered on the glass surface of the water heater 21 when light is introduced to guide the movement of the larvae, thus allowing the nauplius larvae to concentrate and move more smoothly.

[0089] On the other hand, the upper cover of the fully automated system for hatching and supplying brine shrimp according to this embodiment has a funnel-shaped through-hole 30 for placing brine shrimp eggs into the hatching tank.

[0090] Therefore, by placing a funnel for feeding the fish fry and installing an automatic feeder with a timer on the outside, a certain amount of brine shrimp eggs can be added to the funnel at regular intervals. For example, if the fry are fed approximately four times a day at four-hour intervals, the brine shrimp eggs can be added to the hatching tank four times at six-and-a-half-hour intervals. The amount added can also be determined by those skilled in the art based on the fry feeding environment, which can be illustrated using charts. Figure 7 same.

[0091] If the brine shrimp eggs are placed in the activated hatching tank 15, they will be stimulated by the strong water flow and intense irradiation (LED light) of the static water temperature and salinity, and will begin to move (boiling). After 24 hours, although there will be some differences depending on the brine shrimp egg product, more than 70% of the brine shrimp eggs will have completed hatching and will be actively moving. The remaining brine shrimp eggs will be in an unhatched state or about to hatch or have just hatched, and therefore will not have any movement or will have weak movement. They will be in a state of being propelled by the water flow.

[0092] At this time, although the inclined transparent membrane window 100 in the central channel 28 of the hatching tank 15 is exposed to the underwater environment with strong water flow, the transparent solid membrane of the inclined transparent membrane window 100 is configured as an inverted bottleneck structure, which drastically reduces or blocks the water flow inside the window. Therefore, even if the boiling is strong, the brine shrimp eggs will not flow in at all.

[0093] [Example 1]: Water flow attenuation experiment in the space between the upper and lower transparent membranes of a tilted transparent membrane window 100°

[0094] (1) Method: Set up an inclined transparent membrane window in a transparent quadrilateral container and block the back channel of the inclined transparent membrane window with tape. Then fill the quadrilateral container with water so that the inclined transparent membrane window is completely submerged in the water. Then add 5g of Artemia eggs and put in 2 aerator pebbles. After 2.5 hours, perform strong boiling to generate a strong water flow, causing the Artemia eggs to drift and move in all directions.

[0095] (2) Results:

[0096] ① The interior of the bubble was observed through the transparent quadrilateral container and it was confirmed that a very small water flow was generated near the first contact gap between the upper and lower transparent membranes, but it did not affect the subsequent contact points, and there was no water flow at all from the space behind it.

[0097] ②After 2.5 hours, the inside of the tilted transparent membrane window was observed and it was confirmed that the internal space was in a state where the durable egg and any foreign objects were completely impermeable.

[0098] Experiment 1

[0099] If the incubation guidance has been in place for 24 hours (when the incubation is about 70%), then according to the system programming, brine will be automatically supplied from outside the system to the collection tank 16 through the brine supply pipe 32 and filled to the same level as the water level in the incubation tank 15 (the water level of the brine tank can be adjusted by an electrically controlled floating switch using an external supply of brine from an underwater motor).

[0100] At this time, the aerator pea stones in the brine discharge section 39 of the collection tank 16 and the aerator pipe 21 in the hatching tank are activated to supply a minimum amount of oxygen to prevent affecting the movement of the larvae. Next, the LED light 17 in the hatching tank 15 and the aerator pea stones 22 are turned off, and then the LED light 38 installed on the rear wall of the collection tank 16 is turned on.

[0101] If the push-back opening and closing door 300 in the water of the collection tank 16 is opened and the central channel 28 with the inclined transparent membrane window 100 is opened, and this state is maintained for 2.5 hours, the center of the water in the hatching tank 15 and the collection tank 16 will be spatially connected (those skilled in the art can adjust the opening time).

[0102] After 2.5 hours, more than 95% of the newly awakened and swimming Artemia nauplii will have completed their movement from the dark hatching tank 15 through the inclined transparent membrane window 100 installed in the water in the central channel 28 to the collection tank 16 with the guiding LED lights 38 turned on.

[0103] The inclined transparent membrane window 100 is a quadrilateral channel with transparent solid membranes 10 and 11 bonded together at an angle of 70 degrees inward to the upper and lower parts of its interior. This allows light to easily pass through during guided movement and enables light-responsive larvae to move smoothly by swimming, sliding on the surface of the inclined solid membranes 10 and 11, and entering the interior through the contact point gap 12 (1.5 mm). At this time, foreign objects such as eggshells and unhatched eggs, which are not mobile, will not flow in.

[0104] [Example 2]: Experiment on the migration of Artemia larvae, the time required, and the migration rate

[0105] (1) Method: The temporary incubation tank and collection tank are glued together, and the middle channel is opened to insert the inclined transparent membrane window. The window is then completely sealed to prevent gaps between the wall and the outside of the inclined transparent membrane window. After that, transparent tape is pasted to seal the channel in the direction of the collection tank.

[0106] After adding brine to two quadrilateral containers, add 5g of Artemia eggs to the hatching tank and place an aerator with pea stones in it. Then start the machine and use a water heater to maintain the water temperature at 26°C. Turn on the LED light at the top and wait for 24 hours.

[0107] After the required time has elapsed, immediately turn off the aerator, water heater, and LED lights in the hatching tank, and remove the transparent tape pasted on the tilted transparent membrane window. Then, install LED lights on the outer wall of the collection tank and guide the movement of the larvae by transmitting strong light into the hatching tank through the tilted transparent membrane window.

[0108] (2) Results:

[0109] ① It was confirmed that approximately 70% of the brine shrimp eggs in the hatching tank had hatched 24 hours after the start of hatching.

[0110] ② It was confirmed that: within 2.26 hours after the start of guiding the larvae to move, more than 95% of the Artemia nauplii had completed the movement from the hatching tank to the collection tank, and the eggshells and unhatched eggs were not mixed together at all (the foreign flow rate was 0%).

[0111] If the collection is completed, the push-back opening and closing door 300 in the collection tank 16 will be closed, the interior of the central channel 28 will be sealed and blocked from the collection tank in the water, and the LED lights 17 and aerator ① pea stones 22 of the hatching tank 15, which were closed for 2.5 hours, will be restarted.

[0112] The push-back opening and closing door 300 is connected to the upper arm 49 and the linear motor 33, which moves up and down and then converts to horizontal movement in the lower arm to press the central channel 28 of the wall of the collection tank 16 to close. The elbow 35 (or bearing wheel) at the end of the upper arm 49 slides along the track groove 36 behind the collection tank to achieve stability of the up and down movement.

[0113] Immediately open the brine discharge section 39 installed in the collection tank 16 and use the discharge port 46 to discharge the brine in the collection tank 16 and discharge it to the external supply brine tank. Use the water motor to add brine to the collection tank 16 while using the external supply brine tank. At this time, the brine nauplii larvae in the collection tank 16 are filtered by the mesh screen 45 of the brine discharge section and remain in the collection tank 16.

[0114] Next, the aerator pebbles (installed in the aerator setting unit 48) inside the brine discharge unit 39 are activated, and fresh water is sprayed in a jet pattern onto the shower 31 above the collection tank 16 to clean the larvae. When one-third of the brine supply is reached, the fresh water supply is interrupted and a foaming wash is performed for 10 seconds. After that, the wash water is discharged to the outside through the fresh water wash outlet 47. At this time, the larvae are filtered again by the mesh screen 45.

[0115] Next, quickly perform a second freshwater shower. If the freshwater supply reaches 1 / 5 of the brine supply, while continuing the freshwater shower (to rinse away the larvae adhering to the walls), open the feed outlet 37 of the fry feeding tank and send it into the fry feeding tank (for approximately 6 seconds), thus supplying fresh and clean Artemia nauplii to the fry and small fish. Once the supply is complete, turn off the aerator at the brine outlet 39 to end one cycle.

[0116] Subsequently, the program returns to the step of turning on the LED light 17 and the aerator pebbles 22 in the incubation tank 15 to continue the incubation operation and start the secondary process. The automatic feeder located on the upper part of the equipment 200 puts the brine shrimp eggs into the incubation tank through the funnel and mixes them with the brine shrimp eggs that are already incubating and adds them to the incubation process.

[0117] If this process continues for 4 hours, brine will be added to the collection tank 16, and the process of placing the brine shrimp eggs into the hatching tank will be automatically repeated according to the set number of times the fish fry are fed in the feeding tank per day.

[0118] Artemia nauplii are fed to the fry feeding tank at 4-hour intervals. Only by setting the feeder's timer to the same interval can the newly hatched, highly nutritious artemia nauplii be fed sequentially.

[0119] Since it takes 2.5 hours to guide the nauplius larvae, the interval between placing the artichoke eggs into the hatching tank should be 6.5 hours. The difference between the time it takes for the fry to ingest the larvae in the feeding tank and the time interval between placing the artichoke eggs into the hatching tank is due to the fact that during the 2.5-hour guidance period in the collection tank, the various functions of the hatching tank are off, resulting in insufficient hatching stimulation for the unhatched eggs.

[0120] According to this embodiment, which operates based on the structure described above, only a suitable amount of live, newly hatched early-stage Artemia nauplices are supplied within a specified time, while unhatched eggs remain in the hatching tank to maintain the hatching time. As a result, hatching is induced and the hatching rate is increased, thereby eliminating the situation of wasting expensive Artemia eggs. Thus, it can provide an effective and cost-efficient result.

[0121] In addition, according to this embodiment, an inclined transparent membrane window is introduced to reduce and block water flow, thereby 100% preventing foreign objects such as eggshells and unhatched eggs from entering, and allowing the pure collected larvae to be supplied to the fry tank after washing.

[0122] Thus, the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, such modifications or variations should fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fully automated system for hatching and supplying brine shrimp, characterized in that, include: An artichoke hatching and supply device for collecting and automatically supplying artichoke larvae; as well as, A tilted transparent membrane window is selectively attached and detached from the aforementioned brine shrimp hatching and supply device. The aforementioned brine shrimp hatching and supply device includes: Hatching tank, used for the hatching of artichoke larvae from their eggs; A collection tank, which collects only juveniles and is connected to the aforementioned hatching tank; and, A quadrilateral central passage is formed in the center of the rear side wall of the aforementioned incubation tank to spatially connect the aforementioned incubation tank and the aforementioned collection tank. The aforementioned inclined transparent membrane window is an underwater window with a sloping shape formed by longitudinally arranging and bonding multiple transparent upper and lower solid membranes into a configuration that is inclined only 70 degrees from the top and bottom to the inside, creating a contact point with a 1.5mm contact point gap. It utilizes the characteristic that artichoke nauplii instinctively move towards the light as soon as they hatch from the egg, and guides the artichoke nauplii through the contact point gap between the upper and lower transparent solid membranes by making the nauplii slide along the 70-degree inclined surface of the transparent membrane as they move.

2. The fully automated system for hatching and supplying brine shrimp according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aforementioned incubation tanks include: LED lights are located at the top; Underwater heater wires, which are placed in water to selectively release heat; Aerator tubing insertion section; A detachable funnel-shaped mounting opening for placing durable eggs; and, The cleaning outlet is located at the bottom end of the lower part. Two quadrilateral silicon rings are embedded in the grooves on the inner wall of the central channel of the incubation tank and placed at the inlet and outlet. The inclined transparent membrane window is selectively inserted and fitted into the central channel.

3. The fully automated system for hatching and supplying brine shrimp according to claim 1, characterized in that, A fish fry feeding tank and a brine discharge outlet are set at the bottom of the above-mentioned collection tank.

4. The fully automated system for hatching and supplying brine shrimp according to claim 1, characterized in that, It further includes a push-back opening and closing door, which is located inside the collection tank and blocks the passage of larvae to the collection tank when the incubation operation is being carried out in the incubation tank.

5. The fully automated system for hatching and supplying brine shrimp according to claim 4, characterized in that, The collection trough is fixed by tightening screws through a waterproof silicone pad embedded in the groove of the outer wall of the central channel of the incubation trough. A structure with a hinge structure connected to the channel is provided inside the collection trough. The hinge structure of the collection trough is configured to embed and install the silicone pad in a quadrilateral groove and connect the hinge connection part of the push-back opening and closing door to the hinge connection part of the upper wall of the collection trough in an engaging manner.

6. The fully automated system for hatching and supplying brine shrimp according to claim 4, characterized in that, The aforementioned push-back opening and closing door is a pressure opening and closing door installed in the water. During the process of discharging or supplying brine or fresh water to the aforementioned collection tank, it prevents the culture water of the aforementioned hatching tank from flowing in through the installation part channel of the aforementioned inclined transparent membrane window. It also opens the channel to allow the artichoke nauplii awakened in the aforementioned hatching tank to move to the aforementioned collection tank. The aforementioned push-back opening and closing door works by converting the vertical downward motion of moving outside the water surface above the aforementioned collection tank by the force of the motor into a horizontal motion, thereby forcefully squeezing and closing the sliding door of the installation part of the aforementioned inclined transparent membrane window.

7. The fully automated system for hatching and supplying brine shrimp according to claim 6, characterized in that, The upper arm of the aforementioned push-back opening and closing door is connected to a linear motor at the top and to a lower arm at the bottom. The lower arm performs the function of maintaining smooth and elastic compression through a streamlined tension structure.

8. The fully automated system for hatching and supplying brine shrimp according to claim 4, characterized in that, The aforementioned push-back opening and closing door has a transparent door panel that is hinged to the upper wall of the central passage, and the quadrilateral raised part on the inner side of the door panel is embedded in the groove of the collection tank wall and closes tightly against the waterproof silicone pad.

9. The fully automated system for hatching and supplying brine shrimp according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the aforementioned inclined transparent membrane window, a through-hole with a diameter of 1 mm is formed at the upper top of the center of the upper transparent solid membrane. A silicone hose is connected to the first through-hole and led out into the air above the water surface for fixation, thereby preventing air pockets from forming inside the aforementioned inclined transparent membrane window when brine is initially supplied to the aforementioned incubation tank.

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