An automatic feeder

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of feed delivery equipment, and particularly relates to an automatic bait feeder, wherein a bait storage bin for storing powder bait and granular bait is arranged on a mounting plate, the powder bait and the granular bait in the bait storage bin are respectively fed into a bait delivery device, a bait quantity detection device is arranged to detect the bait quantity in real time, and when the bait content in the bait delivery device reaches a required standard, the bait delivery device pours the powder bait into a chute and feeds the powder bait into water, and throws the granular bait onto the water surface. The present application has the beneficial effect that the device can deliver the powder bait and the granular bait in a time-quantitative manner, which can greatly reduce the labor burden and improve the production efficiency of aquaculture.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of feed dispensing equipment technology, and in particular to an automatic feeder. Background Technology

[0002] The following problems exist in the current feeding of aquatic products:

[0003] Regarding feed form adaptability, there are significant differences among different fish species and growth stages: Species-specific requirements: Carnivorous fish (such as mandarin fish) require high-protein powdered feed (particle size <0.5mm) in their juvenile stage to promote initial feeding, while herbivorous adult fish (such as grass carp) prefer 4-6mm pelleted feed to improve digestion efficiency. Spring (March-May): During the period of rising water temperature, high-protein powdered feed (crude protein ≥45%) is needed to promote the growth of juvenile fish; Autumn and winter (September-February): In low-temperature environments, fish metabolism slows down, requiring a reduction in the frequency of powdered feed feeding and the use of slow-sinking pellets. Moreover, as time progresses, the amount of feed required by the fish increases, and the overall amount of feed needed also increases.

[0004] In current aquaculture feeding practices, pelleted feed is typically distributed by machine, while powdered feed is manually added to the water for supplemental feeding. This is because powdered feed is easily blown back onto boats or shore by the wind, making it difficult to distribute by machine. Furthermore, the appropriate weight of powdered feed needs to be manually weighed and added to the water, thus increasing labor costs.

[0005] To address this issue, this application presents an automatic feeder that can automatically and simultaneously feed powdered and pelleted feed at regular intervals and in fixed quantities using a single device. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides an automatic feeding machine.

[0007] An automatic feeder, comprising a mounting plate installed on the edge of a hull, characterized in that:

[0008] The mounting plate is equipped with a bait storage bin for storing powdered bait and pellet bait. The powdered bait and pellet bait in the bait storage bin are respectively fed into the feeding device. The feeding amount detection device detects the amount of bait in real time. When the bait content in the feeding device reaches the required standard, the feeding device pours the powdered bait into the slide and sends it into the water, and throws the pellet bait onto the water surface.

[0009] Furthermore, in order to better realize the present invention, the feeding device includes a base plate, one end of which is hinged to a mounting plate, and the other end of which is hinged to a telescopic rod, one end of which is hinged to a telescopic rod mounting groove cut in the mounting plate.

[0010] Furthermore, in order to better realize the present invention, a servo motor is installed on the substrate. The motor shaft of the servo motor drives one end of the swing arm through a reducer. The other end of the swing arm is hinged to a feeding box connecting rod. The end of the feeding box connecting rod is fixedly connected to the feeding box.

[0011] Furthermore, in order to better realize the present invention, a vertical support column is fixed on one side of the swing rod on the substrate, and a first limiting plate is fixed on the other side of the swing rod.

[0012] The second limiting plate and the third limiting plate are fixed at the hinge position between the swing rod and the feeding box connecting rod;

[0013] When the feeding box is in the feeding state, the swing rod contacts the support column and the feeding box connecting rod contacts the second limit plate to keep the feeding box horizontal.

[0014] When pelleted feed is fed, the swing rod contacts the first limit plate, and the feeding box connecting rod contacts the third limit plate.

[0015] Furthermore, in order to better realize the present invention, when the feeding box is horizontal, the inclined slide on the mounting plate is located on one side of the feeding box. By extending the telescopic rod, the feeding box is tilted to the side, and the powdered bait is poured into the slide.

[0016] Furthermore, to better realize the present invention, the feeding quantity detection device includes an L-shaped bracket erected on one side of the feeding box. The top of the bracket is equipped with a distance sensor facing downwards towards the feeding box. A vibration motor is installed at the bottom of the feeding box. The vibration motor causes vibration to flatten the surface of the bait in the feeding box. After the flattened bait is detected by the distance sensor, the current bait volume in the feeding box is determined by the distance. A control box is provided on the mounting plate. The control chip in the control box controls all electrical components.

[0017] Furthermore, in order to better realize the present invention, the bait storage bin is raised by the support legs, and the feed distribution bin is equipped with partitions to store powdered bait and granular bait respectively. Each bin is connected to a discharge pipe with an electrically controlled switch valve. The end of the discharge pipe is located above the feeding box and does not interfere with the movement of the feeding box.

[0018] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0019] The device of the present invention can deliver powdered and granular feed at regular intervals and in fixed quantities, which can greatly reduce the burden of manpower and improve the production efficiency of aquaculture. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the application of powdered bait according to the present invention.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the application of pellet bait according to the present invention.

[0024] In the picture,

[0025] 1. Mounting plate; 3. Feeding device; 4. Feeding amount detection device; 5. Feed storage bin; 6. Slide rail; 101. Telescopic rod mounting slot; 102. Telescopic rod; 301. Base plate; 302. Servo motor; 303. Support column; 304. First limiting plate; 305. Swing rod; 306. Feeding box connecting rod; 307. Feeding box; 308. Vibration motor; 3051. Second limiting plate; 3052. Third limiting plate; 401. Bracket; 402. Distance sensor; 501. Support leg; 502. Feeding bin; 503. Discharge pipe; 601. Slide rail bracket. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. The components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0027] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the invention.

[0028] Example 1: Structure and Working Process of Automatic Feeder

[0029] The automatic feeder in this embodiment is installed on the edge of the aquaculture vessel, and its specific structure is as follows:

[0030] Mounting plate 1 is fixed to the edge of the hull by bolts, and its surface is provided with telescopic rod mounting groove 101. Mounting plate 1 is made of corrosion-resistant aluminum alloy and has a waterproof coating on its surface to adapt to the aquatic environment.

[0031] The bait storage compartment 5 is raised by outriggers 501 and is divided into two independent compartments:

[0032] Powdered feed bin: Stores high-protein powdered feed with a particle size of less than 0.5mm, and is connected to a discharge pipe 503 with an electrically controlled switch valve at the bottom.

[0033] Pellet feed bin: Stores 4-6mm slow-sinking pellet feed, and the bottom is also connected to the discharge pipe 503 controlled by an electronically controlled switch valve.

[0034] The ends of the discharge pipes 503 of the two compartments are located directly above the feeding box 307, and do not interfere with the movement trajectory of the feeding box 307 (see...). Figure 1 ).

[0035] Mechanical linkage of feeding device 3

[0036] The substrate 301 is connected to the telescopic rod 102: one end of the substrate 301 is hinged to the mounting plate 1, and the other end is connected to the telescopic rod 102 via a hinge. The telescopic rod 102 is an electric push rod that can extend and retract along the telescopic rod mounting slot 101, driving the substrate 301 to swing around the hinge point (see...). Figure 2 ).

[0037] Servo motor 302 drives swing arm 305: Servo motor 302 is fixed on base plate 301 and drives swing arm 305 to rotate around the axis through reducer. The other end of swing arm 305 is hinged to bait box connecting rod 306, and bait box 307 is fixed at the end of bait box connecting rod 306.

[0038] Limiting Structure: A support column 303 and a first limiting plate 304 are provided on the base plate 301. A second limiting plate 3051 and a third limiting plate 3052 are provided at the hinge point between the swing rod 305 and the feeding box connecting rod 306. When the feeding box 307 horizontally receives feed, the swing rod 305 contacts the support column 303, and the feeding box connecting rod 306 abuts against the second limiting plate 3051; when scattering pellet feed, the swing rod 305 contacts the first limiting plate 304, and the feeding box connecting rod 306 abuts against the third limiting plate 3052 (see...). Figure 3 , Figure 4 ).

[0039] The detection process of the dosage detection device (4):

[0040] A vibration motor 308 is installed at the bottom of the feeding box 307, which makes the surface of the bait flat after starting.

[0041] The distance sensor 402 at the top of the L-shaped bracket 401 detects the distance from the surface of the bait inside the bait box 307 to the sensor in real time, and calculates the bait capacity by the change in distance (for example, a 10mm decrease in distance corresponds to a 200g weight of bait).

[0042] The chip in the control box controls the opening and closing of the electronic switch valve according to the preset feeding amount (such as 5kg of powdered feed and 10kg of pelleted feed per day in spring), and stops feeding after the feed in the feeding box 307 reaches the standard.

[0043] Bait placement action:

[0044] Powdered bait dispensing: When the bait box 307 is horizontal and full of powdered bait, the telescopic rod 102 extends, pushing the base plate 301 to tilt. The bait box 307 tilts to the side, pouring the bait into the slide 6. The slide 6 is tilted at a 30° angle, with its bottom extending below the water surface to prevent the powder from being blown away by the wind (see...). Figure 3 ).

[0045] Pellet feed distribution: Servo motor 302 drives swing arm 305 to swing rapidly, and feeding box 307, under centrifugal force, throws pellet feed onto the water surface, with a distribution radius of 3-5 meters (see...). Figure 4 ).

[0046] The control box has a built-in PLC chip, presets different feeding modes for different seasons (such as high-frequency powder in spring and low-frequency pellets in autumn and winter), and receives real-time data from the distance sensor 402 to automatically adjust the timing of the operation of the electric control switch valve, servo motor 302 and telescopic rod 102.

[0047] Example 2: Adaptive Adjustment Function of Feeder

[0048] This embodiment further optimizes the control logic based on embodiment 1:

[0049] Environmental sensor integration: The mounting plate 1 is equipped with a water temperature sensor and a wind speed sensor. The control box automatically switches the bait type according to the water temperature (such as disabling powder bait when the water temperature is below 15℃) and adjusts the tilt angle of the slide 6 according to the wind speed (the slide rail bracket 601 is replaced with an electrically controlled lifting rod) to prevent the powder bait from scattering.

[0050] Fish activity monitoring: Underwater cameras are used to identify fish density and dynamically adjust the amount of feed given at one time to avoid wasting food.

[0051] Example 3: Maintenance and Expansion Functions

[0052] Cleaning design of the compartment: The partition of the bait storage compartment 5 is a detachable structure, which facilitates cleaning of each compartment; the inner wall of the discharge pipe 503 is equipped with an anti-caking coating.

[0053] Solar power module: The control box integrates a solar panel on top, which can provide auxiliary power to the equipment and is suitable for aquaculture areas far from shore power sources.

[0054] Summary of operation process:

[0055] 1. Initialization: Set the feeding time, feed type, and amount via the control box;

[0056] 2. Feeding: The electronically controlled switch valve opens, and the bait enters the feeding box 307. The vibration motor 308 starts to level the surface of the bait.

[0057] 3. Detection: After the distance sensor 402 determines that the amount of bait has reached the standard, the electronically controlled switch valve is closed;

[0058] 4. Dispensing: Depending on the type of bait, drive the telescopic rod 102 or the servo motor 302 to complete the dropping of powder or the scattering of granules;

[0059] 5. Reset: The feed box 307 returns to the horizontal position and waits for the next feeding instruction.

[0060] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Any other modifications or equivalent substitutions made by those skilled in the art to the technical solutions of the present invention, as long as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic feeder, comprising a mounting plate (1) installed on the edge of a hull, characterized in that: The mounting plate (1) is provided with a bait storage bin (5) for storing powdered bait and granular bait. The powdered bait and granular bait in the bait storage bin (5) are respectively fed into the feeding device (3). The feeding amount detection device (4) detects the amount of bait in real time. When the bait content in the feeding device (3) reaches the required standard, the feeding device (3) pours the powdered bait into the slide (6) and sends it into the water, and throws the granular bait onto the water surface. The feeding device (3) includes a base plate (301), one end of which is hinged to a mounting plate (1), and the other end of which is hinged to a telescopic rod (102). One end of the telescopic rod (102) is hinged in a telescopic rod mounting groove (101) cut in the mounting plate (1). A servo motor (302) is mounted on the base plate (301). The motor shaft of the servo motor (302) drives one end of a swing rod (305) through a reducer. The other end of the swing rod (305) is hinged to a feeding box connecting rod (306). The end of the feeding box connecting rod (306) is fixedly connected to the feeding box. Box (307); a vertical support column (303) is fixed on one side of the swing rod (305) on the base plate (301), and a first limiting plate (304) is fixed on the other side of the swing rod (305); a second limiting plate (3051) and a third limiting plate (3052) are fixed at the hinge position between the swing rod (305) and the feeding box connecting rod (306); when the feeding box (307) is in the state of receiving bait, the swing rod (305) contacts the support column (303) and the feeding box connecting rod (306) contacts the second limiting plate (3051) to keep the feeding box (307) horizontal; When pellet feed is fed, the swing rod (305) contacts the first limiting plate (304), and the feeding box connecting rod (306) contacts the third limiting plate (3052). When the feeding box (307) is horizontal, the inclined slide (6) on the mounting plate (1) is located on one side of the feeding box (307). The extension rod (102) extends, causing the feeding box (307) to tilt to the side, and the powdered feed is poured into the slide (6).

2. The automatic feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feeding quantity detection device (4) includes an L-shaped bracket (401) erected on one side of the feeding box (307). The top of the bracket (401) is equipped with a distance sensor (402) facing downwards and directly towards the feeding box (307). A vibration motor (308) is installed at the bottom of the feeding box (307). The vibration motor (308) vibrates to make the surface of the bait in the feeding box (307) flat. After the flattened bait is detected by the distance sensor (402), the current bait volume in the feeding box (307) is determined by the distance. A control box is provided on the mounting plate (1). The control chip in the control box controls and connects all electrical components.

3. The automatic feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bait storage bin (5) is raised by the support leg (501), and the feed distribution bin (502) is equipped with partitions to store powdered bait and granular bait respectively. Each bin is connected to a discharge pipe (503) with an electrically controlled switch valve. The end of the discharge pipe (503) is located above the feeding box (307) and does not interfere with the movement of the feeding box (307).

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