Automatic small animal feeding device and using method thereof

By designing an automated small animal breeding device with a conveyor belt and door drive components, the problem of time-consuming and labor-intensive bedding replacement in mouse cages is solved. The automatic laying of bedding and automatic removal of contaminated bedding are achieved, thereby improving operational efficiency.

CN120678030APending Publication Date: 2025-09-23THE SECOND AFFILIATED HOSPITAL ARMY MEDICAL UNIV
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202511004172.0
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2025-07-21
Publication Date
2025-09-23

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The existing process of replacing the bedding of mouse cages requires a lot of manpower, is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and is not easy to automate.

Method used

An automatic feeding device for small animals was designed, which included a conveyor belt, a bedding bin, a feeding room, and a waste bin. The rotation characteristics of the conveyor belt were used to automatically lay the bedding and automatically remove the contaminated bedding. The door drive component, the laying monitoring module, and the abnormality judgment module were combined to realize automatic bedding replacement.

Benefits of technology

It realizes the automatic replacement of bedding materials, reduces the dependence on human resources, improves operating efficiency and reduces labor intensity.

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Abstract

The invention relates to the field of animal feeding, and provides an automatic small animal feeding device which comprises a conveying belt, a padding bin, a feeding chamber and a waste bin. A padding bin and a feeding chamber are sequentially arranged above the conveying belt in the conveying direction. A discharging door and a door driving assembly used for driving the discharging door to be opened and closed are arranged at the bottom of the padding bin, so that the discharging door is opened through the door driving assembly when the conveying belt runs, and padding stored in the bin is spread on the upper surface of the conveying belt; a drain outlet is formed in the bottom of the feeding chamber, so that excrement of feeding objects in the feeding chamber can be in contact with padding on the upper surface of the conveying belt through the drain outlet; the waste bin is adjacent to the tail end of the conveying belt in the conveying direction and used for bearing padding waste falling off from the rotation position of the conveying belt. Based on the rotation characteristic of the conveying belt, clean padding is automatically laid while the conveying belt runs, the polluted padding is automatically discharged into the waste bin at the rotation position, and automatic padding replacement is achieved. The invention further provides a using method of the feeding device.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of animal breeding, and in particular to an automatic small animal breeding device and a use method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Currently, mice need to be placed in cages during their breeding process. Typical cages are plastic boxes with an open top. The inside of the box is covered with bedding materials such as sawdust and corn cobs, and the mice are placed inside. A wire mesh cover is then added. When the bedding is subsequently replaced, the mice need to be transferred from the cage to another container. The discarded bedding is then shoveled out and transported to a trash can. New bedding is then added to the cage, and the mice are finally returned to their original cage. This process requires a significant amount of manpower and is both time-consuming and labor-intensive. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In response to the defects in the existing technology, the present invention provides an automatic small animal feeding device and a method of using the same, which solves the technical problems that the existing feeding cage bedding is inconvenient to replace and requires a lot of manpower to participate in the process.

[0004] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solutions: The first aspect of the present invention is to provide an automatic feeding device for small animals, comprising a conveyor belt, a bedding bin, a feeding room and a waste bin; a bedding bin and a feeding room are sequentially arranged above the conveyor belt along the conveying direction, and the conveyor belt is driven by a belt drive assembly; a discharge door and a door drive assembly for driving the discharge door to open and close are provided at the bottom of the bedding bin, so that when the conveyor belt is running, the discharge door can be opened by the door drive assembly to spread the bedding stored in the bin on the upper surface of the conveyor belt; a sewage outlet is provided at the bottom of the feeding room, so that the excrement of the feed therein can contact the bedding on the upper surface of the conveyor belt through the sewage outlet; the waste bin is arranged adjacent to the end of the conveyor belt in the conveying direction, so as to receive the bedding waste that falls off from the rotating position of the conveyor belt.

[0005] Optionally, the door drive assembly includes an opening and closing roller arranged below the discharge door and parallel to the conveyor belt conveyor roller, the roller surface of the opening and closing roller abuts against the discharge door, and the roller surface of the opening and closing roller is provided with at least one top block or at least one ridge along its axial direction, and the end of the opening and closing roller is also connected to the conveyor belt conveyor roller through a first transmission component; the discharge door is hinged to the padding bin.

[0006] Optionally, a plurality of ejector pins and / or a plurality of disturbance ribs are provided on the side of the discharge door facing the inside of the padding bin, so as to impact and disperse the padding in the bin as the discharge door opens and closes.

[0007] Optionally, the automatic feeding device also includes a material laying monitoring module and an abnormality judgment module; the monitoring range of the material laying monitoring module covers or partially covers the unloading path of the bedding bin, so as to monitor the passage of the bedding in the unloading path; the abnormality judgment module is electrically connected to the material laying monitoring module and the conveyor belt drive motor respectively, so as to determine the usage status of the bedding bin based on the operating status of the conveyor belt and the monitoring results of the material laying monitoring module, and the usage status includes at least a normal working status and an abnormal status.

[0008] Optionally, the automatic feeding device also includes an alarm module, which is electrically connected to the abnormality determination module, so as to issue an alarm prompt to the user when the abnormality determination module determines that the bedding bin is in an abnormal state. The alarm prompt includes but is not limited to sound, light, image and / or text prompts.

[0009] Optionally, the automatic feeding device further comprises a damping assembly, which is arranged close to the discharge door to provide pivoting resistance when the discharge door pivots downward.

[0010] Optionally, the automatic feeding device also includes a distance adjustment component, the end of which is connected to the damping component, so as to drive the damping component away from or close to the unloading door to adjust the pivot resistance when the abnormality judgment module determines that the bedding bin is in an abnormal state.

[0011] Optionally, the automatic feeding device also includes a brushing roller, a spray pipe and a wastewater pan; the brushing roller is arranged below the conveyor belt and is parallel to the conveyor belt conveyor roller, and its roller surface is tangent to the lower surface of the conveyor belt; the spray pipe is arranged parallel to the brushing roller and is connected to the water supply system, and a plurality of spray holes are provided on its periphery for spraying operations at least to the tangent position between the conveyor belt and the brushing roller; the wastewater pan is arranged below the brushing roller to at least receive brushing residues and spraying wastewater.

[0012] Optionally, the automatic feeding device further comprises a drying module, which is arranged adjacent to the head end of the conveyor belt in the conveying direction, so as to perform a drying operation toward the rotating position of the conveyor belt.

[0013] A second aspect of the present invention is to provide a method for using the automatic small animal feeding device, comprising the following steps: Based on a real-time user instruction or a preset instruction, controlling the conveyor belt to start immediately or periodically and continue to run for a first period of time; When the conveyor belt is running, the flow of dunnage in the dunnage bin unloading path is monitored. If no dunnage passes within the second time period, the dunnage bin is determined to be in an abnormal state and an alarm is issued to the user. When the conveyor belt is stopped, the passage of padding in the unloading path of the padding bin is monitored. If padding passes through, it is determined that the padding bin is in an abnormal state, and an alarm is issued to the user.

[0014] Through the above technical solution, the present invention achieves the following beneficial effects: The present invention provides an automatic feeding device for small animals, comprising a conveyor belt, a bedding bin, a feeding room, and a waste bin; a bedding bin and a feeding room are sequentially provided above the conveyor belt along the conveying direction; a discharge door and a door drive assembly for driving the discharge door to open and close are provided at the bottom of the bedding bin, so that when the conveyor belt is running, the discharge door can be opened by the door drive assembly to spread the bedding stored in the bin on the upper surface of the conveyor belt; a sewage outlet is provided at the bottom of the feeding room, so that the excrement of the animals therein can contact the bedding on the upper surface of the conveyor belt through the sewage outlet; the waste bin is provided adjacent to the end of the conveyor belt in the conveying direction, so as to receive waste bedding that falls off from the rotating position of the conveyor belt. Based on the rotating characteristics of the conveyor belt, the present invention automatically lays clean bedding while the conveyor belt is running, and contaminated bedding is automatically unloaded into the waste bin at the rotating position of the conveyor belt, thereby realizing automatic replacement of bedding. At the same time, the present invention also provides a method for using the feeding device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly describes the drawings required for the specific embodiments or the description of the prior art. Similar elements or parts are generally identified by similar reference numerals throughout the drawings. Elements or parts in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0016] Figure 1 The figure is a schematic diagram of the outer contour of an automatic feeding device for small animals; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of an automatic feeding device for small animals; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the working principle of an automatic feeding device for small animals; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the principle of intermittent opening and closing of the discharge door at the bottom of the dunnage bin; Reference numerals: 1-feeding room, 2-bedding bin, 3-conveyor belt, 4-waste bin, 5-wastewater tray, 6-water tank, 7-weight detection module, 8-drying module; 21-discharging door, 22-opening and closing roller, 31-transfer roller, 32-brushing roller, 61-spray pipe; 100- breeding box, 200- support plate, 300- control module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The following embodiments of the technical solution of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present invention and are therefore only examples and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0018] The automatic feeding device for small animals provided by the present invention is housed in a feeding box as a whole. A control module for controlling the internal electrical components is provided on the outside of the feeding box. The control module can realize remote interaction with the user's mobile terminal such as a mobile phone through electrical signals. Figure 1-3 The automatic feeding device includes a conveyor belt 3, a bedding bin 2, a feeding room 1 and a waste bin 4. The bedding bin 2 and the feeding room 1 are arranged in sequence above the conveyor belt 3 along the conveying direction. The conveyor belt 3 is driven by a belt drive assembly. Figure 2 As shown, the belt drive assembly includes multiple conveyor rollers and a drive motor drivingly connected to one of the conveyor rollers. The bottom of the bedding bin 2 is provided with a discharge door 21 and a door drive assembly for driving the discharge door 21. When the conveyor belt 3 is running, the discharge door 21 is opened by the door drive assembly to spread the stored bedding on the upper surface of the conveyor belt 3. The discharge door 21 can be opened and closed independently or in conjunction with the conveyor belt 3 (see Example 1). A sewage outlet is provided at the bottom of the breeding chamber 1 to allow excrement from the animals to come into contact with the bedding on the upper surface of the conveyor belt 3. The waste bin 4 is located adjacent to the end of the conveyor belt 3 in the conveying direction and is removable. It is used to receive bedding waste that falls off the rotating position of the conveyor belt 3. The waste bin 4 has an inlet on its outer side for receiving the waste. Preferably, a scraper is provided at the inlet of the waste bin 4, adjacent to the conveyor belt, to scrape and collect bedding adhering to the conveyor belt surface during operation. Based on the rotation characteristics of the conveyor belt, this application automatically lays clean bedding while the conveyor belt is running, and the contaminated bedding is automatically unloaded into the waste bin at the rotation position of the conveyor belt, realizing automatic replacement of bedding in the feeding device and reducing dependence on human resources.

[0019] Obviously, some conventional settings of the breeding device, such as life support system, life monitoring system, etc., are also configured in this breeding device. Among them, the life support system includes but is not limited to providing material conditions such as food, water, temperature, humidity, light, ventilation, oxygen concentration, etc. to the breeding objects. Therefore, the automatic breeding device can also be equipped with one or more of a temperature and humidity detection unit, a humidification unit, a temperature adjustment unit, a disinfection unit, a ventilation unit and a lighting unit. In a specific embodiment, a food trough is provided on the inner wall of the breeding room 1, and a feeding mechanism is provided on the top of the breeding box for adding food to the food trough through the top opening of the breeding room 1; a water trough is also provided on the inner wall of the breeding room 1, and a water replenishment mechanism is also provided on the top of the breeding box for adding drinking water to the water trough through the top opening of the breeding room 1. The life monitoring system is but is not limited to camera monitoring technology, infrared thermal sensors, remote interaction technology, etc. In a specific embodiment, the breeding box is also provided with a camera and an infrared thermal sensor that can at least observe the situation in the breeding room 1, and a vital signs monitoring model system implemented based on the camera and the infrared thermal sensor. The video information and vital signs monitoring results can be viewed by the user's mobile terminal through the communication module, and the vital signs monitoring results can also be directly displayed on the control screen outside the breeding box. Example

[0020] This embodiment aims to provide a specific structure of a door drive assembly suitable for this application. Figure 3-4The door drive assembly includes an opening and closing roller 22, located below the discharge door 21 and parallel to the conveyor rollers of the conveyor belt 3. The roller surface of the opening and closing roller 22 abuts the discharge door 21, and the roller surface of the opening and closing roller 22 is provided with at least one top block to form a cam structure. The end of the opening and closing roller 22 is also connected to one of the conveyor rollers of the conveyor belt 3 via a first transmission component, so that the opening and closing roller 22 rotates synchronously with the operation of the conveyor belt 3. In turn, the discharge door 21 is periodically opened and closed with the rotation of the opening and closing roller 22, thereby periodically spreading the dunnage onto the conveyor belt below. To ensure the normal operation of the door drive assembly, the discharge door 21 is hinged to the dunnage bin 2 so that the discharge door 21 can pivot up and down about the hinge axis, and the hinge axis is also parallel to the conveyor rollers. It is worth noting that due to the periodic unloading of the bedding bin, multiple ridges will form on the conveyor belt 3. This can be achieved by adjusting the distance between the bottom of the feeding chamber 1 and the top of the conveyor belt 3 so that the ridges are smoothed by the sidewall of the feeding chamber 1 near the bedding bin 2 as it passes through the feeding chamber 1 along the conveyor belt 3. Alternatively, a scraper can be added between the feeding chamber 1 and the bedding bin 2 to smooth the bedding. Obviously, in addition to providing a push block on the roller surface of the opening and closing roller 22, at least one ridge can also be provided along the axial direction of the roller surface of the opening and closing roller 22 to enable the discharge gate 21 to discharge synchronously with the operation of the conveyor belt 3. Preferably, the discharge gate 21 is equipped with multiple push pins (not shown) and / or multiple disturbance ribs (not shown) on the side facing the bedding bin 2. This allows the bedding in the bin to be impacted and dispersed as the discharge gate 21 opens and closes, preventing the bedding from clumping and being difficult to escape due to gravity when the discharge gate 21 is opened. Example

[0021] This embodiment aims to achieve self-detection of faults / lack of material in the bedding bin 2. Specifically, the automatic feeding device further includes a material laying monitoring module (not shown) and an abnormality determination module (not shown). The monitoring range of the material laying monitoring module covers or partially covers the unloading path of the bedding bin (i.e., the falling path of the bedding in the bin after the unloading door 21 is opened), so as to monitor the passage of bedding in the unloading path. Specifically, if a camera is used for monitoring, the monitoring angle of view can either completely cover the unloading path or only monitor a section of the path; if a photoelectric proximity switch is used for monitoring, its optical path can pass through a certain section of the unloading path. The abnormality determination module is electrically connected to the material laying monitoring module and the drive motor of the conveyor belt 3, respectively, so as to determine the usage status of the bedding bin based on the operating status of the conveyor belt 3 and the monitoring results of the material laying monitoring module. The usage status includes at least a normal working state and an abnormal state. Specifically, when the conveyor belt 3 is running, if the material monitoring module detects the passage of bedding material within a set time period (no less than the time interval between a single opening and closing of the discharge door), or if the material monitoring module detects no bedding material passing when the conveyor belt 3 is stopped, the abnormality determination module determines that the bedding bin is in normal operating condition. If the material monitoring module does not detect the passage of bedding material within a set time period when the conveyor belt 3 is running, or if the material monitoring module detects the passage of bedding material when the conveyor belt 3 is stopped, the abnormality determination module determines that the bedding bin is in an abnormal state. The abnormal state may be a malfunction of the discharge door 21, a lack of bedding material in the bedding bin 2, or a malfunction of the material monitoring module. Preferably, the automatic feeding device further includes an alarm module electrically connected to the abnormality determination module for issuing an alarm to a user when the abnormality determination module determines that the bedding bin is in an abnormal state. The alarm may include, but is not limited to, sound, light, image, and / or text. The alarm may be sent directly to the user's mobile terminal via the communication module so that the user can still receive it after leaving the laboratory.

[0022] As a further improvement to the second embodiment, the automatic feeding device further includes a damping assembly (not shown), which is arranged near the discharge door 21 to provide pivoting resistance when the discharge door 21 pivots downward, such as by arranging a spring on the pivoting path of the discharge door 21, including a compression spring arranged below the discharge door 21 or a tension spring arranged above the discharge door 21. The damping assembly prevents the discharge door 21 from tilting downward. When there is sufficient bedding in the bedding bin 2, after the opening and closing rollers 22 rotate to a suitable position, the weight of the bedding can drive the discharge door 21 to overcome the resistance of the resistance assembly and open the bedding bin 2. However, when there is insufficient bedding in the bedding bin 2, the weight of the bedding in the bin is insufficient. Even if the opening and closing rollers 22 rotate to a suitable position, it is difficult for the discharge door 21 to overcome the resistance and open. As a result, no bedding will pass through the discharge path. As a result, the abnormality determination module will determine that the bedding bin is in an abnormal state, thereby prompting the user to check the cause of the abnormality and replenish the bedding in time.

[0023] As a further improvement to the above-mentioned solution, the present automatic feeding device also includes a distance adjustment assembly (not shown), such as one employing a pneumatic cylinder, a screw-slider mechanism, a rack-and-pinion mechanism, or the like. The fixed end of the distance adjustment assembly is connected to the bedding bin 2 or the feeding box, and the movable end of the distance adjustment assembly is connected to the damping assembly. This assembly is used to drive the damping assembly away from or toward the discharge door 21 to adjust the pivoting resistance when the abnormality detection module determines that the bedding bin is in an abnormal state. Because the discharge of the bedding bin 2 is synchronized with the activation of the conveyor belt 3, the damping assembly alone cannot predict a material shortage and thus issue a material shortage warning in advance. Therefore, the present application also adds a distance adjustment assembly to control the damping assembly to reduce or remove resistance to continue releasing the remaining material from the bedding bin 2, at least to continue the current material replacement operation. Generally, bedding bin abnormalities are often caused by material shortages, while other abnormalities are generally caused by equipment failures and occur less frequently. By adjusting the pivoting resistance, it is possible to conveniently identify critical bedding reserves and, in the event of a mechanical failure, force the discharge door to close, effectively preventing the abnormal release of bedding. Specifically, by adjusting the pivot resistance, the type of abnormal state can be further identified. The specific determination method is as follows: When the conveyor belt 3 is running, if the material laying monitoring module does not detect any padding passing through within the set time, it is possible that the padding bin 2 is out of material. At this time, the distance adjustment component is controlled to lower the pivot resistance. If the padding is still not detected passing through after the pivot resistance is lowered, multiple faults may have occurred, and the type of abnormality is yet to be determined. Since the resistance component can ensure that at least a small amount of padding is retained in the padding bin under normal resistance, if the padding is detected passing through after the pivot resistance is lowered, it indicates that the padding bin 2 is about to be out of material, and the abnormality judgment module can directly issue a material shortage warning. When the conveyor belt 3 is stopped, if the material laying monitoring module detects that there is padding passing through, it may be that the unloading door 21 has an opening and closing failure. In this case, the distance adjustment component can be controlled to increase the pivot resistance while disabling the door drive component, thereby forcing the door to close, so as to prevent the padding from leaking and accumulating on the conveyor belt, which may cause adverse consequences. In particular, if the device adopts the door drive assembly described in Example 1, under normal circumstances, the padding will be released periodically. Then, when the conveyor belt 3 is running, if the material laying monitoring module detects that the padding continues to pass through, it may be that the unloading door 21 fails to open or close. At this time, the distance adjustment assembly can be controlled to increase the pivot resistance while controlling the conveyor belt to be disabled, thereby forcing the door to close. Example

[0024] In this embodiment, the feeding room 1 is opened so that the bottom thereof can be regarded as a sewage outlet, and the feed moves directly on the conveyor belt 3. Since the feed is fed directly on the upper surface of the conveyor belt 3, a weight detection module 7 can be set below the upper surface of the conveyor belt 3. Figure 3As shown, the activity of the animals can be monitored, so that the circadian rhythm experiment or temperature sensitivity experiment can be completed with the help of this feeding device. Specifically, the activity monitoring method is: S1. Based on real-time user instructions or preset instructions, immediately or periodically activate the weight detection module 7 to collect the frequency of data fluctuations within a unit time, wherein data with smaller fluctuations can be filtered out. In particular, during the unit time, the conveyor belt 3 must be in an inactive state. Each movement of the small animal will exert a force on the weight detection module 7 through the belt surface of the conveyor belt 3, causing the detection value of the weight detection module 7 to change. The frequency of fluctuations in the detection data within a unit time can be used to reflect the frequency of the small animal's movement within that unit time. S2. Calculate the activity value of the small animal based on the fluctuation frequency of the weight data collected by the weight detection module 7 per unit time. When the activity value exceeds a preset warning value, issue an activity alarm to the user. This specifically includes the following sub-steps: S21. When the activity value exceeds a first preset warning value, a first alarm is issued, the first alarm being an extreme activity alarm. A higher frequency of movement indicates a more active animal. If the animal is extremely active, there may be irritants in its body or an unsuitable living environment (e.g., hypoxia), prompting the experimenter to check promptly. S22. When the activity values ​​are all lower than the second preset warning value within the preset period, a second alarm prompt is issued. The second alarm instruction is an endangered alarm prompt (or an extremely inactive alarm prompt); if the small animal does not move for a long time or the movement amplitude is small, there may be pathological factors in its body, or the environment may be extremely harsh (such as a temperature control failure resulting in an excessively low ambient temperature), and the experimenter must be reminded to check immediately. Example

[0025] This embodiment is intended to implement self-cleaning on the surface of the conveyor belt 3 that may be contaminated. Figure 2The automatic feeding device also includes a scrubbing roller 32, a spray pipe 61, and a wastewater tray 5. The scrubbing roller 32 is positioned below the conveyor belt 3 and parallel to the conveyor rollers. Its roller surface is tangential to the lower surface of the conveyor belt 3. The scrubbing roller 32 is connected to one of the conveyor rollers of the conveyor belt 3 via a second transmission component, rotating as the conveyor belt 3 rotates, thereby scrubbing the surface of the conveyor belt 3. Optionally, the scrubbing roller 32 is coated with a flexible layer or a brush. The spray pipe 61 is positioned parallel to the scrubbing roller 32 and connected to a water supply system. Its outer circumference is provided with multiple spray holes for spraying at least the tangential area between the conveyor belt 3 and the scrubbing roller 32. The water supply system can be implemented by integrating a water tank and a water pump into the feeding box. The wastewater tray 5 is located below the scrubbing roller 32 and is removable to collect at least scrubbing residue and spray wastewater. Preferably, the automatic feeding device further comprises a drying module 8, such as a fan, which is arranged adjacent to the head end of the conveyor belt 3 in the conveying direction, so as to perform a drying operation toward the rotating position of the conveyor belt 3.

[0026] Based on the above-mentioned automatic feeding device for small animals, the present invention also provides a method for using the feeding device, comprising the following steps: Place the animals in a breeding room and provide them with at least an appropriate amount of food and water; in addition, provide the required environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, light, ventilation, and oxygen concentration; Based on a real-time user instruction or a preset instruction, controlling the conveyor belt to start immediately or periodically and continue to run for a first time period, so that the conveyor belt can complete cleaning of dirty bedding and replacement of clean bedding within the first time period; When the conveyor belt is running, the flow of dunnage in the dunnage bin discharge path is monitored. If no dunnage passes through within a second time period, the dunnage bin is determined to be in an abnormal state, and an alarm is issued to the user. The first time period is greater than or equal to the second time period, and the second time period is not less than the time interval between a single opening and closing of the discharge door. When the conveyor belt is stopped, the passage of padding in the unloading path of the padding bin is monitored. If padding passes through, it is determined that the padding bin is in an abnormal state, and an alarm is issued to the user.

[0027] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the above embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some or all of the technical features therein. These modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and they should all be included in the scope of the claims and description of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic feeding device for small animals, characterized in that: include: A conveyor belt (3), above which a bedding bin (2) and a feeding room (1) are sequentially arranged along the conveying direction; A padding bin (2) is provided with a discharge door (21) and a door drive assembly for driving the discharge door (21) to open and close at the bottom, so that when the conveyor belt (3) is running, the discharge door (21) is opened by the door drive assembly to spread the padding stored in the bin onto the upper surface of the conveyor belt (3); The breeding room (1) is provided with a sewage outlet at the bottom so that the excrement of the animals therein can contact the padding on the upper surface of the conveyor belt (3) through the sewage outlet; A waste bin (4) is provided adjacent to the end of the conveying direction of the conveyor belt (3) and is used to receive the padding waste that falls off from the rotating position of the conveyor belt (3).

2. The automatic feeding device for small animals according to claim 1, characterized in that: The door drive assembly includes an opening and closing roller (22) arranged below the discharge door (21) and parallel to the conveying roller of the conveyor belt (3), the roller surface of the opening and closing roller (22) abuts against the discharge door (21), and the roller surface of the opening and closing roller (22) is provided with at least one top block or at least one ridge along its axial direction, and the end of the opening and closing roller (22) is also connected to the conveying roller of the conveyor belt (3) through a first transmission component; the discharge door (21) is hinged to the padding bin (2).

3. The automatic feeding device for small animals according to claim 2, characterized in that: The discharge door (21) is provided with a plurality of ejector pins and / or a plurality of disturbing ribs on one side facing the padding bin (2), so as to impact and disperse the padding in the bin as the discharge door (21) opens and closes.

4. The automatic feeding device for small animals according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: Also includes: A paving monitoring module, whose monitoring range covers or partially covers the unloading path of the dunnage bin, so as to monitor the passage of dunnage in the unloading path; The abnormality determination module is electrically connected to the material laying monitoring module and the conveyor belt (3) drive motor, respectively, and is used to determine the use state of the padding bin (2) based on the operating state of the conveyor belt (3) and the monitoring result of the material laying monitoring module, wherein the use state at least includes a normal working state and an abnormal state.

5. The automatic feeding device for small animals according to claim 4, characterized in that: Also includes: An alarm module is electrically connected to the abnormality determination module and is used to send an alarm prompt to a user when the abnormality determination module determines that the bedding bin (2) is in an abnormal state, the alarm prompt including but not limited to sound, light, image and / or text prompts.

6. The automatic feeding device for small animals according to claim 4, characterized in that: Also includes: A damping assembly is provided near the discharge door (21) to provide pivoting resistance when the discharge door (21) pivots downward.

7. The automatic feeding device for small animals according to claim 6, characterized in that: Also includes: A distance adjustment component is connected to the damping component and is used to drive the damping component away from or close to the discharge door (21) to adjust the pivoting resistance when the abnormality determination module determines that the padding bin (2) is in an abnormal state.

8. The automatic feeding device for small animals according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: A scrubbing roller (32) is provided below the conveyor belt (3) and is parallel to the conveyor roller of the conveyor belt (3), and its roller surface is tangent to the lower surface of the conveyor belt (3); A spray pipe (61) is arranged parallel to the brush roller (32) and is connected to the water supply system, and a plurality of spray holes are provided on its periphery for spraying at least at a position tangential to the conveyor belt (3) and the brush roller (32); The waste water tray (5) is arranged below the scrubbing roller (32) and is used to receive at least the scrubbing residue and the spraying waste water.

9. The automatic feeding device for small animals according to claim 7, characterized in that: Also includes: The drying module (8) is arranged adjacent to the head end of the conveying direction of the conveyor belt (3) and is used to perform a drying operation toward the rotating position of the conveyor belt (3).

10. A method for using the automatic small animal feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The steps include: Based on a user's real-time instruction or a preset instruction, controlling the conveyor belt (3) to start immediately or periodically and continue to run for a first period of time; When the conveyor belt (3) is running, the passage of the padding in the unloading path of the padding bin (2) is monitored. If no padding passes through within a second period of time, it is determined that the padding bin (2) is in an abnormal state, and an alarm is issued to the user; When the conveyor belt (3) is stopped, the passage of padding in the unloading path of the padding bin (2) is monitored. If padding passes through, it is determined that the padding bin (2) is in an abnormal state, and an alarm prompt is issued to the user.

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