Cat litter machine and control circuit and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of smart home, and discloses a cat litter machine and a control circuit and a control method thereof. The control circuit of the cat litter machine comprises the controller, the detection module, the rotation control module, the screen control module and the stirring rod control module, when the controller judges that a pet leaves the cat litter basin according to the detection module and excrement exists in the cat litter basin, the cat litter basin is rotated by controlling all the control modules, and therefore the pet is prevented from entering the cat litter basin. The polluted cat litter in the cat litter basin is sieved to a stirring bin of the cat litter machine through a sieve; and then the polluted cat litter is soaked by controlling a water valve, and a stirring rod is controlled to stir the polluted cat litter, so that the polluted cat litter is discharged. The pet cat cleaning device automatically works in the whole process, excrement cleaning is achieved, manual intervention is not needed, pet farmers do not make contact with excrement of pet cats any more, the comfort level of pets is guaranteed, and meanwhile the physical and psychological health of the pet farmers and the sanitation of the family environment are guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of smart home, and particularly to a cat litter sifter, its control circuit, and control method. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous improvement of living standards, more and more families choose to keep pets to add fun to their lives. Among them, pet cats are loved by many families because of their gentle and lovely personalities. In order to ensure the quality of life of pet cats and the cleanliness and hygiene of the family environment, the cat litter box has become an indispensable daily necessity for cat-owning families.

[0003] With the continuous improvement of people's standards for home cleaning and hygiene, cat litter boxes that automatically clean the excrement of pet cats have gradually become the choice of many cat-owning families. However, although existing intelligent cat litter boxes can achieve automatic packing of used cat litter, manual intervention is still required to complete the final garbage disposal. This means that pet owners still need to directly or indirectly come into contact with the excrement of their pets, seriously affecting the physical and mental health of pet owners and the hygiene of the family environment. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the embodiments of this application provide a cat litter sifter, its control circuit, and control method, which can effectively solve the problem that the existing cat litter box still requires manual intervention to complete the final garbage disposal, seriously affecting the physical and mental health of pet owners and the hygiene of the family environment.

[0005] In a first aspect, the embodiments of this application provide a control circuit for a cat litter sifter, including: a controller, a detection module, a rotation control module, a sieve control module, and a stirring rod control module. The rotation control module is used to connect the cat litter box of the cat litter sifter, the sieve control module is used to connect the sieve of the cat litter sifter, and the stirring rod control module is used to connect the stirring rod of the cat litter sifter;

[0006] When the controller determines, according to the detection module, that the pet has left the cat litter box and there is excrement in the cat litter box, the controller rotates the cat litter box to a first preset position by controlling the rotation control module, and sifts the contaminated cat litter in the cat litter box to the stirring bin of the cat litter sifter by controlling the sieve control module;

[0007] The controller is further used to control the water inlet valve of the stirring bin to conduct so that the contaminated cat litter is soaked, control the stirring rod control module to stir the contaminated cat litter with the stirring rod, and control the water outlet valve of the stirring bin to conduct so that the contaminated cat litter is discharged.

[0008] In some embodiments, the control circuit of the cat litter sifter further includes: a storage bin control module, and the storage bin control module is used to connect the rotating outlet of the storage bin;

[0009] The controller is communicatively connected to the sand storage bin control module. The controller is further configured to, after the number of times of cat litter screening in the cat litter box reaches a first preset number of times, rotate the cat litter box to a second preset position by controlling the rotation control module, so as to pour out the cat litter in the cat litter box, and rotate the rotation outlet of the sand storage bin by controlling the sand storage bin control module, so that the cat litter in the sand storage bin flows into the cat litter box.

[0010] In some embodiments, the control circuit of the cat litter machine further includes: a first counting module;

[0011] The first counting module is configured to count the number of rotation turns of the rotation outlet of the sand storage bin;

[0012] The controller is communicatively connected to the first counting module. The controller is further configured to, when the number of rotation turns of the rotation outlet of the sand storage bin reaches a first preset number of turns, stop the rotation of the rotation outlet of the sand storage bin by controlling the sand storage bin control module, so that the cat litter in the sand storage bin cannot flow into the cat litter box.

[0013] In some embodiments, the detection module includes: a living body detection unit and a weight detection unit;

[0014] The living body detection unit is configured to detect whether there is a living thing in the cat litter box, and the weight detection unit is configured to detect the weight of the cat litter box;

[0015] The controller is communicatively connected to the living body detection unit and the weight detection unit. The controller is configured to determine whether the pet has left the cat litter box according to the living body detection signal output by the living body detection unit and the weight detection signal output by the weight detection unit, and determine whether excrement is generated in the cat litter box according to the weight detection signal.

[0016] In some embodiments, the detection module further includes: a living body in-out detection unit;

[0017] The living body in-out detection unit is configured to detect whether the pet enters or exits the cat litter box;

[0018] The controller is communicatively connected to the living body in-out detection unit. The controller is further configured to determine whether the pet has left the cat litter box according to the living body in-out detection signal output by the living body in-out detection unit, the living body detection signal output by the living body detection unit, and the weight detection signal output by the weight detection unit.

[0019] In some embodiments, the detection module further includes: a door detection unit, and the door detection unit is configured to detect whether there is a living thing at the entrance of the cat litter box;

[0020] The controller is communicatively connected to the door detection unit, and the controller is further configured to determine whether the pet has left the litter box according to the door detection signal output by the door detection unit, the living body in-and-out detection signal output by the living body in-and-out detection unit, the living body detection signal output by the living body detection unit, and the weight detection signal output by the weight detection unit.

[0021] In some embodiments, the control circuit of the cat litter machine further includes: a first water level detection module and a second water level detection module. The first water level detection module is used to connect to a first liquid level sensor, and the second water level detection module is used to connect to a second liquid level sensor. The first liquid level sensor is disposed at a third preset position of the stirring chamber, and the second liquid level sensor is disposed at a fourth preset position of the stirring chamber, and the fourth preset position is higher than the third preset position.

[0022] The controller is communicatively connected to the first water level detection module and the second water level detection module respectively. The controller is further configured to control the water inlet valve to close when the first liquid level sensor is triggered by the liquid surface; and control the water outlet valve to conduct when the second liquid level sensor is triggered by the liquid surface.

[0023] In some embodiments, the control circuit of the cat litter machine further includes: a water flow detection module. The water flow detection module is used to connect to a water flow sensor. The controller is communicatively connected to the water flow detection module, and the water flow sensor is disposed at a fifth preset position of the water inlet of the stirring chamber.

[0024] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a control method for a cat litter machine. The control method for the cat litter machine is applied to at least one control circuit of the cat litter machine described in the first aspect above. The control method for the cat litter machine includes:

[0025] Determine whether the pet has left the litter box detection module and whether excrement is produced in the litter box according to the detection module;

[0026] If the pet leaves and cat excrement is produced in the litter box, control the rotation control module to rotate the litter box to a first preset position;

[0027] Control the screen control module to screen the contaminated cat litter in the litter box into the stirring chamber of the cat litter machine;

[0028] Control the water inlet valve of the stirring chamber to conduct to soak the contaminated cat litter;

[0029] Control the stirring rod control module to stir and discharge the contaminated cat litter.

[0030] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a cat litter sander, which includes the control circuit of at least one cat litter sander described in the first aspect above.

[0031] The embodiments of the present application have the following beneficial effects:

[0032] The control circuit of the cat litter sander of the present application includes a controller, a detection module, a rotation control module, a screen control module, and a stirring rod control module. The rotation control module is used to connect the cat litter box of the cat litter sander, the screen control module is used to connect the screen of the cat litter sander, and the stirring rod control module is used to connect the stirring rod of the cat litter sander. The controller is configured to determine that the pet has left the cat litter box based on the detection module, and when there is excrement in the cat litter box, rotate the cat litter box to a first preset position by controlling the rotation control module, and screen the contaminated cat litter in the cat litter box to the stirring bin of the cat litter sander by controlling the screen control module. The controller is further configured to control the water inlet valve of the stirring bin to conduct to soak the contaminated cat litter, and stir and discharge the contaminated cat litter by controlling the stirring rod control module. The control circuit of the cat litter sander of the present application can not only separate the contaminated cat litter in the cat litter box after the pet leaves the cat litter box, but also soak and stir the contaminated cat litter through the stirring bin, and control the discharge of the contaminated cat litter after stirring. The whole process is automated to realize the cleaning of excrement without manual intervention, so that pet owners no longer come into contact with the excrement of pet cats, ensuring the comfort of pets while also ensuring the physical and mental health of pet owners and the hygiene of the home environment. Description of the Drawings

[0033] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present application and should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0034] Figure 1 Shows a first schematic structural diagram of the control circuit of the cat litter sander according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 2 Shows a schematic circuit diagram of a rotation control module according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 3 Shows a schematic circuit diagram of a stirring rod control module according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 4 Shows a second schematic structural diagram of the control circuit of the cat litter sander according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 5 Shows a circuit schematic diagram of the first water level detection module in an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 6 Shows a schematic flow chart of the control method of the cat litter machine in an embodiment of the present application.

[0040] Description of main component symbols:

[0041] 10: Controller; 11: Detection module; 12: Rotation control module; 13: Screen control module; 14: Stirring rod control module; 15: Cat litter box; 16: Screen; 17: Stirring rod; 18: Water inlet valve; 19: Water outlet valve; 20: Rotation motor; 21: Stirring motor; 22: First counting module; 23: Storage bin control module; 24: Storage bin; 26: First water level detection module; 27: Second water level detection module; 28: First liquid level sensor; 29: Second liquid level sensor; 30: Water flow detection module. Detailed implementation manners

[0042] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments.

[0043] Generally, the components of the embodiments of the present application described and shown in the drawings here can be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present application provided in the drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the present application to be protected, but merely represents the selected embodiments of the present application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present application without creative efforts belong to the scope of protection of the present application.

[0044] Hereinafter, the terms "including", "having" and their cognates that can be used in various embodiments of the present application are only intended to represent specific features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components or combinations of the foregoing items, and should not be construed as first excluding the existence of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components or combinations of the foregoing items or increasing the possibility of one or more features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components or combinations of the foregoing items. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used for distinguishing descriptions and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0045] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which various embodiments of the present application pertain. Terms such as those defined in a general use dictionary will be interpreted to have the same meaning as their contextual meaning in the relevant technical field and will not be interpreted to have an idealized or overly formal meaning unless clearly defined in various embodiments of the present application.

[0046] The following will describe in detail some embodiments of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings. Without conflict, the following embodiments and the features in the embodiments may be combined with each other.

[0047] Considering the problem that the litter box in the existing solution still requires manual intervention to complete the final waste treatment, which seriously affects the physical and mental health of pet owners and the hygiene of the home environment, etc., for this reason, the present application provides a cat litter machine, its control circuit, and a control method. The control circuit of the cat litter machine of the present application can not only separate the contaminated cat litter in the litter box after the pet leaves the litter box, but also soak and stir the contaminated cat litter through the stirring bin, and control the discharge of the contaminated cat litter after stirring. It works fully automatically to achieve the cleaning of excrement without manual intervention, enabling pet owners not to come into contact with the excrement of pet cats, ensuring the comfort of pets while also ensuring the physical and mental health of pet owners and the hygiene of the home environment.

[0048] The following will describe the control circuit of the cat litter machine with reference to some specific embodiments.

[0049] Figure 1 FIG. shows a schematic structural diagram of the control circuit of the cat litter machine according to an embodiment of the present application. Exemplarily, the control circuit of the cat litter machine includes: a controller 10, a detection module 11, a rotation control module 12, a screen control module 13, and a stirring rod control module 14. Among them, the rotation control module 12 controls the litter box 15 of the cat litter machine through a rotation motor, the screen control module 13 controls the screen 16 of the cat litter machine through a screen motor, and the stirring rod control module 14 controls the stirring rod 17 of the cat litter machine through a stirring motor. The rotation motor, the screen motor, and the stirring motor can be of the same type of motor, or they can be of different types of motors, which can be set according to actual application situations.

[0050] Specifically, the rotation control module 12 drives the rotation of the gear by controlling the rotation of the rotation motor 20, and drives the litter box 15 to rotate through the rotation of the gear. Exemplarily, Figure 2A circuit schematic diagram of the rotation control module 12 according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. Among them, chip U2 is a motor drive chip. The controller 10 controls the forward rotation of the rotation motor 20 by inputting a signal to pin 2 of chip U2, and controls the reverse rotation of the rotation motor 20 by inputting a signal to pin 3 of chip U2. Pin 4 of chip U2 is used to input the reference signal VREF1. Pins 6 and 8 of chip U2 are connected to the rotation motor 20 to control the rotation of the rotation motor 20. Pin 7 of chip U2 is used to input the feedback signal of the motor. Chip U2 adjusts the outputs of pins 6 and 8 according to the reference signal and the feedback signal. Further, the current threshold of the rotation motor 20 can be set according to the actual application situation. When the detected feedback signal is greater than the current threshold, chip U2 controls the rotation motor 20 to stop rotating to prevent the rotation motor 20 from stalling.

[0051] Further, in order to control the rotation angle of the litter box 15, a sensor can be set to detect the rotation of the gear. Demonstratively, a Hall sensor is used to detect the rotation of the gear, so as to ensure that the screen 16 can screen the cat litter in the litter box 15.

[0052] It can be understood that the screen control module 13 and the stirring rod control module 14 can have the same structure as the rotation control module 12, or the screen control module 13 and the stirring rod control module 14 can have a different structure from the rotation control module 12. Demonstratively, the structure of the screen control module 13 is the same as that of the rotation control module 12. The stirring rod control module 14 is as Figure 3 shown. The pulse signal output by the controller 10 controls the on and off of the switching transistor Q7 through multiple switching transistors, and then controls the rotation speed of the stirring motor 21. Further, a sampling resistor is set to collect the current of the stirring motor 21. The controller 10 adjusts the pulse signal input to the switching transistor Q11 according to the collected current. The current threshold of the stirring motor 21 can be set. When the collected signal detected by the controller 10 is greater than the current threshold, the stirring motor 21 is controlled to stop rotating to prevent the stirring motor 21 from stalling. Further, an excessive current value can also be set. When the controller 10 detects that the collected signal is greater than the excessive current value but less than the current threshold, the stirring motor 21 is controlled to stop after a preset time. The preset time can be set according to the actual application, which can not only ensure the normal operation of the stirring motor 21 and the cleanliness of the cat litter machine, but also prevent the stirring motor 21 from stalling.

[0053] It is understandable that the controller 10 can be any type of controller. The controller 10 can be an FPGA, the controller 10 can also be an MCU, and the controller 10 can also be a CPU, etc. The controller 10 is communicatively connected to the pet detection module 11, the rotation control module 12, the sieve control module 13, and the stirring rod control module 14 respectively. Specifically, the communicative connection can be a wireless communicative connection or a wired communicative connection, which can be set according to the actual application situation.

[0054] The detection module 11 can be any type of detection module 11. Exemplarily, the detection module 11 is a weight sensor. The controller 10 determines whether the pet has left the litter box 15 and whether there is excrement in the litter box 15 based on the change in the weight signal of the weight sensor, avoiding false triggering of the cat litter machine while ensuring that cleaning only starts after the pet has safely left, thus avoiding the possible fright or injury caused by cleaning while the pet is still using it.

[0055] The working process of the control circuit of the cat litter machine in this embodiment is as follows: When the controller 10 determines that the pet has left the litter box 15 and there is excrement in the litter box 15 according to the detection module 11, it rotates the litter box 15 to the first preset position by controlling the rotation control module 12, and makes the sieve 16 sieve the contaminated cat litter in the litter box 15 into the stirring bin of the cat litter machine by controlling the sieve control module 13. Then, it controls the water inlet valve 18 of the stirring bin to conduct to soak the contaminated cat litter, controls the stirring rod 17 to stir the contaminated cat litter by controlling the stirring rod control module 14, and controls the water outlet valve 19 of the stirring bin to conduct to discharge the contaminated cat litter. Among them, the first preset position can be set according to the actual application situation.

[0056] As another implementation method, the water outlet valve 19 is not provided in the stirring bin, and the contaminated cat litter is discharged by using an impeller. Specifically, the impeller and the stirring rod are fixed to each other according to the actual application situation. When the stirring rod 17 is not started, the contaminated cat litter is soaked. When the controller 10 controls the stirring rod 17 to stir the contaminated cat litter through the stirring rod control module 14, the stirring rod 17 drives the impeller to discharge the contaminated cat litter.

[0057] Furthermore, a switch circuit can be set. The user can control the cleaning of the cat litter machine by controlling the opening and closing of the switch circuit without having to use the controller 10 to determine whether the pet has left the litter box 15 and whether there is excrement in the litter box 15. Or the controller 10 is communicatively connected to the electronic device through the server, and the user can control the cleaning of the cat litter machine through the electronic device.

[0058] In this embodiment, the motor drive chip is set in the rotation control module 12 to control the motor, and the motor threshold is set to protect the motor, ensuring the reliability of the control circuit of the cat litter sifter. In addition, the detection module 11 is set to detect the pet and its excrement. When the control module determines that the pet has left the cat litter box 15 and there is excrement in the cat litter box 15, it controls the cat litter box 15 to rotate and controls the screen 16 to sieve the cat litter in the cat litter box 15, screening the contaminated cat litter into the stirring bin, and discharging it after soaking and stirring, realizing the full automation of excrement cleaning, greatly improving the comfort of the pet and the user experience.

[0059] As an alternative solution, Figure 4 Shown is another structural schematic diagram of the control circuit of a cat litter sifter.

[0060] In one embodiment, as Figure 4 shown, on the basis of the above embodiment, the control circuit of the cat litter sifter further includes: a sand storage bin control module 23. Among them, the sand storage bin control module 23 controls the rotation outlet of the sand storage bin 24 through the sand storage bin motor. Specifically, the sand storage bin motor rotates forward or reversely, and the cat litter flows out of the sand storage bin 24. The sand storage bin motor can be the same type of motor as the rotation motor 20, the screen motor, and / or the stirring motor 21, or the sand storage bin motor can be a different type of motor from the rotation motor 20, the screen motor, and / or the stirring motor 21.

[0061] Exemplarily, the structure of the sand storage bin control module 23 is the same as that of the rotation control module 12. The controller 10 controls the sand storage bin motor through the motor startup chip, and the controller 10 is communicatively connected to the sand storage bin control module 23. Further, the current threshold of the sand storage bin motor can be set, and the controller 10 controls the sand storage bin motor according to the current threshold. For example, when the sand storage bin motor rotates forward, the cat litter flows out of the sand storage bin 24. When it is detected that the current of the sand storage bin motor is greater than the current threshold, the sand storage bin motor is controlled to rotate reversely to prevent the sand storage bin motor from being stuck by the cat litter and extend the service life of the cat litter sifter.

[0062] The controller 10 counts the number of times the cat litter in the cat litter box 15 is screened. The first preset number of times can be set according to the actual application situation. When the controller 10 detects that the screening number of times reaches the first preset number of times, it controls the rotation control module 12 to rotate the cat litter box 15 to the second preset position, so that the cat litter in the cat litter box 15 is poured out. It can be understood that the second preset position can be set according to the actual application situation. The cat litter in the cat litter box 15 can be poured into the stirring bin for soaking, stirring, and discharging, or a storage box can be set in the cat litter machine for storage. Then, the storage bin control module 23 is controlled to rotate the outlet of the storage bin 24, so that the cat litter in the storage bin 24 flows into the cat litter box 15 to replace the cat litter box 15 with new cat litter. Further, a detection device can be set to detect the cat litter capacity in the storage bin 24. When the cat litter capacity is insufficient, the cat litter machine gives an audible and visual alarm, or an alarm is sent on the electronic device through the server. The electronic device can also control the replacement of the cat litter.

[0063] As other embodiments, the controller 10 can also count the number of starts of the stirring motor 21 and control the rotation of the cat litter box 15 according to the number of starts; the controller 10 can also count the number of times the water inlet valve 18 is opened and control the rotation of the cat litter box 15 according to the number of times it is opened.

[0064] To prevent the cat litter in the cat litter box 15 from increasing too much, the control circuit of the cat litter machine further includes a first counting module 22. The first counting module 22 is used to count the number of rotations of the outlet of the storage bin 24. As other embodiments, the first counting module 22 can also be integrated in the controller 10. It can be understood that the number of rotations in this embodiment is the number of rotations of the storage bin motor that can make the cat litter flow out of the storage bin 24.

[0065] Further, a photoelectric switch can be set to count the number of rotations of the storage bin motor. Specifically, when the storage bin motor rotates one circle, the photoelectric switch is blocked once, and the signal input to the first counting module 22 is changed. The controller 10 is communicatively connected to the first counting module 22. When the number of rotations of the outlet of the storage bin 24 reaches the first preset number of rotations, the controller 10 controls the storage bin control module 23 to stop the rotation of the outlet of the storage bin 24, so that the cat litter in the storage bin 24 cannot flow into the cat litter box 15.

[0066] In this embodiment, the controller 10 counts the number of times the cat litter in the cat litter box 15 is screened. When the cat litter in the cat litter box 15 is screened multiple times, that is, after the cat litter in the cat litter box 15 is reused multiple times, the cat litter box 15 is controlled to rotate to pour out the reused cat litter in the cat litter box 15, and the cat litter in the storage bin 24 is made to flow into the cat litter box 15 by controlling the storage bin control module 23, which can reduce odors, improve the hygiene level, and further improve the comfort of pets. The first counting module 22 is set to count the number of rotation circles of the rotating outlet of the storage bin 24 to prevent the cat litter in the cat litter box 15 from increasing too much, further ensuring the reliability of the cat litter machine.

[0067] In one embodiment, as Figure 4 shown, on the basis of the above embodiment, the control circuit of the cat litter machine further includes: a first water level detection module 26 and a second water level detection module 27. The first water level detection module 26 is used to connect to the first liquid level sensor 28, and the second water level detection module 27 is used to connect to the second liquid level sensor 29. The first liquid level sensor 28 is set at the third preset position of the mixing bin, and the second liquid level sensor 29 is set at the fourth preset position of the mixing bin. The third preset position and the fourth preset position can be set according to the actual application situation. It can be understood that the fourth preset position is higher than the third preset position. Exemplarily, the material of the first liquid level sensor 28 is a flexible circuit board and is set on the side of the mixing bin, and the material of the second liquid level sensor 29 is a copper column and is set on the top of the mixing bin.

[0068] The first water level detection module 26 can be any detection module 11. Exemplarily, Figure 5 shows a circuit schematic diagram of the first water level detection module 26 in an embodiment of the present application. Among them, the chip U6 is a touch chip, and the touch chip is set to the liquid detection mode to collect the signal of the sensor. The capacitor C98 is a reference capacitor, which can be set according to the actual application situation. Exemplarily, the first reference capacitor C98 can be set to 8PF. The touch chip compares the change in the capacitance of the first liquid level sensor 28 with the capacitance value of the reference capacitor connected to its reference signal terminal. When the difference between the capacitance value of the first liquid level sensor 28 and the capacitance value of the reference capacitor exceeds the capacitance threshold set inside the touch chip, the voltage at the output terminal of the touch chip changes.

[0069] The structure of the second water level detection module 27 can be the same as the structure of the first water level detection module 26, or the structure of the second water level detection module 27 can be different from the structure of the first water level detection module 26. Exemplarily, the structure of the second water level detection module 27 is the same as the structure of the first water level detection module 26.

[0070] The controller 10 is communicatively connected to the first water level detection module 26 and the second water level detection module 27 respectively. When the controller 10 detects that the first liquid level sensor 28 is triggered by the liquid surface, it controls the inlet water valve 18 to close to avoid liquid overflow. When the second liquid level sensor 29 is triggered by the liquid surface, it controls the outlet water valve 19 to conduct, preventing liquid overflow caused by the inability to close the inlet water valve 18 when the first liquid level sensor 28 fails.

[0071] Further, in order to avoid false triggering of the first liquid level sensor 28, the control circuit of the cat litter sander further includes a water flow detection module 30. The water flow detection module 30 is used to connect to a water flow sensor. The controller 10 is communicatively connected to the water flow detection module 30. The water flow sensor is arranged at a fifth preset position at the water inlet of the mixing bin, and the fifth preset position can be set according to actual applications. Exemplarily, the material of the water flow sensor is a flexible circuit board. In order to be able to detect the water flow entering in time, the water flow sensor is arranged on the side of the water inlet. Exemplarily, the water flow detection module 30 has the same structure as the first water level detection module 26, and the signals of the sensor are collected by setting a touch chip. Further, the water flow detection module 30 requires a high sensitivity, and the parameters of the reference capacitor can be appropriately reduced. Exemplarily, the reference capacitor is set to 6PF.

[0072] Further, the control circuit of the cat litter sander further includes a flow detection module 11. The flow detection module 11 is arranged between the flow sensor and the controller 10. Exemplarily, the flow sensor is arranged at the water inlet of the mixing bin. When water needs to be injected into the mixing bin, the inlet water valve 18 is controlled to open. If there is no water flow at the water inlet and the flow sensor does not output a grating, the controller 10 issues a water shortage warning. By combining the flow sensor and the water flow sensor, false triggering of the first liquid level sensor 28 is avoided.

[0073] In this embodiment, by setting the first liquid level sensor 28 and the second liquid level sensor 29, it is ensured that the water volume in the mixing bin is just right and maintained within the safe capacity. And by setting the water flow sensor and the flow sensor, it is possible to avoid the mixing bin being unable to intake water caused by false triggering of the first liquid level sensor 28, further improving the reliability of the cat litter sander.

[0074] Further, a fan control module, a filter element in-place detection module 11, and an ultraviolet lamp control module can be set in the circuit. When the controller 10 detects that a pet is in the litter box 15, the filter element in-place detection module 11 is used to detect whether the filter element is in place. If the detection result is that the filter element is in place, the fan is controlled to start through the fan control module, and the ultraviolet lamp is controlled to start through the ultraviolet lamp control module to disinfect the litter box 15.

[0075] In one embodiment, based on the above embodiment, the detection module 11 includes: a living body detection unit and a weight detection unit. Exemplarily, the living body detection unit is a radar sensor with its antenna facing inwards. The radar sensor can detect whether there is a living being in the litter box 15 and the distance between the living being and the radar sensor. The radar sensor communicates with the controller 10 via a serial port, and the position of the radar sensor can be set according to the actual application situation.

[0076] Specifically, the weight detection unit is a weight sensor that can detect the weight of the litter box 15, and the position of the weight sensor can be set according to the actual application situation. Exemplarily, a weight sensor is respectively arranged at the four corners of the litter box 15 to form a bridge sensor. When the weight of the litter box 15 changes, the differential signal is transmitted to the controller 10 after analog-to-digital conversion.

[0077] The controller 10 determines whether the pet has left the litter box 15 based on the living body detection signal output by the living body detection unit and the weight detection signal output by the weight detection unit, and determines whether excrement is generated in the litter box 15 based on the weight detection signal. This can prevent the controller 10 from making misjudgments and enhance safety.

[0078] Furthermore, in order to avoid misjudgments by the living body detection unit and the weight detection unit, the detection module 11 further includes a living body in-and-out detection unit and a door detection unit. Exemplarily, the living body in-and-out detection unit is an infrared emitting tube and a phototransistor. The output signal changes when the infrared emitting tube and the phototransistor are blocked. The infrared emitting tube and the phototransistor can be arranged at the door of the litter box 15. When the signals of the infrared emitting tube and the phototransistor obtained by the controller 10 change, it is determined that there is a living being entering or leaving the litter box 15, and the cleaning of the litter box 15 is stopped.

[0079] Exemplarily, the door detection unit is a radar sensor. Specifically, the door detection unit is used to detect whether there is a living being at the door of the litter box 15. The door detection unit can be arranged at the door position of the litter box 15, and the antenna of the radar sensor faces outwards. When an object moves at the door of the litter box 15, the signal output by the radar sensor changes.

[0080] The controller 10 determines whether the pet has left the litter box 15 based on the door detection signal output by the door detection unit, the living body in-and-out detection signal output by the living body in-and-out detection unit, the living body detection signal output by the living body detection unit, and the weight detection signal output by the weight detection unit. Specifically, when the door detection signal output by the door detection unit, the living body in-and-out detection signal output by the living body in-and-out detection unit, and the living body detection signal output by the living body detection unit do not change, and it is known from the weight detection signal output by the weight detection unit that the increased weight of the litter box 15 is less than the weight of the pet, it is determined that the pet has left the litter box 15.

[0081] In this embodiment, a living body detection unit, a weight detection unit, a living body in-and-out detection unit, and a door detection unit are provided in the detection module 11. Whether there is a living thing in the litter box 15 is jointly judged by multiple detection units. Multiple confirmations can further prevent the controller 10 from making misjudgments, enhance safety, improve the accuracy of judgment, and further improve the safety and reliability of the cat litter machine.

[0082] The embodiment of the present application also provides a control method for a cat litter machine. Figure 6 As shown in the flowchart of a control method for a cat litter machine according to an embodiment of the present application, this control method for a cat litter machine is applied to the control circuit of the cat litter machine mentioned in the above embodiment, and includes:

[0083] Step S101: Determine whether the pet has left the detection module 11 of the litter box 15 and whether excrement is produced in the litter box 15 according to the detection module 11.

[0084] Specifically, the detection module 11 can be a weight sensor. The controller 10 determines whether the pet has left the litter box 15 and whether there is excrement in the litter box 15 according to the change of the weight signal of the weight sensor.

[0085] Step S102: If the pet leaves and cat excrement is produced in the litter box 15, control the rotation control module 12 to rotate the litter box 15 to a first preset position.

[0086] Specifically, the rotation control module 12 drives the rotation of the gear by controlling the rotation of the rotation motor 20, and drives the litter box 15 to rotate through the rotation of the gear. The first preset position can be set according to the actual application situation.

[0087] Step S103: Control the screen control module 13 to screen the contaminated cat litter in the litter box 15 into the mixing bin of the cat litter machine.

[0088] Exemplarily, the screen control module 13 controls the screen 16 of the cat litter machine through a screen motor. The cat litter agglomerates the excrement of the pet, and then uses the screen 16 to screen out the excrement of the cat. The unbonded cat litter leaks through because its diameter is smaller than the diameter of the holes in the screen 16, and the agglomerated cat excrement is screened into the mixing bin of the cat litter machine as contaminated cat litter.

[0089] Step S104: Control the water inlet valve 18 of the mixing bin to conduct to soak the contaminated cat litter.

[0090] The controller 10 can be connected to the water inlet valve 18 through a switching tube. By controlling the switching tube, the water inlet valve 18 is controlled to conduct, and the water flow flows to the mixing bin. The soaking time of the contaminated cat litter can be set according to the actual application situation.

[0091] Step S105: Control the stirring rod 17 to stir the contaminated cat litter through the stirring rod control module 14.

[0092] Exemplarily, the stirring rod control module 14 controls the stirring rod 17 of the cat litter machine through the stirring motor 21. The stirring time of the stirring rod 17 can be set according to the actual application situation.

[0093] Step S106: Control the water outlet valve 19 of the stirring bin to conduct and discharge the contaminated cat litter.

[0094] The controller 10 can be connected to the water outlet valve 19 through a switching tube. By controlling the switching tube, the water outlet valve 19 is controlled to conduct, and the contaminated cat litter is discharged.

[0095] As another embodiment, when the controller 10 controls the stirring rod 17 to stir the contaminated cat litter through the stirring rod control module 14, the stirring rod 17 drives the impeller fixed thereto to discharge the contaminated cat litter.

[0096] In this embodiment, when the controller 10 determines according to the detection module 11 that the pet leaves the cat litter box 15 and there is excrement in the cat litter box 15, by controlling each control module, the cat litter box 15 is rotated, and the contaminated cat litter in the cat litter box 15 is screened into the stirring bin of the cat litter machine through the screen 16; then the contaminated cat litter is soaked by controlling the water valve, and the stirring rod 17 is controlled to stir the contaminated cat litter to discharge the contaminated cat litter. The whole process works automatically to realize the cleaning of excrement without manual intervention, so that pet owners no longer come into contact with the excrement of pet cats, ensuring the comfort of pets while also ensuring the physical and mental health of pet owners and the hygiene of the home environment.

[0097] This application also provides a cat litter machine. Exemplarily, the cat litter machine includes the control circuit of the above-mentioned cat litter machine. It can be understood that the specific structural form of the cat litter box 15 and the specific positions of the cat litter box 15, the stirring bin and the sand storage bin 24 are not limited and can be set according to the actual application situation. For example, the cat litter machine can be fully enclosed, or the cat litter machine can be semi-enclosed, etc. The shape of the cat litter machine can be egg-shaped, the shape of the cat litter machine can also be box-shaped, and the shape of the cat litter machine can also be hemispherical, etc.

[0098] In several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can also be implemented in other ways. The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the flowcharts and structure diagrams in the accompanying drawings show the possible architectures, functions, and operations of devices, methods, and computer program products according to multiple embodiments of this application. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagram can represent a module, a program segment, or a part of code, and the module, program segment, or part of code contains one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function. It should also be noted that in an alternative implementation, the functions marked in the blocks can occur in a different order from that marked in the accompanying drawings. For example, two consecutive blocks can actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they can sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each block in the structure diagram and / or flowchart, as well as the combination of blocks in the structure diagram and / or flowchart, can be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified functions or actions, or can be implemented by a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0099] In addition, each functional module or unit in various embodiments of this application can be integrated together to form an independent part, or each module can exist separately, or two or more modules can be integrated to form an independent part.

[0100] If the above functions are implemented in the form of software functional modules and sold or used as an independent product, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a part of this technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to enable a computer device (which can be a smart phone, a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in various embodiments of this application.

[0101] The above is only the specific implementation manner of this application, but the protection scope of this application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application can easily think of changes or substitutions, which should all be covered by the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A control circuit for a cat litter machine, characterized in that: include: A controller, a detection module, a rotation control module, a screen control module and a stirring rod control module, wherein the rotation control module is used to connect the cat litter box of the cat litter machine, the screen control module is used to connect the screen of the cat litter machine, and the stirring rod control module is used to connect the stirring rod of the cat litter machine; The controller is used to determine that the pet has left the cat litter box according to the detection module, and when there is excrement in the cat litter box, control the rotation control module to rotate the cat litter box to a first preset position, and control the screen control module to make the screen screen the contaminated cat litter in the cat litter box into the mixing bin of the cat litter machine; The controller is also used to control the water inlet valve of the stirring bin to be turned on so that the contaminated cat litter is soaked, control the stirring rod control module to make the stirring rod stir the contaminated cat litter, and control the water outlet valve of the stirring bin to be turned on so that the contaminated cat litter is discharged.

2. The control circuit of the cat litter machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control circuit of the cat litter machine also includes: a sand storage bin control module, the sand storage bin control module is used to connect the sand storage bin rotary outlet; The controller is communicatively connected to the litter storage bin control module. The controller is also used to control the rotation control module to rotate the litter box to a second preset position when the cat litter in the litter box has been screened a first preset number of times, so that the cat litter in the litter box can be poured out, and to control the litter storage bin control module to rotate the sand storage bin rotation outlet, so that the cat litter in the sand storage bin can flow into the litter box.

3. The control circuit of the cat litter machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The control circuit of the cat litter machine also includes: a first counting module; The first counting module is used to count the number of rotations of the rotating outlet of the sand storage bin; The controller is communicatively connected to the first counting module, and the controller is also used to stop the rotation of the sand storage bin rotating outlet by controlling the sand storage bin control module when the number of rotations of the sand storage bin rotating outlet reaches a first preset number of rotations, so that the cat litter in the sand storage bin cannot flow into the cat litter box.

4. The control circuit of the cat litter machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The detection module includes: a living body detection unit and a weight detection unit. The living body detection unit is used to detect whether there is a living thing in the cat litter box, and the weight detection unit is used to detect the weight of the cat litter box; The controller is communicatively connected with the liveness detection unit and the weight detection unit. The controller is used to determine whether the pet has left the litter box based on the liveness detection signal output by the liveness detection unit and the weight detection signal output by the weight detection unit, and to determine whether excrement is generated in the litter box based on the weight detection signal.

5. The control circuit of the cat litter machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: The detection module also includes: a living body in and out detection unit, The living body in and out detection unit is used to detect whether the pet enters and exits the cat litter box; The controller is communicatively connected to the live body in / out detection unit, and is also used to determine whether the pet has left the litter box based on the live body in / out detection signal output by the live body in / out detection unit, the live body detection signal output by the live body detection unit, and the weight detection signal output by the weight detection unit.

6. The control circuit of the cat litter machine according to claim 5, characterized in that: The detection module further includes: a door detection unit, the door detection unit being used to detect whether there is a living thing at the door of the cat litter box; The controller is communicatively connected to the door detection unit, and is also used to determine whether the pet has left the cat litter box based on the door detection signal output by the door detection unit, the living body entry and exit detection signal output by the living body entry and exit detection unit, the living body detection signal output by the living body detection unit, and the weight detection signal output by the weight detection unit.

7. The control circuit of the cat litter machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control circuit of the cat litter machine further includes: a first water level detection module and a second water level detection module, the first water level detection module is used to connect to a first liquid level sensor, the second water level detection module is used to connect to a second liquid level sensor, the first liquid level sensor is arranged at a third preset position of the mixing bin, the second liquid level sensor is arranged at a fourth preset position of the mixing bin, and the fourth preset position is higher than the third preset position; The controller is communicatively connected to the first water level detection module and the second water level detection module respectively. The controller is also used to control the water inlet valve to close when the first liquid level sensor is triggered by the liquid level; and to control the water outlet valve to open when the second liquid level sensor is triggered by the liquid level.

8. The control circuit of the cat litter machine according to claim 7, characterized in that: The control circuit of the cat litter machine also includes: a water flow detection module, the water flow detection module is used to connect a water flow sensor, the controller is communicatively connected with the water flow detection module, and the water flow sensor is arranged at a fifth preset position of the water inlet of the mixing bin.

9. A method for controlling a cat litter machine, characterized in that: The control method of the cat litter machine is applied to the control circuit of the cat litter machine according to any one of claims 1 to 8, and the control method of the cat litter machine includes: Determine whether the pet has left the cat litter box detection module and whether excrement is produced in the cat litter box according to the detection module; If the pet leaves and produces cat excrement in the cat litter box, the cat litter box is rotated to a first preset position by controlling the rotation control module; By controlling the screen control module, the screen is made to screen the contaminated cat litter in the cat litter box to the mixing bin of the cat litter machine; Controlling the water inlet valve of the mixing bin to be turned on to allow the contaminated cat litter to be soaked; Controlling the stirring rod control module to cause the stirring rod to stir the contaminated cat litter; The water outlet valve of the mixing bin is controlled to be turned on to discharge the contaminated cat litter.

10. A cat litter machine, characterized in that: The cat litter machine comprises: a control circuit of the cat litter machine according to any one of claims 1-8.

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