A household kitchen waste disposal device based on the eating habits of mealworms

Abstract

This invention relates to a household kitchen waste treatment device based on the feeding method of mealworms. From top to bottom, it includes a dehydration unit, a temporary storage and conveying unit, and a biofilter unit. The biofilter unit includes a pull-out box for storing mealworms, which is detachably installed in the treatment device housing. The pull-out box contains a biological activity monitoring module and an environmental monitoring and control module, which remind the user to replace the biofilter unit when the mealworm activity is poor. This invention provides a kitchen waste treatment device that is easy to use and operate in the home, suitable for ordinary family members. It requires no advanced professional skills or breeding knowledge, nor does it require complex feed pretreatment steps. Users only need to replace the manufacturer-supplied biofilter unit according to system prompts. Furthermore, the biofilter unit's box is a fully enclosed structure, making its interior invisible to the user, thus avoiding psychological barriers during replacement.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of kitchen waste treatment technology, specifically to a household kitchen waste treatment device based on the way mealworms are consumed. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, the lack of effective management measures and outdated food waste treatment technologies have led to a growing problem of food waste accumulation. Food waste is prone to rotting and deterioration, producing leachate and harmful gases, and may also spread viruses and pathogens, posing a serious threat to human health and the environment. Currently, the mainstream methods for food waste treatment include microbial treatment, food waste feed production, and shredder processing.

[0003] Microbial treatment technology mixes kitchen waste with microbial agents to promote its decomposition into water, carbon dioxide, and bioheat. However, this method typically requires large-scale equipment and users need to prepare the agents themselves, making the process complex and inconvenient for home use. Kitchen waste feed conversion technology is divided into biological and physical methods. Biological methods also face the challenges of microbial treatment; while physical methods convert kitchen waste into feed through a series of steps including dehydration, drying, disinfection, and pulverization. However, due to the complexity of the sources and composition of kitchen waste, its use as a raw material poses potential safety hazards, such as isotope issues, bacterial contamination, heavy metals, and toxic substances, making it unsuitable for home use.

[0004] A common method for disposing of household kitchen waste is through a shredder. The shredder is connected to the drainpipe, breaking up the waste before it's discharged directly into the municipal sewer system. However, the shredded waste can generate sewage and foul odors, which not only breed bacteria and flies but may also contribute to the spread of disease. Furthermore, grease tends to solidify when cooled, and some harder pieces of waste cannot be completely broken up, easily causing blockages in drainpipes. In addition, improper wastewater treatment can lead to secondary pollution, further exacerbating environmental problems.

[0005] Therefore, people have begun to explore more environmentally friendly and sustainable methods for treating kitchen waste. Among these, the mealworm treatment method has gained attention due to its unique advantages. For example, invention patent publication number CN117084219A discloses a method for raising mealworms using kitchen waste and distiller's grains, and invention patent publication number CN117483408A discloses a method for treating kitchen waste using mealworms, achieving effective resource utilization and harmless treatment of kitchen waste.

[0006] However, the mealworm treatment method is mostly used in mealworm farms or centralized garbage treatment plants. The pretreatment process of kitchen waste involves complex feed mixing ratios, which requires breeders or operators to have high professional skills and rich breeding knowledge. This poses a certain operational difficulty for ordinary family members and is difficult to popularize in the home environment.

[0007] Therefore, there is still a lack of kitchen waste disposal equipment on the market that is both suitable for home use and easy to operate. Summary of the Invention

[0008] To address the problem of the lack of easy-to-operate household food waste processing devices due to existing technologies that use mealworms to consume kitchen waste, this invention provides a household food waste processing device based on the mealworm's consuming method.

[0009] The technical solution of this invention is as follows:

[0010] A household kitchen waste treatment device based on the feeding method of mealworms is disclosed. The device is installed below a kitchen sink, with its inlet connected to the sink's drain outlet, which is equipped with an automatic valve. The device comprises, from top to bottom, a dehydration unit, a temporary storage and conveying unit, and a biological filter unit. The top opening of the dehydration unit serves as the inlet. One end of the temporary storage and conveying unit is rotatably connected to the bottom side of the dehydration unit and controlled by a rotating motor, allowing the temporary storage and conveying unit to function as an openable / closed access point for the dehydration unit. The bottom plate; the bio-filter unit includes a pull-out box for storing mealworms, which is detachably installed in the processing device. The pull-out box contains a bio-activity monitoring module and an environmental monitoring and control module. The bio-activity monitoring module monitors the activity of the mealworms and is communicatively connected to an external prompting module. When the activity of the mealworms in the pull-out box is poor, the bio-filter unit sends a signal to the prompting module to remind the user to replace it. The environmental monitoring and control module controls the temperature and humidity inside the pull-out box.

[0011] According to the present invention based on the above scheme, the bioactivity monitoring module includes a carbon dioxide sensor, which is used to detect the carbon dioxide concentration inside the pull-out box during the feeding process of the mealworms. The activity of the mealworms is determined by comparing and judging the changes in carbon dioxide concentration, so as to determine the efficiency of kitchen waste treatment.

[0012] Furthermore, the bioactivity monitoring module also includes a camera installed inside the pull-out box and an image processing module integrated into the main control board. The camera is used to collect images inside the pull-out box, and the image processing module is used to analyze and determine the number of pupae. When the number of pupae exceeds the allowable value, the bioactivity monitoring module sends a signal to the prompt module.

[0013] Furthermore, the environmental monitoring and control module includes a microcontroller, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a temperature adjustment module, and a humidity adjustment module. The temperature sensor is used to monitor the temperature of the internal environment of the biofilter, and the humidity sensor is used to monitor the humidity of the internal environment of the biofilter. The microcontroller is used to receive information from the temperature sensor and the humidity sensor, and send adjustment commands to the temperature adjustment module to adjust the temperature according to preset temperature conditions, and send adjustment commands to the humidity control module to adjust the humidity according to preset humidity conditions.

[0014] Preferably, the temperature range of the biofilter unit is 20°C to 35°C, and its humidity range is 55% to 75%.

[0015] Furthermore, a second ventilation module is provided on each of the opposite sides of the biofilter unit. The second ventilation module delivers flowing gas into the interior of the biofilter unit through the side wall holes of the biofilter unit.

[0016] Furthermore, the air outlet of the second ventilation unit is tilted downwards.

[0017] Furthermore, a second vibration component is provided at the bottom of the bio-filter unit, which is used to control the vibration of the bio-filter unit to promote the falling of insect excrement.

[0018] According to the present invention based on the above scheme, the biofilter unit is provided with a storage box at the bottom, and a double-layer screen is provided between the storage box and the biofilter.

[0019] Preferably, the aperture of each layer of screen does not exceed 0.9 mm.

[0020] Furthermore, a weight sensor is provided at the bottom of the storage box to detect the weight of the stored insect excrement.

[0021] According to the present invention based on the above scheme, the temporary storage and conveying unit includes a conveyor belt and a weight sensing sensor disposed below the conveyor belt, wherein the weight sensing sensor is used to detect the weight of the dehydrated kitchen waste on the conveyor belt.

[0022] Furthermore, the temporary storage and conveying unit has a large-angle rotating open state and a small-angle rotating open state; the temporary storage and conveying unit in the large-angle rotating open state is used to quickly feed dried kitchen waste into the biological filter unit; the temporary storage and conveying unit in the small-angle rotating open state, in conjunction with the conveyor belt, is used to slowly feed dried kitchen waste into the biological filter unit.

[0023] Furthermore, the weight sensor is also used to dynamically record the amount of dried kitchen waste deposited on the conveyor belt within 24 hours. If the monitored amount within 24 hours exceeds the daily digestion capacity of the biological filter unit, the excess portion will be temporarily stored on the conveyor belt. When the amount of temporarily stored on the conveyor belt exceeds the temporary storage threshold, the processing device will issue a message to suspend the deposit of kitchen waste through the prompt module, and / or the processing device will control the valve to close the deposit port.

[0024] Furthermore, a first vibration component is provided below the conveyor belt, which is used to vibrate the conveyor belt to disperse the dried kitchen waste.

[0025] According to the present invention with the above-described scheme, the bottom of the temporary storage and conveying unit is provided with a telescopic cover plate, the size of which is adapted to the opening of the pull-out box, and the telescopic cover plate can close the opening of the pull-out box after it is lowered; before the kitchen waste is put into the temporary storage and conveying unit, the telescopic cover plate is retracted, and the temporary storage and conveying unit is then rotated to open the bottom of the dehydration unit.

[0026] Furthermore, the bottom of the temporary storage and transfer unit is provided with four telescopic rods, which are respectively connected to the four corners of the telescopic cover plate.

[0027] According to the present invention based on the above scheme, the dehydration unit is characterized by having a first ventilation module, a plurality of heating modules and a drain pipe on both sides, wherein the first ventilation module and the heating modules are used to generate hot dry flue gas inside the dehydration unit, transfer heat through convection, remove the moisture evaporated from the kitchen waste, and discharge it through the drain pipe.

[0028] According to the present invention based on the above scheme, the dehydration unit is provided with a retractable stirring blade assembly on one side, the stirring blade assembly having a rotatable blade head, and the stirring blade assembly extending into the biofilter unit to crush the mealworms to obtain mealworm powder; when the bioactivity monitoring module detects that the mealworms in the biofilter unit have poor activity, the processing device controls the stirring blade assembly to crush the mealworms.

[0029] Furthermore, a cavity is provided on one side of the dehydration unit, and the stirring blade assembly is housed within the cavity, sharing a cavity with the first ventilation module. The first ventilation module is located closer to the inside, while the stirring blade assembly is located closer to the outside, to avoid interfering with the first ventilation module's delivery of flowing gas to the dehydration unit. When the stirring blade assembly receives a start command, the bottom plate of the cavity automatically opens. If necessary, the temporary storage and conveying unit rotates open to avoid interfering with the stirring blade assembly. The telescopic rod of the stirring blade assembly extends downwards into the cavity, and the blade head enters the biological filter unit to stir the mealworms.

[0030] According to the present invention described above, the processing device is characterized by having a touch display unit, which includes a touch screen and an application program that can input commands using the touch screen. The touch screen is set on the countertop of a kitchen stove, and the prompting module is located in the touch screen.

[0031] According to the above-described solution, the beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0032] This invention provides a household kitchen waste treatment device that is easy to operate. By using mealworms to feed on kitchen waste, it converts household kitchen waste into feed for the device. The converted waste can be directly stored and utilized without further processing, resulting in good economic and ecological benefits and conforming to the environmental protection concept of green circular development.

[0033] This invention eliminates the tedious steps of feed preparation, reduces the difficulty of device operation, and is suitable for use by ordinary family members. No advanced professional skills or breeding knowledge are required, nor are complex feed pretreatment steps necessary. Users only need to replace the biological filter unit provided by the manufacturer according to the system prompts. The biological filter unit can be replaced when the biological activity is low, ensuring the efficiency of kitchen waste treatment. Furthermore, the box is a fully enclosed structure when replacing the biological filter unit, and the inside is not visible to the user, which can avoid psychological barriers during operation.

[0034] This invention can also crush mealworms when their activity is low or before replacing the biofilter unit, and the mealworm powder can be used as high-nutrition pet food, realizing the secondary recycling of mealworms; and the device uses an internal stirring blade to crush the mealworms directly inside the box, so that when the biofilter unit is replaced, there are no live mealworms inside, and the replacement process is worry-free. Most family members can operate it, which is conducive to its widespread use. Attached Figure Description

[0035] Figure 1 This is a reference diagram showing the usage state of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the opening of the dehydration unit for the temporary storage and transfer unit;

[0038] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the mixing blade assembly pulverizing insect bodies.

[0039] In the diagram,

[0040] 100. Processing device;

[0041] 1. Dehydration unit; 11. First ventilation module; 12. Drain pipe; 13. Heating module; 14. Cavity;

[0042] 2. Temporary storage and conveying unit; 21. Conveyor belt; 22. Telescopic cover plate; 221. Telescopic rod;

[0043] 3. Biofilter unit; 30. Mealworms; 31. Second ventilation module;

[0044] 4. Stirring blade assembly; 5. Sieve; 6. Storage box;

[0045] 7. Stove; 71. Washing tank;

[0046] 8. Touch display unit. Detailed Implementation

[0047] To better understand the purpose, technical solution, and technical effects of this invention, the invention will be further explained and described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following drawings indicate similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent drawings. It is also stated that the embodiments described below are only for explaining this invention and are not intended to limit this invention.

[0048] It should be noted that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or specifying the number of technical features. "Several" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly defined. Example 1

[0049] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a household kitchen waste disposal device based on the consumption method of mealworms is disclosed. The disposal device 100 is installed below the kitchen sink 71. The inlet of the disposal device is connected to the drain outlet of the sink 71, and an automatic valve is provided at the drain outlet, allowing users to directly discharge kitchen waste into the disposal device 100 without having to empty the sink 71, thus improving ease of use. The bottom connecting pipe of the sink 71 adopts a branch pipe structure, with one branch pipe connected to the drain pipe and the other branch pipe connected to the disposal device 100. A valve is provided at the junction of the two branch pipes to select the connection status of the two branch pipes.

[0050] When in use, pour kitchen waste into the washing tank 71, open the valve, and connect the drain outlet of the washing tank 71 to the treatment device so that the kitchen waste can be poured into the treatment device below; after the discharge is completed, close the valve and connect the drain outlet of the washing tank 71 to the drainage pipe so that regular drainage can be carried out through the washing tank 71.

[0051] In an optional embodiment, the processing device 100 is equipped with detachable connection ports of different sizes for users to choose from, in order to meet the structural requirements of different users' different cleaning tanks 71. During use, different pipe joints can be replaced on the top of the processing device to achieve a better connection effect, which solves the problem of difficult installation and also reduces the risk of water leakage.

[0052] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the processing device includes, from top to bottom, a dehydration unit, a temporary storage and conveying unit, and a biological filter unit. The top opening of the dehydration unit serves as the inlet for the processing device. The biological filter unit includes a pull-out box for storing mealworms, which is detachably installed within the processing device. The dehydration unit 1 has openings on both its top and bottom sides. The top opening of the dehydration unit 1 connects to the inlet of the processing device to receive the poured-in, untreated kitchen waste.

[0053] like Figure 4 As shown, the dehydration unit is equipped with a first ventilation module 11, several heating modules 13, and a drain pipe 12. The first ventilation module 11 and the heating modules 13 are used to generate hot, dry flue gas inside the dehydration unit. The heat is transferred through convection, which carries away the moisture evaporated from the kitchen waste and finally discharges it through the drain pipe 12. This removes most of the moisture from the kitchen waste, reducing its moisture content from 80%-90% to 14.5%, making it suitable as feed for mealworms. Moreover, the lower moisture content greatly delays the time it takes for the kitchen waste to rot and smell bad, and it will not produce a strong odor when temporarily stored inside the device.

[0054] The dehydration unit 1 has a rotatable temporary storage and conveying unit 2 at its lower opening. Specifically, one end of the temporary storage and conveying unit is rotatably connected to the bottom side of the dehydration unit and is controlled by a rotating motor, so that the temporary storage and conveying unit serves as an openable and closable bottom plate for the dehydration unit. When the temporary storage and conveying unit 2 rotates to a horizontal position, it closes the bottom opening of the dehydration unit 1. When the temporary storage and conveying unit 2 rotates to an inclined position, it opens the bottom opening of the dehydration unit 1. It should be noted that when the dehydration unit 1 is performing the dehydration operation of kitchen waste, the user's disposal of kitchen waste is suspended, and the temporary storage and conveying unit 2 is locked and will not open.

[0055] The top surface of the temporary storage and conveying unit 2 is provided with a conveyor belt 21, which serves as a temporary storage area for drying kitchen waste. The horizontal temporary storage and conveying unit 2 can close the lower opening of the dehydration unit 1 to temporarily store kitchen waste on the conveyor belt 21.

[0056] The tilt angle of the temporary storage and conveying unit 2 determines the amount and speed at which dried kitchen waste falls into the lower biofilter unit 3. By rotating the temporary storage and conveying unit 2 at a small angle, the kitchen waste is carried away from the conveyor belt 21 and falls into the biofilter unit 3 by the running conveyor belt 21. It can be seen that the small tilt angle of the temporary storage and conveying unit can better control the amount of waste put into the biofilter unit 3.

[0057] When the temporary storage and conveying unit 2 rotates to a larger tilt angle, it ensures that all food waste falls off and is dispersed into the pull-out container, preventing it from being placed only on one side. This allows for better and more even distribution of waste into the biofilter unit, improving the efficiency of the mealworms in processing food waste. When the temporary storage and conveying unit 2 rotates to a near-vertical position, almost all the food waste on the conveyor belt 21 falls off, preventing any residual food waste from adhering to the conveyor belt 21.

[0058] A first vibration component (not shown in the figure, the same below) is set at the bottom of the conveyor belt. The first vibration component is used to control the up and down vibration of the conveyor belt 21. During the small amplitude and fast frequency vibration process, the dried kitchen waste is evenly spread on the conveyor belt 21. Before the temporary storage and conveying unit 2 rotates to put the dried kitchen waste, the vibration is performed first to avoid the kitchen waste from being concentrated in a certain place on the conveyor belt 21.

[0059] The bottom of the conveyor belt 21 is equipped with a weight sensor (not shown in the figure, the same below). The weight sensor is used to detect the weight of the dehydrated kitchen waste on the conveyor belt. When the temporary storage and conveying unit 2 puts the waste in, the weight sensor first measures and records the weight. Therefore, the temporary storage and conveying unit 2 can record the amount of waste put in.

[0060] Research indicates that, assuming a daily household waste volume of 1.5 kg, with kitchen waste accounting for 40%, most households generate no more than 600 grams of kitchen waste daily. Since kitchen waste has a moisture content of 80%-90%, taking the midpoint of 85%, and dehydrating it to 15%, the daily required dehydrated kitchen waste is 180 grams. Further research shows that 200 mealworms can consume 6.16 grams of dried kitchen waste; therefore, 6000 mealworms can consume approximately 184.8 grams of dried kitchen waste, sufficient to process the day's kitchen waste.

[0061] Therefore, the biofilter unit contains approximately 6,000 mealworms, with a daily digestion capacity of 185 grams. The device's temporary storage and conveyor unit dynamically records the amount of dried kitchen waste added over 24 hours. If the monitored amount exceeds 185 grams within 24 hours, the excess is no longer added to the biofilter but is temporarily stored on the conveyor belt. Furthermore, when the amount of dried kitchen waste temporarily stored on the conveyor belt exceeds the temporary storage threshold (100 grams), a notification module is sent to suspend kitchen waste addition, and / or the processing device directly controls the valve to close the inlet. Under normal circumstances, the 185-gram addition plus the 100-gram temporary storage capacity is sufficient to handle the large amount of kitchen waste that most households may generate in a day.

[0062] It should be noted that the food waste that is first put onto the conveyor belt has not yet undergone dehydration and contains a relatively high amount of moisture (80%-90%), making it quite heavy. After being dehydrated by the dehydration unit, the moisture content of the food waste is reduced to 14.5%-15%. Therefore, the weight sensor detects the weight of the dried food waste. "Dried" here means that the moisture content is low, not that it is completely dry.

[0063] In other alternative embodiments, the volume and proportion of the biofilter unit are changed to increase the number of mealworms, thereby meeting a higher food waste processing capacity.

[0064] In this embodiment, the bottom of the temporary storage and conveying unit 2 is provided with a telescopic cover 22. The size of the telescopic cover 22 is adapted to the opening of the pull-out box. After the telescopic cover 22 descends from the bottom of the temporary storage and conveying unit 2, it can cover the opening of the pull-out box. The bottom of the temporary storage and conveying unit 2 is provided with four telescopic rods 221, which are respectively connected to the four corners of the telescopic cover 22. When the temporary storage and conveying unit 2 needs to put kitchen waste down, the telescopic rods 221 are first controlled to retract, and the telescopic cover 22 is retracted; then the temporary storage and conveying unit 2 rotates to open the lower opening of the dehydration unit 1. This structure makes the structure of the temporary storage and conveying unit 2 and the biological filter unit 3 more compact, reducing the overall height of the processing device, so as to be suitable for installation in the limited space under the kitchen washing tank 71.

[0065] To prevent users from experiencing psychological discomfort upon seeing mealworms during installation of the biofilter unit, the biofilter unit 3 has the following structure: A handle is provided on the outer wall of the biofilter unit 3; the biofilter unit 3 is detachably connected to the treatment device using a drawer-type design; the user can use the handle to pull the biofilter unit 3 out or push it into the treatment device. Slide grooves are provided on the top of the two side walls of the pull-out box opening; a detachable cover is slidably connected to the pull-out box via these grooves. A stop bar is provided at the top of the drawer slot of the treatment device; during the process of pushing the pull-out box into the drawer slot, the detachable cover is blocked by the stop bar and fails to enter the drawer slot, thus causing the detachable cover to disengage; after the uncovered pull-out box is pushed into place, the telescopic cover 22 further descends to close the pull-out box.

[0066] The detachable cover should be stored separately until the biofilter unit is removed and replaced, at which point the detachable cover should be put back on the pull-out box.

[0067] In this embodiment, a bioactivity monitoring module is installed inside the pull-out box to monitor the activity of mealworms. The efficiency of mealworms in consuming kitchen waste is qualitatively determined by their activity level. Generally, healthy mealworms in their larval stage have good activity and high feeding efficiency, resulting in higher efficiency in processing kitchen waste. The bioactivity monitoring module communicates with an external prompting module and sends a signal to the prompting module when the mealworm activity is low, reminding the user to replace the biofilter unit. When using this device, family members do not need complex feed preparation knowledge or complicated feed pretreatment steps; they only need to replace the biofilter unit provided by the manufacturer according to the system prompts.

[0068] The bioactivity monitoring module includes a carbon dioxide sensor, which detects the carbon dioxide concentration inside the pull-out box during mealworm feeding. The activity of the mealworms is judged by comparing the changes in carbon dioxide concentration: the carbon dioxide concentration change when the mealworms are feeding efficiently is used as a reference standard. If the carbon dioxide concentration change deviates significantly from the reference standard after a certain amount of kitchen waste is disposed of, it is considered that the mealworm feeding efficiency of the biofilter unit is low, and the processing device will send a prompt message to the user to replace the biofilter unit.

[0069] The bioactivity monitoring module also includes a camera installed inside the pull-out box and an image processing module integrated into the main control board. The camera is used to capture images inside the pull-out box, and the image processing module is used to analyze and determine the number of pupae. When the number of pupae exceeds an allowable value, the bioactivity monitoring module sends a signal to the alert module. The image analysis technology used is existing technology, including image preprocessing and feature extraction. Specifically, the acquired images are first preprocessed, including adjusting brightness and contrast, and performing possible noise reduction to improve image quality. Then, pupal features, such as shape, size, and color, are extracted from the preprocessed images to identify the pupae inside the pull-out box and determine their number. Since mealworms no longer feed during the pupal stage, a certain number of pupae inside the box indicates that the food waste treatment efficiency of the biofilter unit is substandard.

[0070] In addition to reminding users to replace the biofilter unit by monitoring its biological activity, the biofilter unit 3 can also be replaced periodically based on a pre-set effective usage period. The pre-set effective usage period of the biofilter unit 3 is determined empirically based on the mealworm's growth cycle. For example, the mealworm larval stage is 120 days, so the biofilter unit 3 is typically replaced every 90-110 days, meaning its effective usage period is 90-110 days. Replaced biofilter units 3 can be recycled and reused by the manufacturer. The priority of the two biofilter replacement reminder methods is that biological activity monitoring takes precedence over the effective usage period. For example, if the system detects that the mealworms have prematurely lost their activity, the user can replace the biofilter unit 3 without waiting for the effective usage period to end.

[0071] In this invention, the biofilter unit 3 is further equipped with an environmental monitoring and control module, which can intelligently adjust the temperature and humidity of the environment. Specifically, the environmental monitoring and control module includes a microcontroller, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a temperature adjustment module, and a humidity adjustment module. The temperature sensor is used to monitor the temperature of the internal environment of the biofilter unit 3, and the humidity sensor is used to monitor the humidity of the internal environment of the biofilter unit 3. The microcontroller is used to receive information from the temperature sensor and the humidity sensor, and send adjustment instructions to the temperature adjustment module to adjust the temperature according to preset temperature conditions, and send adjustment instructions to the humidity control module to adjust the humidity according to preset humidity conditions.

[0072] Mealworms have four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. They are holometabolous insects, and this apparatus and various experiments primarily use larval mealworms. Mealworms prefer dark environments and thrive comfortably at temperatures between 20℃ and 35℃. When the temperature is below 20℃ or above 35℃, their growth and development rate significantly decreases, and the mortality rate increases. An atmospheric humidity of 55% to 75% is suitable. Therefore, the internal environment of the biofilter unit 3 is controlled within the following ranges: temperature 20℃ to 35℃, and humidity 55% to 75%.

[0073] like Figure 3 As shown, the bottom of the biofilter unit 3 is equipped with a second vibration component and a detachable storage box 6. A double-layer screen 5 is installed between the storage box 6 and the biofilter unit 3, with each screen 5 having a mesh size not exceeding 0.9 mm. After the mealworms finish consuming kitchen waste, they directly excrete their feces in the biofilter unit 3. The second vibration component controls the vibration of the biofilter unit 3, promoting the fall of the mealworm feces from the biofilter unit 3. After passing through the screen, it ensures that only the mealworm feces or mealworm powder falls into the storage box 6, preventing the mealworms from falling into it. By adopting this technical solution, the biofilter unit 3 can be periodically vibrated and cleaned of the mealworm feces, ensuring internal cleanliness. The cleaning frequency can be once every 5 days.

[0074] Each of the opposite sides of the biofilter unit 3 is provided with a second ventilation module 31. The second ventilation module 31 supplies flowing gas into the interior of the biofilter unit 3 through side wall holes, ensuring ventilation of the internal environment of the biofilter unit 3. Activated carbon is placed at the ventilation holes on the side wall to prevent odors from escaping. Preferably, the second ventilation module 31 has a downward-sloping air outlet design, which can use wind power to assist the dropping of feces and prevent feces from sticking to larvae by drying the internal environment.

[0075] In addition, a weight sensor is installed at the bottom of the storage box 6. The weight sensor is used to detect the weight of the stored insect excrement and remind the user to pull out the storage box 6 full of insect excrement, pour it out and collect the insect excrement for use as plant fertilizer. Example 2

[0076] like Figure 4 As shown, a household kitchen waste treatment device based on the way mealworms are consumed has the same structure as in Embodiment 1. On this basis, a retractable stirring blade assembly 4 is provided on one side of the dehydration unit. The stirring blade assembly 4 has a rotatable blade head. After the stirring blade assembly 4 extends into the biological filter unit 3, it is used to crush the mealworms to obtain mealworm powder.

[0077] The specific installation structure of the stirring blade assembly 4 is as follows: A cavity 14 is provided on one side of the dehydration unit 1, and the stirring blade assembly 4 is housed in the cavity 14. The stirring blade assembly 4 shares a cavity 14 with the first ventilation module 11, and the first ventilation module 11 is close to the outside of the dehydration unit 1. The stirring blade assembly 4 is close to the outside to avoid interfering with the first ventilation module 11's supply of flowing gas to the dehydration unit 1. When the stirring blade assembly 4 receives a start command, the bottom plate of the cavity 14 automatically opens. If necessary, the temporary storage and transfer unit 2 rotates open to avoid interfering with the stirring blade assembly 4. The telescopic rod of the stirring blade assembly 4 extends downward into the cavity 14, and the blade head enters the biological filter unit 3 to stir the mealworms.

[0078] In this embodiment, the specific steps for crushing the mealworms in the biofilter unit 3 are as follows: when the bioactivity monitoring module detects that the mealworms in the biofilter unit have poor activity, or when the biofilter unit 3 reaches its effective service life, the processing device controls the stirring blade assembly to crush the mealworms. To improve the crushing efficiency, the stirring blade assembly can be equipped with multiple stirring blades.

[0079] The crushed mealworm powder can also fall into the storage box 6 below. The weight sensor in storage box 6 checks for mealworm droppings first, reminding the user to empty the droppings before stirring the mealworms, thus preventing the droppings from mixing with the mealworm powder. The collected mealworm powder can be used as pet food. Example 3

[0080] A household kitchen waste treatment device based on the way yellow mealworms are consumed has the same structure as in Embodiment 2. On this basis, the treatment device is equipped with a touch display unit 8. The touch display unit 8 includes a touch screen and an application that can input commands using the touch screen. The prompt module in the application can provide real-time feedback, operation guide, safety tips and other information.

[0081] A touchscreen is installed on the countertop of the kitchen stove 7 to display the amount of food waste accumulated on the temporary storage and conveying unit 2. This alerts the user whether they can continue adding food waste to the processing device, preventing overfilling. The touchscreen also displays the processing device's operational status using different colored screen lights or font colors; for example, green indicates normal operation, and red indicates a malfunction. The touchscreen also displays the activity of mealworms within the biofilter unit 3. When mealworm activity is low, the frame around the "Bioactivity" touch button turns yellow, allowing the user to click "Artificial Inactivation" to activate the agitator assembly 4, which crushes the mealworms. Finally, the touchscreen displays the storage level in the storage box 6. When a certain level is reached, a reminder message is sent to the user, prompting them to remove the storage box 6 and empty the mealworm droppings.

[0082] The main control board of the processing device can also integrate a WIFI module for interconnection with the user's mobile phone. After the application is installed on the mobile phone, the processing device can transmit device information and data to the user's mobile phone in real time, realizing whole-house smart interconnection. Even when not at home, relevant information can be viewed. The specific program functions are similar to those of the touch screen, and will not be described in detail here.

[0083] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0084] The above embodiments merely illustrate several implementation methods of the present invention, and their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of this invention patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A household kitchen garbage disposal device based on the eating method of yellow mealworms, characterized by, The treatment device is installed below the kitchen sink, and the inlet of the treatment device is connected to the drain outlet of the sink, with an automatic valve at the drain outlet. The processing device comprises, from top to bottom, a dehydration unit, a temporary storage and conveying unit, and a biological filter unit. The top opening of the dehydration unit serves as the inlet for the processing device. One end of the temporary storage and conveying unit is rotatably connected to the bottom side of the dehydration unit and is controlled by a rotating motor, so that the temporary storage and conveying unit serves as an openable and closable bottom plate of the dehydration unit. A conveyor belt is provided on the top surface of the temporary storage and conveying unit, and the conveyor belt serves as a temporary storage area for dried kitchen waste. When the temporary storage and conveying unit rotates to a horizontal position, the bottom opening of the dehydration unit is closed to temporarily store the kitchen waste on the conveyor belt. When the temporary storage and conveying unit rotates to an inclined position, the bottom opening of the dehydration unit is opened. The temporary storage and conveying unit has a large-angle rotating open state and a small-angle rotating open state; the temporary storage and conveying unit in the large-angle rotating open state is used to quickly feed dried kitchen waste into the biological filter unit; the temporary storage and conveying unit in the small-angle rotating open state, in conjunction with the conveyor belt, is used to slowly feed dried kitchen waste into the biological filter unit. The biofilter unit includes a pull-out box for storing mealworms. The pull-out box contains a bioactivity monitoring module and an environmental monitoring and control module. The bioactivity monitoring module monitors the activity of the mealworms. A retractable stirring blade assembly is located on one side of the dehydration unit. The stirring blade assembly has a rotatable blade head, and after extending into the biofilter unit, it is used to crush the mealworms to obtain mealworm powder. When the bioactivity monitoring module detects poor activity of the mealworms in the biofilter unit, the processing device controls the stirring blade assembly to crush the mealworms. A cavity is located on one side of the dehydration unit, and the stirring blade assembly is housed within this cavity, sharing a cavity with the first ventilation module, with the first ventilation module closer to the inside and the stirring blade assembly closer to the outside. The bioactivity monitoring module is communicatively connected to a prompting module, and when the activity of the mealworms inside the pull-out box is poor, it sends a signal to the prompting module to remind the user to replace the biofilter unit; the environmental monitoring and control module is used to control the temperature and humidity inside the pull-out box.

2. The household kitchen waste treatment device based on the mealworm's consuming method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bioactivity monitoring module includes a carbon dioxide sensor, which is used to detect the carbon dioxide concentration inside the pull-out box during the mealworms' feeding process. By comparing the changes in carbon dioxide concentration, the activity of the mealworms can be determined, thereby assessing the efficiency of kitchen waste treatment.

3. The household kitchen waste treatment device based on the mealworm's consuming method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The bioactivity monitoring module also includes a camera installed inside the pull-out box and an image processing module integrated into the main control board. The camera is used to collect images inside the pull-out box, and the image processing module is used to analyze and determine the number of pupae. When the number of pupae exceeds the allowable value, the bioactivity monitoring module sends a signal to the prompt module.

4. The household kitchen waste treatment device based on the mealworm's consuming method according to claim 1, characterized in that, A weight sensor is installed below the conveyor belt, which is used to detect the weight of the dehydrated kitchen waste on the conveyor belt.

5. The household kitchen waste treatment device based on the mealworm's consuming method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The weight sensor is also used to dynamically record the amount of dried kitchen waste deposited on the conveyor belt within 24 hours. If the monitored amount within 24 hours exceeds the daily digestion capacity of the biofilter unit, the excess portion will be temporarily stored on the conveyor belt. When the amount of temporarily stored on the conveyor belt exceeds the temporary storage threshold, the processing device will issue a message to suspend the deposit of kitchen waste through the prompt module, and / or the processing device will control the automatic valve to close the deposit port.

6. The household kitchen waste treatment device based on the mealworm's consuming method according to claim 4, characterized in that, A first vibration component is also provided below the conveyor belt, which is used to vibrate the conveyor belt to disperse the dried kitchen waste.

7. The household kitchen waste disposal device based on the mealworm's consuming method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The bottom of the temporary storage and transfer unit is provided with a telescopic cover plate. The size of the telescopic cover plate is adapted to the opening of the pull-out box. The telescopic cover plate can close the opening of the pull-out box after it is lowered. Before the food waste is placed into the temporary storage and conveying unit, the telescopic cover is retracted, and the temporary storage and conveying unit is then rotated to open the bottom of the dehydration unit.

8. The household kitchen waste disposal device based on the mealworm's consuming method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The bottom of the temporary storage and transfer unit is provided with four telescopic rods, which are respectively connected to the four corners of the telescopic cover plate.

9. The household kitchen waste disposal device based on the mealworm's consuming method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The processing device is equipped with a touch display unit, which includes a touch screen and an application program that can input commands using the touch screen. The touch screen is set on the countertop of a kitchen stove, and the prompt module is located in the touch screen.

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