Multi-system coordinated control of supply and anti-blocking field bird feeder and feeding method

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of multi-system collaborative control supply and anti-blocking field bird feeder and feeding method, including feeding box assembly and feed bin assembly.Feeding box assembly adopts transparent acrylic material, it is convenient for bird to observe internal food;Feed bin assembly is used to store bird food;In addition, water supply mechanism, push mechanism, positioning feeding mechanism and collection simulation mechanism are provided.Water supply mechanism realizes automatic water replenishment;Push mechanism stirs and transports stored grain;Positioning feeding mechanism realizes quantitative discharge using double material blocking frame, to prevent blockage;Collection simulation mechanism identifies bird species and remaining food amount through image recognition, and accordingly plays audio to attract the same species.Sieve shearing mechanism is arranged in bin body, which can shear caked food, to ensure smooth discharge.When working, the system automatically identifies birds, simulates the same bird song to attract;When food amount is detected to be insufficient, motor drives transmission mechanism to work, and stored grain is quantitatively discharged to feed rack;At the same time, liquid level meter detects water amount, and water pump will automatically replenish water for water trough.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a feeding device specifically designed for wild birds, specifically a novel intelligent wild bird feeder, belonging to the technical field of pet feeding devices. Background Technology

[0002] A bird feeder is an outdoor device used to hold food for birds. Its main function is to provide better food for wild birds, allowing them to thrive in both natural and artificial environments. Bird feeders provide a clean eating environment, helping birds maintain their health; they can also be used to attract birds, allowing for close-up observation of their eating habits and the collection of bird information using video equipment.

[0003] A publicly granted Chinese patent, CN219395924U, discloses an intelligent bird feeder, which includes a main body and a conventional water inlet. A rain shield is located at the upper front of the main body, and a limiting plate is located at the lower front of the rain shield. A water storage box is installed below the limiting plate. This bird feeder, through the limiting plate, water storage box, fixing device, feeding device, and storage trough, can both feed and water birds, allowing them to stay on the limiting plate for a longer period. In addition, the intelligent identification device and intelligent infrared sensor camera can collect bird information and share it with bird enthusiasts and researchers via social media. The feeding plate, discharge port, food storage container, and protective cover also enable automated feeding of birds.

[0004] However, while this bird feeder can use smart devices to collect and detect bird images and has feeding and watering mechanisms, it cannot effectively control the amount of food fed each time. When birds are standing on the feeding tray, the gravity sensor is prone to malfunction, resulting in insufficient food feeding. In addition, simply playing fixed music or birdsong is not effective in attracting birds and may even frighten them, affecting the feeding effect. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel outdoor bird feeder. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the present invention provides a novel wild bird feeder to solve or alleviate the technical problems existing in the prior art, or at least to provide a beneficial alternative.

[0006] The technical solution of this invention is implemented as follows: a wild bird feeder includes a feeding box assembly and a feed bin assembly; the feeding box assembly includes a transparent acrylic box, an outer support, a window, and a feed rack; the feed bin assembly is used to store feed; the feed bin assembly is also equipped with a pushing mechanism inside, used to stir and push the feed in the feed bin assembly.

[0007] The feed bin assembly is used to store feed.

[0008] The pushing mechanism is used to stir and push the feed in the feed bin assembly.

[0009] More preferably, the feed bin assembly includes a cylindrical bin body and end caps;

[0010] The cylindrical compartment is installed on one side of the inner wall of the acrylic box, and the bottom of the outer wall of the end cap is slidably connected to the top of the inner wall of the cylindrical compartment.

[0011] More preferably, the water supply mechanism includes a detachable water tank, a tank cover, a micro water pump, a corrugated pipe, a water delivery pipe, two drinking troughs, a level gauge, and a one-way valve;

[0012] The detachable water tank is located on one side of the acrylic housing. The inner wall of the tank cover is threaded to the bottom of the detachable water tank. The miniature water pump is installed at the bottom of the tank cover. The inlet of the miniature water pump is connected to the inside of the tank cover. One end of the corrugated pipe is connected to the outlet of the miniature water pump. One end of the water supply pipe is connected to the end of the corrugated pipe away from the miniature water pump. The outer wall of the water supply pipe is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the acrylic housing.

[0013] More preferably, the two drinking troughs are symmetrically fixedly connected to one side of the inner wall of the acrylic box, the bottom of both drinking troughs are connected to the outer wall of the water supply pipe, the level gauge is installed on the inner wall of one of the drinking troughs, and the one-way valve is installed on the top of the detachable water tank.

[0014] More preferably, the pushing mechanism includes an auger column, a central shaft, two first gears, a second gear, and a drive motor;

[0015] Both ends of the auger column are rotatably connected to the inner wall of the cylindrical chamber via bearings. The drive motor is installed on one side of the inner wall of the acrylic box. One end of the central shaft is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the drive motor. The inner walls of the two first gears are fixedly connected to the outer wall of the central shaft. The second gear is fixedly connected to one end of the auger column, and the outer wall of the second gear meshes with the outer wall of one of the first gears.

[0016] A further preferred embodiment includes a positioning and feeding mechanism for controlling the amount of feed discharged at one time using the power of the pushing mechanism; the positioning and feeding mechanism includes two baffles, several baffles, two U-shaped frames, a connecting shaft, a third gear, two cams, four piston rods, four sleeves, and four springs;

[0017] The outer walls of the two baffles are slidably connected to the bottom of the outer wall of the cylindrical silo, and the several baffles are fixedly connected to the bottom of the inner wall of the cylindrical silo. The two U-shaped frames are respectively fixedly connected to one side of the two baffles. The connecting shaft is rotatably connected to one side of the outer wall of the cylindrical silo through a bearing. The third gear is fixedly connected to one end of the connecting shaft, and the outer wall of the third gear meshes with the outer wall of another first gear.

[0018] More preferably, both cams are fixedly connected to the bottom of the outer side wall of the connecting shaft, the outer side walls of the two cams are slidably connected to the inner side walls of the two U-shaped frames, the four sleeves are fixedly connected to one side of the inner side wall of the acrylic box, the four piston rods are slidably connected to the inner side walls of the four sleeves, one end of each of the four piston rods is fixedly connected to one side of the two baffles, and the four springs are fixedly connected between the four piston rods and the four sleeves.

[0019] A further preferred embodiment includes a data acquisition simulation mechanism for image recognition of birds and the amount of feed remaining in the feed rack, and for playing the corresponding bird calls and controlling the pushing mechanism based on the recognition results; the data acquisition simulation mechanism includes two image acquisition devices, a speaker, an electrical control box, a PLC controller, a communication module, and several relays;

[0020] Two image acquisition units are symmetrically installed in the middle of the inner wall of the acrylic housing. The speaker is installed on one side of the inner wall of the acrylic housing. The electrical control box is fixedly connected to one side of the inner wall of the acrylic housing. The PLC controller is installed on the top of the inner wall of the electrical control box. The communication module is installed in the middle of the inner wall of the electrical control box. Several relays are installed at the bottom of the inner wall of the electrical control box.

[0021] More preferably, the signal output terminals of the level gauge, image acquisition device, and communication module are electrically connected to the signal input terminal of the PLC controller via wires; the signal output terminal of the PLC controller is electrically connected to the signal input terminal of the communication module via wires; the electrical output terminal of the PLC controller is electrically connected to the electrical input terminal of the relay via wires; and the electrical output terminal of the relay is electrically connected to the electrical input terminals of the drive motor and the micro water pump via wires.

[0022] More preferably, a cotton pad is fixedly connected to the bottom of the inner wall of the feed rack, the bottom of the cotton pad extends to the outside of the acrylic box, a water tank rack is fixedly connected to one side of the outer wall of the acrylic box, the outer wall of the detachable water tank is slidably connected to the inner wall of the water tank rack, and a hook is rotatably connected to the top of the outer support.

[0023] The present invention also provides a feeding method for a wild bird feeder: (1) Open the end cover and add feed into the cylindrical chamber with a screen shearing mechanism; (2) Install a detachable water tank containing drinking water on one side of the feeder; (3) Pump water from the water tank through a micro water pump and inject it into two symmetrically arranged drinking troughs through a water supply pipe to achieve automatic water supply; (4) Hang the feeder and use the acrylic box and window to attract birds to enter; (5) Control the motor and transmission mechanism to work according to the image data, discharge the stored grain into the feed rack in a quantitative manner, and automatically replenish the drinking troughs with water at the same time.

[0024] In a further preferred embodiment, the motor in step (5) drives the double baffle to work alternately to achieve quantitative discharge of stored grain.

[0025] Further preferred embodiments include ventilating the water tank via a one-way valve and using absorbent pads to keep the feed rack dry.

[0026] The embodiments of the present invention have the following advantages due to the adoption of the above technical solutions:

[0027] This invention uses a data acquisition and simulation mechanism to capture images of birds inside an acrylic enclosure and the remaining feed in the feed rack. Image recognition technology is then used to identify the bird species and the amount of feed remaining. Based on the identification results, bird calls of the same species are played to attract birds of the same species, avoiding startling the birds feeding inside the acrylic enclosure. Furthermore, the identification results can determine the remaining feed in the feed rack, preventing errors in gravity sensing and allowing for effective control of the amount of food fed, thus preventing underfeeding.

[0028] This invention uses a pushing mechanism to stir and push the feed that needs to be fed, avoiding the phenomenon of feed caking and being unable to be discharged. Then, the positioning feeding mechanism uses the power of the pushing mechanism to control the amount of feed discharged at one time, so as to effectively control the amount of food fed at one time and avoid overfeeding.

[0029] This invention provides a quantitative water supply to the acrylic box through a water supply mechanism, allowing birds to drink inside the box while avoiding waste and pollution caused by excessive water supply. Furthermore, the water supply mechanism is detachable for quick water replacement.

[0030] The above overview is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be limiting in any way. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features of the invention will become readily apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. Attached Figure Description

[0031] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0032] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram from a first perspective of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 3 This is an axonometric view of the cylindrical compartment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the structure from a second perspective of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the cylindrical compartment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the structure from a third perspective of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of the structure from a fourth perspective of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view of the electrical control box of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 9 This is the main view of the invention, where the acrylic housing is hidden;

[0041] Figure 10 for Figure 9 Axonometric view cut along section AA;

[0042] Figure 11 for Figure 10 A magnified view of a section at point A in the middle;

[0043] Figure 12 This mainly shows the structural diagrams of the pushing mechanism and the screen shearing mechanism.

[0044] Reference numerals: 1. Feeding box assembly; 2. Feed bin assembly; 3. Water supply mechanism; 4. Pushing mechanism; 5. Positioning feeding mechanism; 6. Data acquisition simulation mechanism; 101. Acrylic box body; 102. External support; 103. Window; 104. Feed rack; 201. Cylindrical bin body; 202. End cap; 301. Detachable water tank; 302. Tank lid; 303. Miniature water pump; 304. Corrugated pipe; 305. Water supply pipe; 306. Drinking trough; 307. Level gauge; 308. Check valve; 401. Screwdriver column; 402. Central shaft; 403. First gear; 404. Second gear; 405. Drive motor 501. Material stop; 502. Material barrier; 503. U-shaped frame; 504. Connecting shaft; 505. Third gear; 506. Cam; 507. Piston rod; 508. Sleeve; 509. Spring; 601. Image acquisition device; 602. Speaker; 603. Electrical control box; 604. PLC controller; 605. Communication module; 606. Relay; 71. Cotton pad; 72. Water tank rack; 73. Hook; 8. Screen shearing mechanism; 81. Moving section; 82. Ball; 83. Valve plate; 84. Lower shearing blade; 85. Upper shearing blade; 86. Top ball; 87. Transmission gear; 88. Meshing gear. Detailed Implementation

[0045] In the following description, only certain exemplary embodiments are briefly described. As those skilled in the art will recognize, the described embodiments can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the drawings and description are considered to be exemplary in nature and not restrictive.

[0046] It is important to note that terms such as "first," "second," "symmetric," and "array" are used only to distinguish between descriptive and positional descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, features specified with terms such as "first" or "symmetric" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature; similarly, when the quantity of certain features is not limited by words such as "two" or "three," it should be noted that such features also explicitly or implicitly include one or more features.

[0047] The embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0048] like Figure 1-8 As shown, this embodiment of the invention provides a novel wild bird feeder, including a feeding box assembly 1 and a feed bin assembly 2. The feeding box assembly 1 includes a transparent acrylic box 101, an outer support 102, a window 103, and a feed rack 104.

[0049] The outer support 102 is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the acrylic box 101, the window 103 is located on one side of the acrylic box 101, the feed rack 104 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the inner wall of the acrylic box 101, the feed bin assembly 2 is installed on one side of the inner wall of the acrylic box 101, the other side of the acrylic box 101 is equipped with a detachable water supply mechanism 3, the feed bin assembly 2 is equipped with a pushing mechanism 4 inside, the bottom of the feed bin assembly 2 is equipped with a positioning feeding mechanism 5, and the acrylic box 101 is equipped with a collection simulation mechanism 6.

[0050] Among them, the feed bin component 2 is used to store feed;

[0051] Among them, the water supply unit 3 is used to store drinking water and to supply a fixed amount of water to the acrylic box 101;

[0052] Among them, the pushing mechanism 4 is used to stir and push the feed in the feed bin assembly 2;

[0053] Among them, the positioning and feeding mechanism 5 is used to control the amount of feed discharged at one time by utilizing the power of the pushing mechanism 4;

[0054] The acquisition simulation mechanism 6 is used to perform image recognition on birds and the amount of feed remaining in the feed rack 104, and to play the corresponding bird calls and control the push mechanism 4 based on the recognition results.

[0055] In one embodiment, the feed bin assembly 2 includes a cylindrical bin body 201 and an end cap 202;

[0056] The cylindrical compartment 201 is installed on one side of the inner wall of the acrylic box 101, and the bottom of the outer wall of the end cap 202 is slidably connected to the top of the inner wall of the cylindrical compartment 201.

[0057] The opening or closing of the top of the cylindrical silo 201 can be controlled by the movable end cap 202, and the end cap 202 can also be used to prevent rainwater from entering the cylindrical silo 201 and contaminating the feed.

[0058] In one embodiment, the water supply mechanism 3 includes a detachable water tank 301, a tank cover 302, a micro water pump 303, a corrugated pipe 304, a water delivery pipe 305, two drinking troughs 306, a level gauge 307, and a one-way valve 308.

[0059] The detachable water tank 301 is located on one side of the acrylic housing 101. The inner wall of the tank cover 302 is threadedly connected to the bottom of the detachable water tank 301. The micro water pump 303 is installed at the bottom of the tank cover 302. The inlet of the micro water pump 303 is connected to the inside of the tank cover 302. One end of the corrugated pipe 304 is connected to the outlet of the micro water pump 303. One end of the water supply pipe 305 is connected to the end of the corrugated pipe 304 away from the micro water pump 303. The outer wall of the water supply pipe 305 is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the acrylic housing 101. Two drinking troughs 306 are symmetrically fixedly connected to one side of the inner wall of the acrylic housing 101. The bottom of both drinking troughs 306 is connected to the outer wall of the water supply pipe 305. The level gauge 307 is installed on the inner wall of one of the drinking troughs 306. The one-way valve 308 is installed on the top of the detachable water tank 301.

[0060] The liquid level data in the drinking tank 306 is detected by the liquid level gauge 307. The water in the detachable water tank 301 is extracted by the micro water pump 303 through the tank cover 302, and then injected into the drinking tank 306 through the corrugated pipe 304 and the water supply pipe 305.

[0061] In one embodiment, the pushing mechanism 4 includes an auger column 401, a central shaft 402, two first gears 403, a second gear 404, and a drive motor 405;

[0062] Both ends of the auger column 401 are rotatably connected to the inner wall of the cylindrical chamber 201 via mounting brackets and bearings. The drive motor 405 is installed on one side of the inner wall of the acrylic box 101. One end of the central shaft 402 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the drive motor 405. The inner walls of the two first gears 403 are fixedly connected to the outer wall of the central shaft 402. The second gear 404 is fixedly connected to one end of the auger column 401. The outer wall of the second gear 404 meshes with the outer wall of one of the first gears 403.

[0063] The output shaft of the drive motor 405 drives the central shaft 402 to rotate. The rotating central shaft 402 uses two first gears 403 to drive the second gear 404 to rotate. The rotating second gear 404 drives the auger column 401 to stir and push the feed in the cylindrical bin 201.

[0064] In one embodiment, the positioning and feeding mechanism 5 includes two baffles 501, several baffles 502, two U-shaped frames 503, a connecting shaft 504, a third gear 505, two cams 506, four piston rods 507, four sleeves 508, and four springs 509.

[0065] In this configuration, the outer walls of both baffles 501 are slidably connected to the bottom of the outer wall of the cylindrical silo 201; several baffles 502 are fixedly connected to the bottom of the inner wall of the cylindrical silo 201; two U-shaped frames 503 are respectively fixedly connected to one side of the two baffles 501; a connecting shaft 504 is rotatably connected to one side of the outer wall of the cylindrical silo 201 via bearings; a third gear 505 is fixedly connected to one end of the connecting shaft 504; and the outer wall of the third gear 505 meshes with the outer wall of another first gear 403. Cams 506 are all fixedly connected to the bottom of the outer side wall of the connecting shaft 504. The outer side walls of the two cams 506 are slidably connected to the inner side walls of the two U-shaped frames 503 respectively. The four sleeves 508 are all fixedly connected to one side of the inner side wall of the acrylic box 101. The four piston rods 507 are slidably connected to the inner side walls of the four sleeves 508 respectively. One end of the four piston rods 507 is fixedly connected to one side of the two baffles 501 respectively. The four springs 509 are fixedly connected between the four piston rods 507 and the four sleeves 508 respectively.

[0066] The third gear 505 drives the two cams 506 to rotate via the connecting shaft 504. The rotating cams 506 use the two U-shaped frames 503 to make the two baffle frames 501 move in opposite directions, so that the two baffle frames 501 can alternately overlap and misalign with the baffle grid 502, so as to quantitatively control the discharged feed.

[0067] In one embodiment, the acquisition simulation mechanism 6 includes two image acquisition units 601, a speaker 602, an electrical control box 603, a PLC controller 604, a communication module 605, and several relays 606.

[0068] Two image acquisition units 601 are symmetrically installed in the middle of the inner wall of the acrylic housing 101; a speaker 602 is installed on one side of the inner wall of the acrylic housing 101; an electrical control box 603 is fixedly connected to one side of the inner wall of the acrylic housing 101; a PLC controller 604 is installed on the top of the inner wall of the electrical control box 603; a communication module 605 is installed in the middle of the inner wall of the electrical control box 603; several relays 606 are installed on the bottom of the inner wall of the electrical control box 603; and a level gauge 307 is also included. The signal output terminals of the data acquisition unit 601 and the communication module 605 are electrically connected to the signal input terminals of the PLC controller 604 via wires. The signal output terminal of the PLC controller 604 is electrically connected to the signal input terminal of the communication module 605 via wires. The electrical output terminal of the PLC controller 604 is electrically connected to the electrical input terminal of the relay 606 via wires. The electrical output terminal of the relay 606 is electrically connected to the electrical input terminals of the drive motor 405 and the micro water pump 303 via wires.

[0069] The PLC controller 604 receives data from the level gauge 307, the image acquisition unit 601, and the communication module 605. The PLC controller 604 uses the relay 606 to control the drive motor 405 and the micro water pump 303 to turn on or off.

[0070] In one embodiment, a cotton pad 71 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the inner wall of the feed rack 104, and the bottom of the cotton pad 71 extends to the outside of the acrylic box 101. A water tank rack 72 is fixedly connected to one side of the outer wall of the acrylic box 101. The outer wall of the detachable water tank 301 is slidably connected to the inner wall of the water tank rack 72. A hook 73 is rotatably connected to the top of the outer support 102. The cotton pad 71 absorbs water in the feed rack 104 to prevent water from contaminating the feed in the feed rack 104.

[0071] In one embodiment, the level gauge 307 is model JRWL2024; the PLC controller 604 is model DF-96D.

[0072] In operation, the present invention works as follows: the cylindrical silo 201 is opened by moving the end cap 202 to allow feed to be added into the cylindrical silo 201. Then, the top of the cylindrical silo 201 is sealed by the end cap 202 to prevent rainwater from entering the cylindrical silo 201 and contaminating the feed. Then, the can lid 302 is moved and the corrugated pipe 304 is stretched by the micro water pump 303. Then, the can lid 302 is connected to the detachable water tank 301 filled with water. Then, the detachable water tank 301 is moved and slid into the water tank rack 72 for positioning to complete the water filling operation. The detachable water tank 301 and the can lid 302 have a threaded structure so that the detachable water tank 301 filled with water can be directly used to replace the used detachable water tank 301, thereby quickly completing the water change operation.

[0073] Once the feed and water are filled, the feeder is hung in the designated location using the hook 73. The transparent nature of the acrylic box 101 allows birds to directly observe the food inside the feed rack 104 from the outside of the feeder. The window 103 allows birds to directly enter the interior of the acrylic box 101.

[0074] When birds enter the acrylic enclosure 101, the image acquisition device 601 captures images of the birds and the feed rack 104. The PLC controller 604 receives the images captured by the image acquisition device 601, segments and extracts features from the images, and then uploads the extracted image features to the cloud server via the communication module 605 for feature matching. This allows for the identification of the bird species and the amount of feed remaining in the feed rack 104 using image recognition technology. Once the bird species is identified, the cloud server sends bird calls of the same species to the PLC controller 604 via the communication module 605. The PLC controller 604 then plays the audio through the speaker 602 to attract birds of the same species and avoids startling the birds feeding inside the acrylic enclosure 101.

[0075] When the remaining feed in the feed rack 104 is detected as insufficient, the result is fed back to the PLC controller 604 via the communication module 605 through the cloud server. Then, the PLC controller 604 starts the drive motor 405 via the relay 606. The output shaft of the drive motor 405 drives the central shaft 402 to rotate. The rotating central shaft 402 drives the second gear 404 and the third gear 505 to rotate via two first gears 403. The rotating second gear 404 drives the auger column 401 to stir and push the feed in the cylindrical bin 201, preventing the feed from caking and being unable to be discharged. The rotating third gear 505 drives the two cams 506 to rotate via the connecting shaft 504. The rotating cams 506 use two U-shaped frames 503 to make the two baffles 501 move in opposite directions. One of the moving baffles 501 coincides with the baffle 502 and drives the active baffle. The stopper 507 compresses the spring 509. Another feed baffle 501, using the compressed spring 509 and piston rod 507, slides into the cylindrical bin 201 and misaligns with the feed barrier 502 to seal the bottom of the cylindrical bin 201. This allows the feed in the cylindrical bin 201 to be metered between the two feed baffles 501. Then, the rotating cam 506, using the U-shaped frame 503, causes the two feed baffles 501 to move in opposite directions again, allowing them to alternately overlap and misalign with the feed barrier 502. This discharges the metered feed from the cylindrical bin 201 and prevents the feed from entering between the two feed baffles 501 during the discharge process. Finally, the feed rack 104 guides the discharged feed from the cylindrical bin 201, ensuring that the feed is evenly distributed within the feed rack 104 for birds to peck at.

[0076] The liquid level in the drinking trough 306 is detected by the liquid level gauge 307. The data detected by the liquid level gauge 307 is then received by the PLC controller 604. When the data detected by the liquid level gauge 307 is lower than the threshold, the PLC controller 604 uses the relay 606 to start the micro water pump 303. The micro water pump 303 uses the can cover 302 to draw water out of the detachable water tank 301, and then injects the drawn water into the drinking trough 306 through the corrugated pipe 304 and the water supply pipe 305 to replenish the water in the drinking trough 306 for the birds to drink.

[0077] When the data detected by the level gauge 307 reaches the threshold, the micro water pump 303 is turned off by the relay 606 through the PLC controller 604, so as to measure the water in the drinking tank 306 and avoid waste and pollution caused by excessive water supply.

[0078] The one-way valve 308 supplies air to the detachable water tank 301 so that the water in the detachable water tank 301 can be extracted normally; the cotton pad 71 absorbs the water in the feed rack 104 to prevent the water from contaminating the feed in the feed rack 104, and the external airflow can be used to dry the part of the cotton pad 71, so that the feed rack 104 can be kept dry.

[0079] Feeding method for this outdoor bird feeder:

[0080] 1. Open the end cap and add feed into the cylindrical chamber of the feed hopper assembly. The end cap has a screw-on design for easy opening and closing.

[0081] 2. Install the detachable water container filled with drinking water on the side of the feeder. The water container and lid are threaded together, making it easy to install and remove. After use, simply replace the entire water container to avoid contamination.

[0082] 3. Water is drawn from the water tank by a miniature water pump and injected into two symmetrically arranged drinking troughs through corrugated pipes and water delivery pipes to achieve automatic water supply.

[0083] 4. Hang and install feeders, using transparent acrylic boxes and windows to attract birds to enter.

[0084] 5. The image acquisition device captures images of birds and feed racks, and the PLC controller extracts features and uploads them to the cloud platform for recognition.

[0085] 6. The cloud platform locates the corresponding bird species' audio and provides feedback on feed quantity data. The audio is then played back via the communication module.

[0086] 7. The PLC controller controls the operation of the motor and transmission mechanism based on the feed quantity data, and discharges the feed from the grain storage warehouse onto the feed rack in a quantitative manner.

[0087] 8. The discharge mechanism adopts a double baffle that works alternately to achieve quantitative discharge without clogging.

[0088] 9. The PLC controller controls the water pump to automatically replenish the drinking water tank based on the data from the level gauge.

[0089] 10. Repeat the above operations to achieve fully automatic feeding in the wild.

[0090] 11. Install a one-way valve for ventilation to ensure that water in the tank can drain smoothly; install absorbent pads to keep the feed rack dry.

[0091] Among them, the material discharge mechanism in step 8 mainly adopts a structure with alternating double baffles to achieve quantitative discharge, specifically including:

[0092] Two baffles are slidably connected to the bottom of the outer wall of the cylindrical silo and can slide back and forth; a baffle is fixedly connected to the bottom of the inner wall of the silo; the two baffles are connected to two sleeves fixed to the inner wall of the box by piston rods, and the sleeves are equipped with compression springs.

[0093] The two retaining brackets are connected to cams on a connecting shaft via U-shaped brackets, and the connecting shaft is connected to a motor via gears. When the motor drives the connecting shaft to rotate, the cams drive the two retaining brackets to slide back and forth.

[0094] One baffle slides into the silo and meets the baffle to form a blockage, while the other baffle slides outward, compressing the spring to store energy. Then the two baffles move alternately, with the inner and outer baffles blocking and opening alternately, to achieve quantitative discharge from the bottom of the silo.

[0095] The advantages of this structure are:

[0096] 1. It achieves quantitative emission through mechanical means, eliminating the need for a complex control system and resulting in a simple and reliable structure.

[0097] 2. The alternating operation of the dual baffles can prevent excessive grain from flowing out or repeated blockages during the discharge process.

[0098] 3. Spring energy storage can provide sufficient sliding force for the material stop, ensuring smooth material discharge.

[0099] 4. The entire mechanism only adds a few simple mechanical parts, making it inexpensive.

[0100] Among the various types of bird food, ordinary basic foods such as pelleted bird food and seeds are easily broken up after clumping. However, compound bird food containing added nutritional pellets, homemade bird food, and herbal bird food, which includes additional nutritional additives or medications, is relatively prone to clumping and difficult to break up. Therefore, to prevent clumped bird food from falling directly into the positioning and feeding mechanism 5, in one embodiment, referring to... Figure 9-12The feeder is equipped with a screen-shearing mechanism 8, which includes: a movable section 81, independently configured as an inverted cone shape, located at the lower end of the auger column 401 and the upper end of the feed barrier 502 in the cylindrical hopper 201, which can rotate relative to the cylindrical hopper 201; the lower end of the auger column 401 extends downward to the movable section 81 and is configured as a sphere 82; a circular cross-section valve plate 83 with a certain range of omnidirectional movement is nested at the sphere 82, the outer edge of the valve plate 83 and the corresponding side wall of the movable section 81 having a certain gap, the size of which increases when one side of the valve plate 83 is pressed down, the maximum size of which is usually set to allow non-clumping bird food to pass through smoothly; and a section located above the valve plate 83, fixedly installed on the movable section 81 on the outer periphery, and movably sleeved on the lower part of the auger column 401. The shearing blade 84 consists of a lower shearing blade composed of multiple blades arranged in a circular array; an upper shearing blade 85 is fixedly connected to the auger column 401 at the center of the upper part of the lower shearing blade 84; a top bead 86 is fixed to one of the blades of the lower shearing blade 84 and extends downward to resist the valve plate 83, reducing the gap on the side of the valve plate 83 that resists; a transmission gear 87 is coaxially fixed to the connecting shaft 504 at the position of the movable section 81, and meshing teeth 88 that cooperate with the transmission gear 87 are provided on the full circumference of the movable section 81 at the position of the transmission gear 87;

[0101] The working process of the screen shearing mechanism 8 is as follows: First, due to the action of the top ball 86 resisting the valve plate 83, the bird feed fills the space above the baffle 502 below the gap on one side. This ensures that the output of the positioning feeding mechanism 5 is continuous and controllable after the drive motor 405 starts. Subsequently, the drive motor 405 starts, and the auger column 401 and the movable section 81 rotate synchronously. Here, their rotation directions are preferably opposite, which can be achieved by selecting the installation direction of the first gear 403. After both rotate, the lower shearing blade 84 and the upper shearing blade 85 rotate synchronously in opposite directions to shear the bird feed. As the bead 86 rotates, its position changes, thus altering the drop position of the valve plate 83. This helps birdseed of the appropriate size to fall quickly into the grate 502. Simultaneously, the changing position of the top bead 86 causes the valve plate 83 to exhibit a dynamic up-and-down movement. This allows the valve plate 83 to continuously lift up any lumpy birdseed that cannot fall, allowing them to be sheared by the lower shearing blade 84 and the upper shearing blade 85. Birdee located above the grate 502 is also crushed by the dynamic up-and-down movement of the valve plate 83. With the synchronized action of the baffle 501, birdseed will not clog at the grate 502.

[0102] The above are merely specific embodiments of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various variations or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention, and these should all be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

[0103] The specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative examples of the spirit of the invention. Those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains may make various modifications or additions to the described specific embodiments or use similar methods to substitute them, without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A bird feeder for wild birds, characterized in that, It includes a feeding box assembly (1) and a feed bin assembly (2); the feeding box assembly (1) includes a transparent acrylic box body (101), an outer support (102), a window (103) and a feed rack (104); the feed bin assembly (2) is used to store feed; the feed bin assembly (2) is also equipped with a pushing mechanism (4) for stirring and pushing the feed in the feed bin assembly (2); The pushing mechanism (4) includes an auger column (401), a central shaft (402), two first gears (403), a second gear (404), and a drive motor (405); both ends of the auger column (401) are rotatably connected to the inner wall of the cylindrical chamber (201) through mounting brackets and bearings; the drive motor (405) is installed on one side of the inner wall of the acrylic box (101); one end of the central shaft (402) is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the drive motor (405); the inner walls of the two first gears (403) are fixedly connected to the outer wall of the central shaft (402); the second gear (404) is fixedly connected to one end of the auger column (401); and the outer wall of the second gear (404) meshes with the outer wall of one of the first gears (403). The feed bin assembly (2) is also equipped with a screen-blocking shearing mechanism (8), which includes a movable section (81), a ball (82), a valve plate (83), a lower shearing blade (84), an upper shearing blade (85), a top ball (86), a transmission gear (87), and meshing teeth (88). The movable section (81) is an inverted conical section independently set at the lower end of the auger column (401) in the cylindrical bin (201), and the movable section (81) can rotate relative to the cylindrical bin (201). The ball (82) is set at the lower end of the auger column (401) and extends downward to the movable section (81). The valve plate (83) has a circular cross section, is nested in the ball (82), and can move omnidirectionally within a certain range. The outer edge of the valve plate (83) has a gap with the corresponding side wall of the movable section (81). The lower shearing blade (84) is located above the valve plate (83). The circumferentially fixedly installed on the movable section (81), the central part movably sleeved on the auger column (401), the lower shearing blade (84) is composed of multiple blades in a circular array; the upper shearing blade (85) is located above the lower shearing blade (84), the central part is fixedly connected to the auger column (401); the top bead (86) is fixed on one of the blades of the lower shearing blade (84) and extends downward until it resists the valve plate (83), so that the gap on the side of the valve plate (83) that is resisted is reduced. When the auger column (401) and the movable section (81) rotate, the top bead (86) changes position, so that the valve plate (83) produces a dynamic characteristic of up and down undulation; the transmission gear (87) is set at the movable section (81); the meshing teeth (88) are set on the full circumference of the outer periphery of the movable section (81) at the position of the transmission gear (87) and cooperate with the transmission gear (87).

2. The bird feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that... It also includes a detachable water supply mechanism (3) for storing drinking water and supplying a fixed amount of water to the acrylic box (101).

3. The bird feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that... The bottom of the feed bin assembly (2) is also equipped with a positioning and feeding mechanism (5), which is used to control the amount of feed discharged at one time by using the power of the pushing mechanism (4).

4. The bird feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that... The acrylic box (101) is also equipped with a data acquisition simulation mechanism (6) for image recognition of birds and the remaining amount of feed in the feed rack (104).

5. The bird feeder according to claim 3, characterized in that... The positioning and feeding mechanism (5) includes two baffles (501), several baffles (502), two U-shaped frames (503), a connecting shaft (504), a third gear (505), two cams (506), four piston rods (507), and four springs (509). The outer walls of the two baffles (501) are slidably connected to the bottom of the outer wall of the cylindrical silo (201), the several baffles (502) are fixedly connected to the bottom of the inner wall of the cylindrical silo (201), and the two U-shaped frames (503) are respectively fixedly connected to one side of the two baffles (501). The connecting shaft (504) is rotatably connected to one side of the outer wall of the cylindrical compartment (201) via a bearing. The third gear (505) is fixedly connected to one end of the connecting shaft (504). The outer wall of the third gear (505) meshes with the outer wall of another first gear (403). The two cams (506) are fixedly connected to the bottom of the outer wall of the connecting shaft (504). The outer walls of the two cams (506) are slidably connected to the inner walls of the two U-shaped frames (503). The transmission gear (87) is coaxially fixed to the connecting shaft (504).

6. The bird feeder according to claim 4, characterized in that... The acquisition simulation mechanism (6) includes two image acquisition units (601), a speaker (602), a PLC controller (604), and a communication module (605).

7. A feeding method using any one of the wild bird feeders according to claims 1-6, characterized in that... The process includes the following steps: (1) opening the end cap (202) and adding feed into the cylindrical container (201) with the screen shearing mechanism (8); (2) installing a detachable water tank (301) containing drinking water on one side of the feeder; (3) pumping water from the water tank through a micro water pump (303) and injecting it into two symmetrically arranged drinking troughs (306) through a water pipe (305) to achieve automatic water supply; (4) suspending the feeder and using the acrylic box (101) and window (103) to attract birds to enter; (5) Based on the image data, control the motor and transmission mechanism to discharge the stored grain into the feed rack (104) in a quantitative manner, and at the same time automatically replenish the water trough.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that... In step (5), the motor drives the double baffle (501) to work alternately to achieve quantitative discharge of stored grain.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that... It also includes ventilating the water tank via a one-way valve (308) and setting up an absorbent pad (71) to keep the feed rack (104) dry.

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