Apparatus and method for providing supply to insects

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for providing feed to insects. The method is cost-effective for food and feed industrial production, and protein-rich and sustainable resources are one of new thousand years of challenges, in particular in consideration of continuous growth of population on the earth. The problem addressed by the present invention is to improve the efficiency of feeding insects and ultimately increase yield. This is achieved by the invention by means of an apparatus for supplying insects, comprising at least one vertical transport device and at least one horizontal transport device, the at least one container being movable in the vertical direction by means of the vertical transport device and to the horizontal direction by means of the horizontal transport device, and further comprising a food supply device by means of which food can be supplied to the container contents of the container and / or to the container itself. The device according to the invention is characterized in that the horizontal transport device has a measuring device, by means of which the properties of the containers and / or the container contents that can be moved horizontally along the path of the horizontal transport device by means of the horizontal transport device can be determined before, during and / or after the horizontal transport.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an apparatus for providing insects with a supply, comprising at least one vertical conveyor and at least one horizontal conveyor, wherein at least one container can be moved in the vertical direction by the vertical conveyor and in the horizontal direction by the horizontal conveyor. Characterized in that the horizontal conveyor comprises a supply device, by means of which the container and / or the container contents of the container can be provided with a supply. The invention also relates to a method for providing insects with a supply and to the use of the apparatus for providing insects with a supply.

[0002] Producing a cost-effective, protein-rich and sustainable source for the food and feed industries is one of the major challenges and imperatives of the new millennium, especially in view of the rapid growth of the world population. The cultivation of insects, especially mealworms, has proven to be an innovative approach to provide a cost-effective and sustainable source of protein that can be used in the food and feed industries.

[0003] Various devices and methods for raising such insects are known in the prior art. In particular, German patent DE102019121102B3 discloses a device of the type mentioned at the beginning and a method for raising insects in particular. The device comprises at least one pile of boxes on a chassis and an entrance, wherein the entrance has at least one supply module, a cleaning module, an upward vertical conveyor, a downward vertical conveyor, a top lateral conveyor, and a bottom lateral conveyor. In addition, the device has a guide system on which the entrance can move on a pile of boxes, and the device has a transmission system with which the boxes can be transferred to and from the pile. Finally, a portal can be used to cyclically move, provide supply and cleaning to the boxes in the box pile, and the boxes can also be moved out of and into the box pile through the portal.

[0004] Chinese utility model CN209403339U also discloses a fully automatic depalletizing machine in the field of aquaculture equipment, which can palletize and depalletize boxes. The machine consists of a buffer station, a lifting station, a depalletizing station and a conveying station.

[0005] In addition, Chinese utility model CN209824895U discloses a feeding device for raising insects. The feeding device includes a support frame, a feeding box and a screw conveyor with a screw conveyor, the screw conveyor is installed on the middle support frame, and the feeding box is fixed to the top of the support frame and the top of the screw conveyor. The upper side of the feeding box is firmly connected to the crushing mechanism.

[0006] When using a chopping mechanism, the feed should be chopped accordingly before adding it to avoid harming the insects when adding food and to facilitate insects to absorb food.

[0007] Chinese patent application CN107691384A also discloses a device for automatically raising mealworms, which includes an outer frame, an inner frame, a lifting system, a telescopic system, a feeding system, a spreading system and a walking system.

[0008] Furthermore, from US 2016 / 0066552 A1 a method and a system for breeding insects using a large number of individual boxes, at least a portion of each box being filled with a substrate containing feed and immature stages of the insects, is known.

[0009] Based on this prior art, the present invention proposed here faces the task of increasing the efficiency of insect rearing and ultimately increasing the yield. This is achieved by a device according to independent claim 1. In addition, the object is achieved by a method according to independent method claim 24 and by using the device according to the invention according to independent claims 30 to 33. Advantageous embodiments of the invention can be found in the dependent claims.

[0010] In a first aspect, the invention is an apparatus for providing a supply to insects. It comprises at least one vertical conveyor and at least one horizontal conveyor, wherein at least one container holds a container content, which preferably comprises insects, and the at least one container can be moved in a vertical direction by the vertical conveyor and in a horizontal direction by the horizontal conveyor. For example, according to the Paternoster principle, the horizontal conveyor and the vertical conveyor can simultaneously move several, preferably two, piles of containers standing on a pallet side by side and / or one after the other.

[0011] Furthermore, the device has a supply device, with which the container contents, in particular the insects located in the container contents, can be supplied.

[0012] The device according to the invention is characterized in that it has at least one measuring device. By means of which the device can detect properties of the containers and / or the container contents which are horizontally moved along the horizontal transport route by the horizontal transport device before, during and / or after the horizontal transport. It is also conceivable that the data are recorded within a defined period of time.

[0013] With the device according to the invention, it is possible that during the transport of at least one container by means of a horizontal conveyor, without taking further steps, the properties of the container and / or the container contents can be detected before, during and / or after the transport. This can increase the delivery rate and efficiency when providing, for example, insects. As a result, an increase in the container contents, in particular insects, can be achieved and the rearing can be optimized by increasing knowledge.

[0014] By assigning the measuring device to the horizontal conveyor, a more compact and relatively space-saving design can be achieved. In particular, it is conceivable to integrate the measuring device into the horizontal conveyor. In this case, by moving the measuring device with the horizontal conveyor, the measuring time can be extended. The transport time can be used for the measurement.

[0015] According to an alternative embodiment, at least one measuring device is arranged along the path of the horizontal conveying device or before or after it.

[0016] It is conceivable that the measuring device is arranged before, along or after the path of the horizontal conveyor. This can, for example, ensure that the properties of the container and / or its container contents can be recorded at any time during the conveyance of the horizontal conveyor.

[0017] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the measuring device can have a weighing device for determining the weight of the container and / or its container contents. By determining the weight of the individual containers, for example, a mass curve of the container (more precisely the container contents) over time can be determined and from this, in particular a mass curve of each container content can be created from the measured values ​​at different measuring times.

[0018] By determining the weight of the container contents and the corresponding weight change, the exact amount of feed required for further feeding can also be determined. For example, in the case of insects, the optimal amount of food for free feeding can be determined depending on the individual stages of the insects in the container and overfeeding can be prevented. The entire system is thus more efficient and the optimal harvesting time can be determined more effectively. Incorrectly filled containers can also be identified at this point and removed from the device.

[0019] Particularly preferably, the weighing device consists of a weighing unit. It is conceivable that the weighing device picks up the container on several sides, edges or corners by means of the weighing units or the recording devices assigned to them, so that while picking up the container it is also possible to determine whether the container has any damage or deformation. Furthermore, an uneven distribution of the container contents can be determined by picking up the container on several sides or corners.

[0020] In order to be able to clearly assign the properties determined by the measuring device, in particular the weight of the container and / or its contents, to the respective container, stack of containers and / or pallet with containers and / or stack of containers, the device has a further advantageous embodiment in which the individual containers have at least one identification element, with which the individual containers are marked and clearly identifiable. It is also conceivable here to mark the stack of containers and / or pallet with containers and / or stack of containers with a marking element. Thus, the properties of the container, stack of containers and / or pallet with containers and / or stack of containers and / or the container contents determined by means of the measuring device can each be uniquely assigned to the container, stack of containers and / or pallet of containers and / or stack of containers.

[0021] The identification element is preferably an identification element that can be read by a device, in particular an RFID transponder, a QR code, a combination thereof or another identification element that can be read by an identification device. The horizontal conveyor particularly advantageously has a device for reading out and identifying the identification element, by means of which the detection and / or identification of the container, the stack of containers and / or the pallet with the container and / or the stack of containers is achieved. Thus, for example, the characteristic determined by the measuring device before, during or after the horizontal conveyor horizontally transports at least one container can be assigned to the corresponding container, the stack of containers and / or the pallet of the container and / or the stack of containers clearly determined by the identification device.

[0022] In an alternative embodiment, only the pallet on which the container and / or the container stack is located is identified and the individual containers themselves are identified by their position in the stack, the position of the individual containers being stored, for example, in a database. According to another alternative embodiment, it is conceivable that the determination of the container, the container stack and / or the pallet of the container and / or container stack is performed by information from a central control unit, for example by a material flow control device or using such a system or using a warehouse management system.

[0023] In an advantageous embodiment, the invention also provides an apparatus with a deactivation module and, if necessary, insects. Inactivation using microwaves, preferably arranged on a horizontal conveyor, can be performed by means of microwaves to decontaminate and / or seal the individual containers, for example by foaming the containers.

[0024] In a further advantageous embodiment, the device has a device for mixing and / or loosening the container contents, wherein, for example, the container contents are completely or partially circulated and / or mixed and / or loosened. This achieves a homogenization of the container contents, thereby achieving a better nutrient absorption and increasing the aeration of the container contents, thereby preventing anaerobic zones.

[0025] In order to be able to collect samples from the containers or their container contents, the invention provides in another advantageous embodiment that a sampling module is arranged in the horizontal conveyor. In a preferred embodiment, the horizontal conveyor is arranged in such a way that samples of the container contents can be collected before, during and / or after the horizontal conveyance of at least one container. This means, for example, that random sampling and inspection is possible.

[0026] However, it is also conceivable that no horizontal transport takes place, but rather only one container of the container stack is lifted by the horizontal transport device and / or the sampling module and a sample is taken from the container or the container contents.

[0027] In another advantageous embodiment, the invention provides an apparatus according to the invention, wherein at least one further measuring device is arranged along the path of the horizontal conveyor. With the aid of the additional measuring device, further measurement data about the condition of the container and / or the container contents can be determined.

[0028] The further measuring device preferably has at least one sensor for determining the filling level of the container and / or for detecting the surface contour, preferably the entire surface contour, of the container contents. This can be an infrared sensor or another suitable optical sensor which can determine, for example, based on the disruption of the generated light barrier, whether a defined height or the height of the container and its contents has been exceeded.

[0029] In this way, it is possible to determine in particular whether the container is deformed or whether the container is overfilled and / or whether there is a possible inhomogeneity of the respective filling height or an inhomogeneous filling distribution of the container. In addition, by using different light sensors, different layers of the container contents can be penetrated, for example to determine the value of a specific content.

[0030] Furthermore, by combining the determined filling height of the container with the weight data which can also be detected, conclusions can be drawn about the density of the container contents and thus about the number of insects or the volume of the living biomass, so that the volume and weight of the container contents can be determined by measurement and data comparison.

[0031] Particularly preferably, the at least one further measuring device has at least one optical measuring device, in particular a camera, for detecting the condition of the container and / or the container contents. Using the optical measuring device, in particular a camera, it can be determined whether the supply device has malfunctioned due to overfeeding or underfeeding, or whether any foreign objects are present in the container.

[0032] It is also conceivable that a sensor device, such as a sensor cube, which records all the required parameters (humidity, temperature, substrate height, photographic images, etc.) is inserted at the beginning of the re-layering process or horizontal transfer and is then removed again, the data being transmitted wirelessly to the device, and that a plurality of sensors or devices are used to record any relevant data, in particular humidity, temperature, substrate height, optical measurement data, etc., which are placed in a container by the device during re-layering or feeding and then removed again before the container leaves the device and the data collected in the container is transmitted wirelessly to, for example, the device.

[0033] Empty or dead containers and any parasites or other pathogens (e.g. fungi) infection can also be detected in this way. However, for example, feed consumption and the growth of insects can also be detected using optical measuring devices, in particular cameras. This occurs, for example, because the number of insects, the amount of food and any residues left by the insects (e.g. feces or molting) can be determined from the data recorded by the optical measuring device, in particular a camera. In addition, it is conceivable that the optical measuring device, in particular a camera, records both images and video sequences. In this case, it is also conceivable to use special cameras, such as infrared cameras.

[0034] Furthermore, in a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, in the device, the at least one further measuring device has at least one sensor for determining the humidity present in the container. This makes it possible, among other things, to determine whether the supply device has added too much water or too much wet food to the insects in the container. An increase in humidity in the container may also indicate a leak in the device or in a water pipe on the supply device, which can be detected by a humidity sensor.

[0035] Furthermore, in a further advantageous embodiment, the device according to the invention has at least one sensor on at least one further measuring device for determining the surface temperature in the container and / or at the surface of the container contents and / or the current temperature of the container contents.

[0036] By detecting the current temperature in the container, it can be determined, for example, whether this temperature is optimal for the growth and maintenance of the insects. In addition, an increased or decreased temperature can also indicate the presence of a problem, such as a disturbed microclimate in the container due to a lack of airflow. For example, an increased temperature may indicate an infestation of the container contents (particularly the insects), while a temperature that is too low may indicate death of the container contents (particularly the insects), or hypothermia due to possibly incorrect climate control and incorrect air conditioning settings. By detecting the temperature of the container and / or the container contents, in particular the insects located in the container, it is possible to react to a temperature that deviates from the optimal value.

[0037] According to yet another advantageous embodiment of the inventive subject matter, the invention comprises an additional "container content mixing or loosening module" to ensure a homogeneous distribution of the various components of the container content.

[0038] Advantageously, the supply device can be arranged along the path of the horizontal conveyor. Thus, during the horizontal conveying of the containers by the horizontal conveyor, any supply material can be supplied to the containers or the container contents in the same step. This can ensure an increased or more efficient supply of the containers or the container contents.

[0039] The supply device preferably has at least one supply module for distributing supply material, in particular feed, substrate, water, insects, worms, plants, algae or other organic matter. By means of this advantageous modular structure of the supply device, the respective requirements of the containers or container contents which are transported horizontally by the horizontal transport device and are supplied with supply material can be met individually with suitable or required materials. This ensures that optimal conditions are always created for the contents in the container, in particular for the growth and preservation of insects.

[0040] In order to avoid any residue or in order to be able to remove pollutants or other foreign matter from the container, in another advantageous embodiment of the device, the supply device has a cleaning module for cleaning the container. In this article, it is also possible to imagine suction to remove any foreign matter and / or impurities and / or residues.

[0041] In order to be able to adapt the device individually to any existing spatial conditions, in particular with regard to the size and / or type of containers, container stacks and / or pallets with containers and / or container stacks and the container contents, in a further advantageous embodiment of the device the device consists of a plurality of modules.

[0042] In a preferred embodiment, this is achieved in that the module consists of a base, a main frame, a plurality of connecting pieces and a top frame. The horizontal conveyor and the vertical conveyor can be attached to the main frame, or the horizontal conveyor can be attached to the upper frame and / or the lower frame, wherein the supply device can be arranged on the upper frame. For example, the lower frame can have any conveying device, such as a roller conveyor, with which containers, stacks of containers and / or pallets with containers and / or stacks of containers can be conveyed to the device, in particular to the vertical conveyor. Connecting pieces can be used to connect the lower frame, the main frame and the upper frame, and can also be used to connect one main frame to another main frame.

[0043] In a further advantageous embodiment, the invention provides an apparatus with an upstream and / or downstream buffer zone, on which at least one container, a stack of containers and / or a pallet with a container and / or a stack of containers can be placed and / or removed. The buffer zone preferably has a profile scanner to check the exact position or exact fit of the container in the stack of containers or the stack of containers on the pallet and, if necessary, to align the containers or the stack of containers with each other accurately and consistently using a stacking fixture or other suitable means.

[0044] For example, pallet containers or container stacks can be placed on this upstream buffer by a warehouse logistics device, from which the containers or container stacks can be transferred in a specific direction to the vertical conveyor device, whereby these can be rearranged according to the Paternoster principle by the vertical conveyor device and the horizontal conveyor device.

[0045] For this purpose, in an advantageous embodiment, the device can have at least one positioning unit, with which the exact positioning of the pallet with containers and / or container stacks or at least one container within the device can be ensured. The containers moved by the vertical conveyor and the horizontal conveyor as well as the containers supplied with supply material by the supply device during the horizontal conveying can then be discharged from the device into a downstream buffer of the device. In a preferred embodiment, the containers, container stacks and / or pallets with containers and / or container stacks can be transported into and out of the device by a transport system. From this downstream buffer, the containers, container stacks and / or pallets with containers and / or container stacks supplied and unloaded from the device can be removed again by the warehouse logistics device.

[0046] Optionally, the device can also have a device for connecting to a transport system, by means of which the device can be connected to, for example, a roller conveyor, by means of which containers, container stacks and / or pallets with containers and / or container stacks that have been transferred in or out can be transported back or out of the device.

[0047] Furthermore, in a second aspect, the present invention is a method for providing a supply to insects, in particular by means of an apparatus according to the present invention. The method is characterized in that the properties of the container and / or the container contents are determined before, during and / or after the horizontal transport of the container, and the properties thus determined are stored as empirical data and / or used to directly adjust or optimize the provision of the supply to the contents (in particular insects) in the container. The determination of the properties of the container and / or the container contents can be performed, for example, by means of a measuring device arranged on the apparatus, which is preferably arranged along the path of the horizontal conveyor, and / or by means of other measuring devices arranged along the path of the horizontal conveyor. This makes it possible, for example, to determine whether any supply material was correctly added during the horizontal transport of the horizontal conveyor. For example, by determining the properties before and after the horizontal transport, overfeeding or underfeeding can be determined.

[0048] In a further advantageous embodiment, the method according to the invention provides the container contents with a feed material during the horizontal transport. Depending on the specific characteristics of the container and / or the container contents, the supply of the feed material can be carried out, for example, by at least one feed device. For example, only one feed material, in particular food, substrate, water, insects or eggs, can be added to the container, which contributes to optimal growth promotion.

[0049] In order to increase the efficiency during the horizontal transfer, in particular the supply of any container by the horizontal transfer device, the invention provides in a further advantageous embodiment of the method for simultaneously transferring a plurality of containers horizontally.

[0050] In order that the containers or the contents of the containers, in particular the insects located therein, can be optimally supplied with supplies, the method according to the invention in a further advantageous embodiment compares the properties of the containers and / or the contents of the containers determined during the horizontal transport with already stored empirical data. By comparing the properties determined during the horizontal transport with already stored empirical data, machine learning can be performed in a further advantageous embodiment, whereby the condition of the containers and / or the contents of the containers can be classified, evaluated and supplied more effectively.

[0051] In a further advantageous embodiment, the invention provides a method for taking actions based on the compared data, such as removing a container or adding feed material. It is also conceivable to clean the container, for example by a possibly present cleaning module.

[0052] Finally, in a further aspect, the invention provides the use of the device according to the invention for providing insects (preferably in or on a high-bay warehouse) with feed, plants or organic matter, in particular fungi and algae, during a maturation and / or fermentation process.

[0053] The present invention is explained in more detail below using exemplary embodiments.

[0054] in:

[0055] Figure 1 is a side view of an embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention, and

[0056] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A perspective view of the illustrated embodiment.

[0057] Figure 1 An embodiment of a device 1 according to the invention is shown in side view, and Figure 2 The perspective diagram shows the Figure 1 The device 1 consists of a plurality of modules, which include a main frame 4, a lower frame 6 and an upper frame 5, which are connected to each other by connecting elements not shown here. A transport system 7 is arranged at the lower frame 6, by means of which the double container stacks 10, 11 can be transported from the upstream buffer 8 into the device 1 and then to the vertical conveyor 3.

[0058] By means of the transport system 7, the double container stacks 10, 11 which have been rearranged and supplied in the device 1 can then be transported out of the device 1 to the downstream buffer 9. The double container stacks 10, 11 can be moved from the device 1 to the upstream buffer 8 and the downstream buffer 9 by warehouse logistics means (e.g. stacker cranes). The double container stacks 10, 11 can come from, for example, a high-bay warehouse, and after being supplied in the device 1 according to the invention, they are transported back to the high-bay warehouse by the warehouse logistics means.

[0059] After the double container stacks 10, 11 have been transferred from the upstream buffer 8 to the device or to the vertical transfer device 3 by the transfer system 7, the containers 16, i.e., the left container stack 12 of the left double container stack 10 and the containers 16 in the right container stack 13 lifted by the vertical transfer device 3, will be picked up by the horizontal transfer device 2 disposed on the upper frame 5 and then transferred horizontally in the direction of the right double container stack 11. Vice versa, the containers 16 of the right double container stack 11 can also be transferred from right to left.

[0060] The two double container stacks 10, 11 shown can be rearranged according to the Paternoster principle. In this case, the upper containers 16 of the left double container stack 10, i.e., the containers 16 of the left container stack 12 and the right container stack 13, are picked up by the horizontal conveyor 2 arranged on the upper frame 5 of the device 1 and conveyed horizontally along the path of the upper frame 5 to the right double container stack 11.

[0061] The moving direction of the horizontal conveyor 2 provided on the upper frame 5 is indicated by an arrow. At the same time, the right double container stack 11 is lifted by the vertical conveyor 3 assigned to the right double container stack 11 onto the second lower container 16, i.e., the containers 16 of the left and right container stacks 14 and 15, so that the lower two containers 16 of the right double container stack 11 can be horizontally transferred from the horizontal conveyor 2 provided on the lower frame 6 to the left double container stack 10 along the lower frame 6. Here, the moving direction of the horizontal conveyor 2 arranged on the lower frame 6 is also indicated by an arrow along the horizontal conveyor 2. In order to be able to insert the container 16 transferred from the lower right to the lower left into the lower area of ​​the left double container stack 10, the vertical conveying device 3 assigned to the left double container stack 10 lifts the container 16 of the left double container stack 10 and places it on the lower container 16 of the double container stack 10, that is, the containers 16 of the left and right container stacks 12 and 13. In this way, the lower container 16 transferred from the right double container stack 11 by the bottom horizontal conveying device 2 can be placed under the left double container stack 10, and the left double container stack 10 can be lowered thereon by the vertical conveying device 3 assigned to the left double container stack 10.

[0062] The above steps are performed until all containers 16 have been guided at least once by the horizontal conveying device 2 arranged on the upper frame 5 along the devices arranged on the upper frame 5 (here the supply device 17 and the cleaning module 19), and all containers 16 of the two double container stacks 10, 11 have been supplied by the device 1.

[0063] The correct positioning of the containers 16 or the double container stacks 10, 11 within the device 1 for rearrangement or horizontal and vertical transport is ensured by means of positioning units 23 arranged at different positions. With the positioning unit 23, the position of the individual containers 16 or double container stacks 10, 11 can be identified so that if there is a deviation from the ideal position for transport or repositioning, a corresponding repositioning can be performed. For example, in the event that a double container stack 10, 11 or a container stack 12, 13, 14, 15 in a double container stack 10, 11 is incorrectly inserted into the device 1 by the transport system 7, the incorrect insertion can be repositioned by the positioning unit 23 of the double container stack 10 or 11 or the corresponding container stack 12, 13, 14, 15 by the transport system 7 and / or the positioning unit 23 itself. It is also conceivable that the positioning unit 23 ensures from the outset that the double container stack 10, 11 or the corresponding container stack 12, 13, 14, 15 of the double container stack 10, 11 transported by the transport system 7 is correctly positioned. This can be achieved, for example, by placing the double container stack 10, 11 or the container stacks 12, 13, 14, 15 of the double container stack 10, 11 transported by the transport system 7 against a device (not shown here), in particular a "stopper", which ensures the correct positioning of the double container stack 10, 11 or the container stacks 12, 13, 14, 15 of the double container stack 10, 11.

[0064] Along the path of the horizontal conveyor 2 arranged on the upper frame 5, in addition to the filling level sensor 21 shown here, there can also be further measuring devices for determining the filling level of the contents in the container 16 and / or determining the surface structure of the container contents, for example by three-dimensional measurement of the surface of the container contents on the horizontal conveyor 2, which can also be used to determine any other properties of the containers 16 transported horizontally by the horizontal conveyor 2. Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the exemplary embodiment shown, a further measuring device in the form of a camera 20 is located downstream of the cleaning module 19 arranged on the upper frame 5 and downstream of the supply device 17 .

[0065] With the cleaning module 19, the containers 16 of the left double container stack 10 to be conveyed by the horizontal conveyor 2 arranged on the upper frame 5 can be cleaned, and data of the containers 16 and / or the container contents can be collected before, after and / or during the cleaning process with the use of measuring devices, such as a camera 20 and a filling level sensor 21. The data collected in this way can be used together with other data collected from the containers 16 and / or the container contents to determine the condition of the containers 16, which data can come from, for example, measurements of the temperature, humidity or weight of the containers 16 or the contents.

[0066] After the container 16 has been cleaned by the cleaning module 19 and data has been collected by, for example, the camera 20, the container 16 is horizontally transported along the upper frame 5 in the direction of the right double container stack 11 by a horizontal conveyor 5 arranged on the upper frame 5. During the transport, the container 16 can be provided with a supply by a supply device 17. The supply material may include food, substrate or water, especially eggs or insects when raising insects, and other suitable materials required for growth or for promoting growth and animal health. For this purpose, the supply device 17 has different supply modules 18, each of which contains one or more supply materials and can distribute these materials in batches into the container 16 that can be horizontally transported by the horizontal conveyor 2. In addition, the device 1 of the exemplary embodiment has a sampling module 22, which is also arranged on the upper frame 5. As a result, samples can be taken from the container 16 or the content of the container and used for analysis directly or at a later point in time.

[0067] Thus, a device and a method for providing a supply to insects are disclosed above, by means of which, in particular, an increase in the efficiency and the final yield of insect rearing is achieved, since the horizontal conveyor has a measuring device having the following properties: containers and / or container contents that can be horizontally moved by the horizontal conveyor can be detected during horizontal transport along the route of the horizontal conveyor, and data for further optimization steps can thus be generated.

[0068] Reference Symbols Table

[0069] 1 Equipment

[0070] 2 Horizontal conveyor

[0071] 3 Vertical conveyor

[0072] 4 Main frame

[0073] 5 Upper frame

[0074] 6 Lower frame

[0075] 7 Transmission system

[0076] 8 Upstream buffer

[0077] 9 Downstream Buffer

[0078] 10 Left double container stack

[0079] 11 Right double container stack

[0080] 12 Left stack of the left double container stack

[0081] 13 Right pile of left double container pile

[0082] 14 Left pile of right double container pile

[0083] 15 Right stack of right double container stack

[0084] 16 Container

[0085] 17 Supply device

[0086] 18 Power supply module

[0087] 19 Cleaning Module

[0088] 20 Cameras

[0089] 21 Fill level sensor

[0090] 22 Sampling Module

[0091] 23 Positioning unit

Claims

1. An apparatus (1) for providing a supply to insects, comprising at least one vertical conveyor (3) and at least one horizontal conveyor (2); wherein: at least one container (16) is moved in the vertical direction by the vertical conveying device (3) and in the horizontal direction by the horizontal conveying device (2); and comprises a supply device (17) for supplying the container contents of the container (16) and / or the container (16) itself, The device is characterized in that the device has at least one measuring device, which is used to determine the properties of at least one container (16) and / or the container contents that can be horizontally moved by the horizontal conveyor (2) before, during and / or after horizontal conveying along the path of the horizontal conveyor (2), wherein the at least one measuring device is assigned to the horizontal conveyor (2).

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The at least one measuring device is arranged along the path of the horizontal conveying device (2) or before or after it.

3. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The measuring device has at least one weighing device for determining the weight of the container (16) and / or its contents, the weighing device preferably consisting of a weighing cell.

4. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The container (16), the container or double container stack (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) and / or the pallet having at least one container (16) and / or at least one container stack (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) has at least one identification element for detecting and identifying the container (16), the container stack (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) and / or the pallet having at least one container (16) and / or at least one stack of containers (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15).

5. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that The identification element is an identification element which can be read by the device, in particular an RFID transponder, a QR code, a combination of these and / or other means suitable for identification.

6. The device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that The device has at least one device for reading out identification elements and identifying the container (16), the stack of containers (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) and / or the tray with the container (16) and / or the stack of containers (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15).

7. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The device comprises a deactivation module for decontaminating and / or sealing the container (16), preferably, the deactivation module is arranged on the horizontal conveyor (2).

8. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The device has means for mixing and / or loosening the container contents of a container (16).

9. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The horizontal conveyor (2) is assigned a sampling module (22), preferably for sampling the container contents before, during and / or after the horizontal conveyance.

10. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that At least one further measuring device is arranged along the path of the horizontal conveyor (2).

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein: The at least one further measuring device has at least one sensor for determining the filling level (21) of the container (16) and / or for detecting a surface contour, in particular an entire surface contour, of the container contents.

12. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that The at least one further measuring device has at least one optical measuring device, in particular a camera (20), for detecting the state of the container (16) and / or the container contents, in particular the state of insects located in the container contents.

13. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims 8 to 11, characterized in that The at least one further measuring device has at least one sensor for determining the humidity prevailing in the container (11).

14. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims 10 to 13, characterized in that The at least one further measuring device has at least one sensor for determining the current temperature in the container.

15. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The supply device (17) is arranged along the path of the horizontal conveying device (2).

16. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The supply device (17) has at least one supply module (18) for dispensing supply material, in particular food, substrate, water and / or insects.

17. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The device has at least one cleaning module (19) for cleaning the container (16), in particular for removing residues formed during use.

18. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The device is modularly constructed from a plurality of modules, so that the size, number and type of the device (1), in particular the containers (16), the container stacks (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) and / or the trays with containers (16) and / or container stacks (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15), as well as the container contents can be adjusted.

19. The device according to claim 18, characterized in that The module consists of a base (6), a main frame (4), an upper frame (5) and a plurality of connecting parts.

20. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The device has an upstream buffer (8) and / or a downstream buffer (9), on which the at least one container (16), the container stack (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) and / or the pallet having at least one container (16) and / or at least one stack of containers (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) can be placed and / or removed.

21. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The device has at least one positioning unit (23), by means of which the positioning of at least one container (16), a container stack (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15), an individual container within a container stack and / or a pallet (1) having at least one container (16) and / or at least one container stack (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) is ensured.

22. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The device has a transport system (7) for transporting the at least one container (16), the stack of containers (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) and / or a pallet having at least one container (16) and / or at least one stack of containers (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) into and out of the device (1).

23. The device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The device has a connection device for connecting to a transport system (7), in particular a roller conveyor.

24. Method for providing insects with a device (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims 1 to 23, characterized in that Before, during and / or after the horizontal transport of the container (16), properties of the container contents and / or the container (16) are determined and the properties determined in this way are stored as empirical data and / or used to directly adjust and / or optimize the supply to the container contents, in particular to the insects.

25. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that Feed material is supplied to the container (16) and / or the container contents before, during and / or after the horizontal conveying.

26. The method according to at least one of claims 24 or 25, characterized in that A plurality of containers (16) are conveyed horizontally at the same time.

27. The method according to at least one of the preceding claims 24 to 26, characterized in that The properties of the container (16) and / or its contents, in particular insects, determined during the horizontal transport are compared with stored empirical data.

28. The method according to claim 27, characterized in that The collected data is used for machine learning.

29. The method according to claim 26 or 27, characterized in that Based on the compared data, instructions for an action are derived, in particular removing a container (16) or adding feed material.

30. Use of the device (1) according to at least one of claims 1 to 23 for providing a supply of insects in or on a high-bay warehouse.

31. Use of the device (1) according to at least one of claims 1 to 23 for providing supplies to plants.

32. Use of the device (1) according to at least one of claims 1 to 23 for providing a supply to algae or fungi.

33. Use of the device (1) according to at least one of claims 1 to 23 for supplying organic substances and mixtures in a maturation process and / or a fermentation process.

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