Automatic feeding system for laboratory mice

Abstract

The invention provides an automatic feeding system for laboratory mice, and relates to the technical field of laboratory animal feeding. The bottom of the storage hopper is connected with a feeder, a motor is installed outside the feeder, and a spiral conveying rod is installed inside the feeder; the bottom of the storage hopper is sleeved with a positioning lock sleeve, and the positioning lock sleeve is located at the top of the feeder; a trigger rod and a vertical guide rod are mounted in the storage hopper; and the outer part of the storage funnel is connected with a fixing hoop. The mouse foraging activity is sensed through the correlation switch, the motor pushes the feed particles to move through the spiral conveying rod, the feed particles are made to move to the foraging opening area, and the mouse foraging activity is facilitated. The problems that in the current mouse feeding operation, regular feeding is usually conducted in a manual mode, the mouse is natural, gall, fear of frightening, very sensitive to the external environment and prone to being disturbed by living people, and frequent feeding operation easily causes adverse effects on the mouse are solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of experimental animal breeding, and particularly relates to an automatic breeding system for experimental mice. Background Art

[0002] Experimental mice are a commonly used experimental animal in scientific research, especially in the fields of life sciences, drug development, genetics, etc.; in order to obtain experimental mice with specific traits or observe the growth of mice, it is often necessary to breed and reproduce mice in the laboratory.

[0003] Currently, for the feeding operation of mice, manual feeding is usually carried out regularly. In order to avoid waste, the single feeding amount is small and the feeding is relatively frequent. Since mice are naturally timid and easily frightened, and are very sensitive to the external environment and are easily disturbed by strangers, frequent feeding operations are likely to have an adverse effect on the healthy growth of mice, resulting in relatively low accuracy of the physiological parameters of mice and relatively low accuracy of the data obtained from experiments. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure relates to an automatic breeding system for experimental mice, which solves the problem that in the existing mouse breeding and feeding operations, manual feeding is usually carried out regularly. In order to avoid waste, the single feeding amount is small and the feeding is relatively frequent. Since mice are naturally timid and easily frightened, and are very sensitive to the external environment and are easily disturbed by strangers, frequent feeding operations are likely to have an adverse impact on the healthy growth of mice.

[0005] In the first aspect of the present disclosure, an automatic breeding system for experimental mice is provided, specifically including: a feed storage funnel, a feeder, a motor, a spiral conveyor rod, a positioning lock sleeve, a trigger rod, a vertical guide rod, and a fixing hoop; the bottom of the feed storage funnel is connected to the feeder, a motor is installed outside the feeder, and a spiral conveyor rod is installed inside the feeder; the bottom of the feed storage funnel is sleeved with the positioning lock sleeve, and the positioning lock sleeve is located at the top of the feeder; a trigger rod and a vertical guide rod are installed inside the feed storage funnel; the outside of the feed storage funnel is connected with the fixing hoop, and the feed storage funnel is installed and fixed in the mouse house through the fixing hoop.

[0006] Further, the spiral conveyor rod is rotatably connected inside the feeder, the drive shaft of the motor is connected to the spiral conveyor rod, the outside of the feeder is inclined upwardly provided with a foraging opening, the opposed switches are symmetrically located at both ends of the foraging opening, and the opposed switches are connected to the motor through a circuit. When the mouse's head extends into the foraging opening to feed, the opposed switches sense the presence of the mouse, start the motor, the motor drives the spiral conveyor rod to slowly rotate, the feed particles inside the feed storage funnel enter the feeder, and the spiral conveyor rod pushes the feed particles to move, so that the feed particles move to the area of the foraging opening.

[0007] Furthermore, an elliptical vertical hole is provided on the top of the storage funnel, a trigger rod slides through the elliptical vertical hole, a lightweight ball is provided at the bottom end of the trigger rod, the bottom of the lightweight ball contacts the feed particles stored inside the storage funnel, and the amount of feed particles inside the storage funnel is detected by the trigger rod.

[0008] Furthermore, a trigger block is provided at the top of the trigger rod, and a touch switch is installed on the top of the storage hopper. The touch switch is connected to the alarm through a line, and the trigger block is located directly above the touch switch. When the trigger rod falls to the bottom, the trigger block contacts the top of the touch switch. When the feed particles inside the storage hopper are close to the bottom, the trigger rod falls to the lowest end, and the trigger block presses on the top of the touch switch. The touch switch controls the alarm to power on, and a reminder is issued through the alarm to remind the staff to add feed particles to the storage hopper in time.

[0009] Furthermore, a feed port is provided on the top of the feeder, the bottom of the storage funnel is inserted into the feed port, an L-shaped slot is provided on the feed port in a circumferential shape, a card block is provided on the bottom of the storage funnel in a circumferential shape, the card block is connected to the card slot, the card block cooperates with the card slot, and the feeder and the storage funnel are connected together by a card connection method, so that the disassembly and assembly between the two are easier.

[0010] Furthermore, the positioning locking sleeve is slidably connected to the storage funnel, a limiting block is arranged at the bottom of the storage funnel, a movable hole is arranged inside the positioning locking sleeve, the limiting block is slidably connected to the movable hole, the bottom of the positioning locking sleeve is in contact with the feed port, and the movable hole cooperates with the limiting block to guide the movement of the positioning locking sleeve.

[0011] Furthermore, a No. 1 spring is mounted on the outside of the storage funnel, the top of the No. 1 spring contacts the storage funnel, the bottom of the No. 1 spring contacts the top of the positioning lock sleeve, an insertion block is provided at the bottom of the positioning lock sleeve, the insertion block is inserted into the slot, and the No. 1 spring is used to elastically reset the positioning lock sleeve. When the insertion block moves to the inner end of the slot, the positioning lock sleeve is reset under the influence of the thrust of the No. 1 spring, so that the insertion block is inserted into the slot, thereby fixing the feeder.

[0012] Furthermore, a guide hole is provided inside the storage funnel, a vertical guide rod is slidably connected in the guide hole, a plug is provided at the bottom end of the vertical guide rod, and when the vertical guide rod falls to the bottom, the bottom of the plug contacts the inner wall of the storage funnel.

[0013] Furthermore, a No. 2 spring is mounted on the outside of the vertical guide rod, the top end of the No. 2 spring is in contact with the storage funnel, and the bottom end of the No. 2 spring is in contact with the plug. A push rod is arranged in the feed port, and the top end of the push rod is in contact with the bottom of the plug. When the storage funnel is connected to the feeder, the top end of the push rod is in contact with the bottom of the plug, and the No. 2 spring is contracted under force, so that the feed particles inside the storage funnel can be discharged from the bottom by themselves.

[0014] The present invention provides an automatic feeding system for experimental mice, which has the following beneficial effects: When the present invention is in use, when the mouse stretches its head into the foraging opening to feed, the pair of emission switches senses the presence of the mouse and starts the motor. The motor drives the spiral conveyor rod to slowly rotate, and the feed particles inside the storage hopper enter the feeder. The spiral conveyor rod pushes the feed particles to move, so that the feed particles move to the foraging opening area, facilitating the feeding activity of the mice, and effectively avoiding the impact on the mice caused by frequent manual feeding; the amount of feed particles inside the storage hopper is detected by the trigger rod. When the feed particles inside the storage hopper are close to the bottom, the trigger rod drops to the lowest end, and the trigger block presses on the top of the touch switch. The touch switch controls the alarm to be powered on, and a reminder is sent through the alarm to remind the staff to add feed particles into the storage hopper in time, effectively ensuring the sufficiency of the feed particles inside the storage hopper, and avoiding phenomena such as mutual competition, attack, and plunder among the mice due to the shortage of feed particles.

[0015] In addition, through the cooperation of the clamping block and the clamping groove, the feeder is connected to the storage hopper by a clamping method, making the disassembly and assembly between the two more convenient. Through the cooperation of the movable hole and the limiting block, the guiding effect on the movement of the positioning lock sleeve is achieved, and the elastic reset effect on the positioning lock sleeve is achieved by the first spring; when the clamping block moves to the inner end of the clamping groove, the positioning lock sleeve is reset under the influence of the thrust of the first spring, so that the insertion block is inserted into the clamping groove, achieving the fixing effect on the feeder and ensuring the firm connection between the feeder and the storage hopper; when a failure occurs in the feed particle feeding, the positioning lock sleeve is moved in the reverse direction, the first spring is forced to contract, and the insertion block is separated from the clamping groove, and the feeder is unlocked. Then, the feeder can be rotated in the reverse direction, and the feeder can be disassembled from the bottom side of the storage hopper for maintenance operations, which is more convenient and time-saving.

[0016] In addition, when the storage hopper is connected to the feeder, the top end of the top rod is in contact with the bottom of the plug, and the second spring is forced to contract, so that the feed particles inside the storage hopper can be discharged automatically from the bottom; when the feeder is disassembled from the bottom of the storage hopper, the top end of the top rod is separated from the bottom of the plug, and the plug moves and resets under the influence of the thrust of the second spring, so that the bottom of the plug contacts the inner wall of the storage hopper, sealing the discharge port at the bottom of the storage hopper, and preventing the feed particles inside the storage hopper from falling into the mouse house uncontrollably, causing the mice to have difficulty in feeding and resulting in problems of deterioration and waste.

[0017] Other advantages, objectives, and features of the present invention will be partially reflected by the following description, and partially will also be understood by those skilled in the art through the research and practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below.

[0019] The accompanying drawings in the following description relate only to some embodiments of the present invention and are not a limitation on the present invention.

[0020] In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 A schematic axonometric structure diagram of the whole application is shown; Figure 2 A schematic axonometric structure diagram of another angle of the whole application is shown; Figure 3 A schematic disassembled structure diagram of the feeding hopper and the feeder of the present application is shown; Figure 4 A schematic connection structure diagram of the feeding hopper and the positioning lock sleeve of the present application is shown; Figure 5 A schematic internal sectional structure diagram of the feeding hopper of the present application is shown; Figure 6 A schematic axonometric structure diagram of the feeding hopper of the present application is shown; Figure 7 A schematic axonometric structure diagram of the feeder of the present application is shown; Figure 8 A schematic axonometric structure diagram of the positioning lock sleeve of the present application is shown.

[0021] List of reference numerals 1. Feeding hopper; 101. Clamping block; 102. Limiting block; 103. Oval vertical hole; 104. Guide hole; 2. Feeder; 201. Feeding port; 2011. Card slot; 2012. Thrust rod; 202. Foraging port; 3. Motor; 4. Screw conveyor rod; 5. Positioning lock sleeve; 501. Movable hole; 502. Insert block; 6. First spring; 7. Opposite light switch; 8. Trigger rod; 801. Light ball; 802. Trigger pressing block; 9. Tactile switch; 10. Vertical guide rod; 1001. Plug; 11. Second spring; 12. Fixed hoop. Detailed implementation manners

[0022] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are some, but not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the described embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] Embodiment 1: Please refer to Figures 1 to 8 : The present invention provides an automatic feeding system for experimental mice, comprising: a feed hopper 1, a feeder 2, a motor 3, a spiral conveyor rod 4, a positioning lock sleeve 5, a trigger rod 8, a vertical guide rod 10 and a fixing hoop 12; the bottom of the feed hopper 1 is connected to the feeder 2, the outside of the feeder 2 is equipped with the motor 3, and the inside of the feeder 2 is equipped with the spiral conveyor rod 4; the bottom of the feed hopper 1 is sleeved with the positioning lock sleeve 5, and the positioning lock sleeve 5 is located at the top of the feeder 2; the inside of the feed hopper 1 is equipped with the trigger rod 8 and the vertical guide rod 10; the outside of the feed hopper 1 is connected to the fixing hoop 12, and the feed hopper 1 is installed and fixed in the mouse house through the fixing hoop 12; the spiral conveyor rod 4 is rotatably connected inside the feeder 2, the drive shaft of the motor 3 is connected to the spiral conveyor rod 4, the outside of the feeder 2 is inclined upwardly provided with a foraging opening 202, the photoelectric switch 7 is symmetrically located at both ends of the foraging opening 202, and the photoelectric switch 7 is connected to the motor 3 through a circuit; when the mouse's head extends into the foraging opening 202 to feed, the photoelectric switch 7 senses the presence of the mouse, starts the motor 3, the motor 3 drives the spiral conveyor rod 4 to slowly rotate, the feed particles inside the feed hopper 1 enter the feeder 2, and the spiral conveyor rod 4 pushes the feed particles to move, so that the feed particles move to the area of the foraging opening 202, facilitating the feeding activity of the mouse.

[0024] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, an elliptical vertical hole 103 is provided at the top of the feed hopper 1, the trigger rod 8 slidably penetrates through the elliptical vertical hole 103, a light ball 801 is provided at the bottom end of the trigger rod 8, the bottom of the light ball 801 contacts the feed particles stored inside the feed hopper 1, a trigger pressing block 802 is provided at the top end of the trigger rod 8, a touch switch 9 is installed at the top of the feed hopper 1, the touch switch 9 is connected to the alarm through a circuit, the trigger pressing block 802 is located directly above the touch switch 9, and when the trigger rod 8 falls to the lowest end, the trigger pressing block 802 contacts the top of the touch switch 9; Adopting the above technical solution, the amount of feed particles inside the feed hopper 1 is detected by the trigger rod 8. When the feed particles inside the feed hopper 1 are close to the bottom, the trigger rod 8 falls to the lowest end, the trigger pressing block 802 presses on the top of the touch switch 9, the touch switch 9 controls the alarm to be powered on, and a reminder is sent through the alarm, reminding the staff to add feed particles into the feed hopper 1 in time, effectively ensuring the sufficiency of the feed particles inside the feed hopper 1 and avoiding phenomena such as mutual competition, attack, and plunder among mice due to the shortage of feed particles.

[0025] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, a feed inlet 201 is provided at the top of the feeder 2. The bottom of the storage hopper 1 is inserted into the feed inlet 201. An L-shaped card slot 2011 is arranged in a surrounding shape on the feed inlet 201. A clamping block 101 is arranged in a surrounding shape at the bottom of the storage hopper 1. The clamping block 101 is connected to the card slot 2011. The positioning lock sleeve 5 is slidably connected to the storage hopper 1. A limiting block 102 is arranged at the bottom of the storage hopper 1. An activity hole 501 is arranged inside the positioning lock sleeve 5. The limiting block 102 is slidably connected to the activity hole 501. The bottom of the positioning lock sleeve 5 is in contact with the feed inlet 201. A first spring 6 is sleeved outside the storage hopper 1. The top of the first spring 6 is in contact with the storage hopper 1. The bottom of the first spring 6 is in contact with the top of the positioning lock sleeve 5. An insertion block 502 is arranged at the bottom of the positioning lock sleeve 5. The insertion block 502 is inserted into the card slot 2011; With the above technical solution, through the cooperation of the clamping block 101 and the card slot 2011, the feeder 2 and the storage hopper 1 are connected together by a clamping method, making the disassembly and assembly between the two more convenient. Through the cooperation of the activity hole 501 and the limiting block 102, the guiding effect on the movement of the positioning lock sleeve 5 is achieved. Through the first spring 6, the elastic reset effect on the positioning lock sleeve 5 is achieved; when the clamping block 101 moves to the inner end of the card slot 2011, the positioning lock sleeve 5 is reset under the influence of the thrust of the first spring 6, so that the insertion block 502 is inserted into the card slot 2011, achieving the fixing effect on the feeder 2 and ensuring the firmness of the connection between the feeder 2 and the storage hopper 1; when a failure occurs in the feeding of feed particles, the positioning lock sleeve 5 is moved in the reverse direction, the first spring 6 is compressed by force, the insertion block 502 is separated from the card slot 2011, the feeder 2 is unlocked, and the feeder 2 can be rotated in the reverse direction to be disassembled from the bottom side of the storage hopper 1 for maintenance operations, which is more convenient and time-saving.

[0026] In Embodiment 2, on the basis of Embodiment 1, a guiding hole 104 is arranged inside the storage hopper 1. The vertical guiding rod 10 is slidably connected to the guiding hole 104. A plug 1001 is arranged at the bottom end of the vertical guiding rod 10. When the vertical guiding rod 10 drops to the lowest end, the bottom of the plug 1001 is in contact with the inner wall of the storage hopper 1. A second spring 11 is sleeved outside the vertical guiding rod 10. The top end of the second spring 11 is in contact with the storage hopper 1. The bottom end of the second spring 11 is in contact with the plug 1001. A top rod 2012 is arranged in the feed inlet 201. The top end of the top rod 2012 is in contact with the bottom of the plug 1001; With the above technical solution, when the storage hopper 1 is connected to the feeder 2, the top end of the ejector rod 2012 is in contact with the bottom of the plug 1001, and the second spring 11 is compressed, enabling the feed particles inside the storage hopper 1 to discharge automatically from the bottom; when the feeder 2 is detached from the bottom of the storage hopper 1, the top end of the ejector rod 2012 is separated from the bottom of the plug 1001, and the plug 1001 is pushed by the second spring 11 to move back to its original position, causing the bottom of the plug 1001 to contact the inner wall of the storage hopper 1, sealing the discharge port at the bottom of the storage hopper 1 and preventing the feed particles inside the storage hopper 1 from falling into the mouse house uncontrollably, which may lead to the problem of mice not being able to eat in time and resulting in spoilage and waste.

[0027] The working principle of this embodiment is as follows: First, the feeder 2 is connected to the storage hopper 1 by clamping through the cooperation of the clamping block 101 and the clamping groove 2011; when the clamping block 101 moves to the inner end of the clamping groove 2011, the positioning lock sleeve 5 is reset under the influence of the thrust of the first spring 6, causing the insertion block 502 to insert into the clamping groove 2011, achieving the fixing effect on the feeder 2 and ensuring the firm connection between the feeder 2 and the storage hopper 1; the top end of the ejector rod 2012 is in contact with the bottom of the plug 1001, and the second spring 11 is compressed, enabling the feed particles inside the storage hopper 1 to discharge automatically from the bottom; when the mouse's head reaches into the feeding port 202 to eat, the photoelectric switch 7 senses the presence of the mouse and starts the motor 3. The motor 3 drives the spiral conveyor rod 4 to rotate slowly, and the feed particles inside the storage hopper 1 enter the feeder 2. The spiral conveyor rod 4 pushes the feed particles to move, making the feed particles move to the area of the feeding port 202 for the mouse to eat conveniently; when a malfunction occurs in the feeding of the feed particles, the positioning lock sleeve 5 is moved in the reverse direction, the first spring 6 is compressed, and the insertion block 502 is separated from the clamping groove 2011. The feeder 2 is unlocked, and the feeder 2 can be rotated in the reverse direction to be detached from the bottom side of the storage hopper 1 for maintenance operations; when the feeder 2 is detached from the bottom of the storage hopper 1, the top end of the ejector rod 2012 is separated from the bottom of the plug 1001, and the plug 1001 is pushed by the second spring 11 to move back to its original position, causing the bottom of the plug 1001 to contact the inner wall of the storage hopper 1, sealing the discharge port at the bottom of the storage hopper 1 and preventing the feed particles inside the storage hopper 1 from falling into the mouse house uncontrollably, which may lead to the problem of mice not being able to eat in time and resulting in spoilage and waste.

[0028] In this article, the following points need to be noted: 1. The attached drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure only relate to the structures involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure, and other structures can refer to the general design.

[0029] 2. Without conflict, the embodiments of the present disclosure and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other to obtain new embodiments.

[0030] The above are only specific embodiments of the present disclosure, but the protection scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed by the present disclosure can easily think of changes or substitutions, which should all be covered within the protection scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the protection scope of the present disclosure shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An automatic feeding system for experimental mice, comprising: Storage hopper (1), feeder (2), motor (3), spiral conveyor rod (4), positioning lock sleeve (5), trigger rod (8), vertical guide rod (10) and fixing hoop (12); It is characterized in that a feeder (2) is connected to the bottom of the storage hopper (1), a motor (3) is installed outside the feeder (2), and a spiral conveyor rod (4) is installed inside the feeder (2); A positioning lock sleeve (5) is sleeved on the bottom of the storage hopper (1), and the positioning lock sleeve (5) is located at the top of the feeder (2); A trigger rod (8) and a vertical guide rod (10) are installed inside the storage hopper (1); A fixing hoop (12) is connected to the outside of the storage hopper (1), and the storage hopper (1) is installed and fixed in the mouse house through the fixing hoop (12).

2. The automatic feeding system for experimental mice according to claim 1, characterized in that The spiral conveyor rod (4) is rotatably connected inside the feeder (2), the drive shaft of the motor (3) is connected to the spiral conveyor rod (4), the outside of the feeder (2) is inclined upwardly provided with a foraging opening (202), and the photoelectric sensors (7) are symmetrically located at both ends of the foraging opening (202), and the photoelectric sensors (7) are connected to the motor (3) through a circuit.

3. The automatic feeding system for experimental mice according to claim 1, characterized in that An elliptical vertical hole (103) is provided at the top of the storage hopper (1), the trigger rod (8) slidably penetrates through the elliptical vertical hole (103), a lightweight ball (801) is provided at the bottom end of the trigger rod (8), and the bottom of the lightweight ball (801) contacts the feed pellets stored inside the storage hopper (1).

4. The automatic feeding system for experimental mice according to claim 1, characterized in that A trigger pressing block (802) is provided at the top end of the trigger rod (8), a touch switch (9) is installed at the top of the storage hopper (1), the touch switch (9) is connected to the alarm through a circuit, the trigger pressing block (802) is located directly above the touch switch (9), and when the trigger rod (8) falls to the lowest end, the trigger pressing block (802) contacts the top of the touch switch (9).

5. The automatic feeding system for experimental mice according to claim 1, characterized in that A feed inlet (201) is provided at the top of the feeder (2), the bottom of the storage hopper (1) is inserted into the feed inlet (201), an L-shaped card slot (2011) is provided in a surrounding shape on the feed inlet (201), and a card block (101) is provided in a surrounding shape at the bottom of the storage hopper (1), and the card block (101) is connected to the card slot (2011).

6. The automatic feeding system for experimental mice according to claim 5, characterized in that The positioning lock sleeve (5) is slidably connected to the storage hopper (1), a limiting block (102) is provided at the bottom of the storage hopper (1), a movable hole (501) is provided inside the positioning lock sleeve (5), the limiting block (102) is slidably connected to the movable hole (501), and the bottom of the positioning lock sleeve (5) contacts the feed inlet (201).

7. The automatic feeding system for experimental mice according to claim 5, characterized in that A first spring (6) is sleeved outside the material storage hopper (1). The top of the first spring (6) contacts the material storage hopper (1), and the bottom of the first spring (6) contacts the top of the positioning lock sleeve (5). A plug (502) is provided at the bottom of the positioning lock sleeve (5), and the plug (502) is inserted into the card slot (2011).

8. An automatic feeding system for experimental mice according to claim 5, characterized in that A guiding hole (104) is provided inside the material storage hopper (1). A vertical guiding rod (10) is slidably connected in the guiding hole (104). A plug (1001) is provided at the bottom end of the vertical guiding rod (10). When the vertical guiding rod (10) falls to the lowest end, the bottom of the plug (1001) contacts the inner wall of the material storage hopper (1).

9. An automatic feeding system for experimental mice according to claim 8, characterized in that A second spring (11) is sleeved outside the vertical guiding rod (10). The top of the second spring (11) contacts the material storage hopper (1), and the bottom of the second spring (11) contacts the plug (1001). A push rod (2012) is provided in the feed inlet (201), and the top of the push rod (2012) contacts the bottom of the plug (1001).

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