Non-contact pet culture vessel feeding device

Abstract

The invention discloses a non-contact pet culture vessel feeding device which is characterized in that an automatic empty box feeding and discharging device comprises a storage rack and an industrial robot, empty culture vessels of different specifications are stored on the storage rack, box openings of the culture vessels are placed downwards, and the industrial robot grabs the culture vessels and transfers the culture vessels to a box cleaning and disinfecting device; and after being cleaned by the box body cleaning and sterilizing device, the culture vessels are conveyed to the positioning turning and conveying device. A middle positioning mechanism of the positioning turning-over and conveying device is used for centering and positioning the culture vessel, and a turning-over mechanism is used for turning over the culture vessel until a box opening faces upwards and conveying the culture vessel to the feeding device; the feeding device comprises a feeding station and a quantitative feeding mechanism, and when the culture vessel is transferred to the feeding station, the quantitative feeding mechanism feeds pet food into the culture vessel according to an instruction. The vessel storage device comprises an environment-controllable stereoscopic warehouse and a discharging mechanical arm, and the discharging mechanical arm grabs the culture vessels at the feeding station according to instructions and places the culture vessels in corresponding storage positions of the environment-controllable stereoscopic warehouse.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of pet breeding and sales technology, and in particular to a contactless pet culture dish feeding device suitable for small-batch, multi-variety order-based production scenarios. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, pet food and pet food products are typically prepared for small-batch, multi-variety feeding, and all processes, including container sterilization, food dispensing, and transport, rely on manual handling. In pet sales, initial sales often include feeding containers, making container preparation a crucial step. Traditional methods primarily rely on manual operation, including cleaning and sterilizing empty containers, dispensing food, and transporting and storing it. However, this manual approach has several significant drawbacks: 1. Inefficiency: Manual cleaning and sterilization are slow, making it difficult to respond quickly to small-batch orders; 2. Safety risks: Disinfectant residue may harm pets' health, manual contact can introduce contamination, and operators face health threats; 3. Quality control issues: Uneven food weight distribution and poor appearance consistency fail to meet the requirements of refined management; 4. Digital limitations: Lack of integration with order scheduling systems hinders personalized delivery and warehouse management. These pain points highlight the necessity for automation upgrades, providing a foundation for this invention.

[0003] Therefore, it is hoped that a new contactless pet culture dish feeding device can be proposed to overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a contactless pet food feeding device that focuses on solving key aspects of pet food feeding, such as cleaning and disinfection, quantitative dispensing, and intelligent storage, achieving a completely contactless operation throughout the process.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a contactless pet culture dish feeding device, comprising an automatic empty box loading and unloading device, a box cleaning and disinfection device, a positioning and turning and conveying device, a feeding device, a dish storage device, and a control system arranged sequentially from upstream to downstream. The automatic empty box loading and unloading device includes a storage rack and an industrial robot. The storage rack is used to classify and quantitatively store empty culture dishes of different specifications. The culture dishes are placed with the opening facing down. The industrial robot grabs the corresponding culture dish according to the instructions of the control system and transfers it to the box cleaning and disinfection device. After being cleaned by the box cleaning and disinfection device, the culture dish is conveyed to the positioning and turning and conveying device. The positioning, turning, and conveying device includes a central positioning mechanism, a turning mechanism, and a conveying mechanism arranged from front to back. The central positioning mechanism centers the culture vessel, the turning mechanism turns the culture vessel from face down to face up, and the conveying mechanism conveys it to the feeding device. The feeding device includes a feeding station and a quantitative feeding mechanism located above the feeding station. When the culture vessel is transferred to the feeding station, the quantitative feeding mechanism automatically feeds pet food into the culture vessel and flattens it according to the instructions of the control system. The vessel storage device includes an environmentally controllable automated warehouse with several storage locations and a unloading robot located in the environmentally controllable automated warehouse. The unloading robot grabs the culture vessel at the feeding station according to the instructions of the control system and places it in the corresponding storage location of the environmentally controllable automated warehouse.

[0006] In a preferred embodiment, the automatic empty container loading and unloading device includes a guide rail arranged parallel to the storage rack, and the industrial robot moves on the guide rail and precisely positions and grabs the culture vessel of the corresponding size according to the instructions of the control system.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment, the container cleaning and disinfection device includes a cleaning and disinfection zone, an input end located at the longitudinal front end of the cleaning and disinfection zone, an output end located at the longitudinal rear end of the cleaning and disinfection zone, and a loop-shaped conveyor chain. The conveyor chain drives the culture vessel to flow from the input end through the cleaning and disinfection zone and then out to the output end.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment, the cleaning and disinfection area is provided with a main washing station, a rinsing station and a drying station arranged from front to back. The main washing station is used to clean the inside and outside of the culture vessel, the rinsing station is used to rinse and sterilize the surface of the cleaned culture vessel, and the drying station is used to quickly remove residual moisture from the surface of the culture vessel.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the positioning mechanism is equipped with a photoelectric sensor and a guide plate. After the culture vessel enters the positioning mechanism, the photoelectric sensor detects the relative position of the culture vessel, and the guide plate positions the culture vessel at the center of the positioning mechanism under the command of the control system.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the flipping mechanism includes a stopper located at the longitudinal rear end, a clamping arm located in front of the stopper and positioned vertically opposite each other, and a rotary cylinder connected to the clamping arm. When the culture vessel is transported from the positioning mechanism to the flipping mechanism, the stopper rises to stop the culture vessel from moving, the clamping arm closes to clamp the culture vessel, and the rotary cylinder drives the clamping arm to rotate 180° as a whole so that the opening of the culture vessel faces upward.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the feeding device includes a feeding frame, the feeding station is disposed on the feeding frame, the quantitative feeding mechanism is disposed on the upper part of the feeding frame and has several storage bins and corresponding feeding ports connected to the storage bins. The several storage bins are used to store different types of pet food and, according to the instructions of the control system, feed the pet food to the culture vessel on the feeding station through the feeding ports.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the environmentally controllable automated warehouse integrates temperature and humidity sensors, refrigeration / heating units, and a ventilation system to ensure that pet food is stored in the best environment.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, each storage location in the environmentally controllable automated warehouse has a unique coded identifier to correspond to an instruction in the control system.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the vessel storage device includes a conveying mechanism. The unloading robot grabs the culture vessel in the corresponding storage location according to the instructions of the control system and places it on the conveying mechanism for outbound and shipment.

[0015] Compared with existing technologies, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: The contactless pet food container feeding device is based on digital order scheduling requirements, and orders are scheduled through a digital scheduling system, eliminating the need for manual operation. This achieves automation from empty container loading to finished product warehousing, and enables personalized order-based production. Specifically, the fully automatic contactless design eliminates the risk of contamination from manual operation and improves efficiency. The quantitative feeding mechanism ensures the accuracy of the weight and consistency of the appearance of each serving of pet food. The use of a temperature and humidity-controlled automated warehouse extends the shelf life of the pet food and enables order-based, refined warehouse management. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a contactless pet culture dish feeding device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows a three-dimensional representation of the automatic loading and unloading device for the hollow container in the contactless pet incubator feeding device.

[0018] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the box cleaning and disinfection device in the contactless pet incubator feeding device shown.

[0019] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the positioning, turning, and conveying device in the contactless pet incubator feeding device shown.

[0020] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the feeding device in the contactless pet incubator feeding device shown.

[0021] Figure 6 yes Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the container storage device in the contactless pet incubator feeding device shown. Detailed Implementation

[0022] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the embodiments of the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0023] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present invention.

[0024] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of embodiments of the present invention, "a number" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0025] In the embodiments of the present invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of the present invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0026] Please see Figures 1 to 6 As shown, a preferred embodiment of the present invention discloses a contactless pet culture dish feeding device 100, which automatically prepares pet culture dishes 60, making it particularly suitable for small-batch, multi-variety order-based production scenarios. The core structural components of the culture dish 60 are made of 304 stainless steel to resist corrosion and ensure food safety.

[0027] The contactless pet incubator feeding device 100 includes, from upstream to downstream, an automatic empty container loading and unloading device 10, a container cleaning and disinfection device 20, a positioning, turning, and conveying device 30, a feeding device 40, a container storage device 50, and a control system. The control system receives the model and quantity from the system schedule and transmits signals to each of the aforementioned devices, achieving full-process control of the incubator feeding process. Furthermore, through order data from a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), it coordinates the timing of actions of the robotic arm, conveyor chain, feeding machine, and other equipment to ensure the overall orderly operation.

[0028] The automatic empty container loading and unloading device 10 includes a storage rack 11, an industrial robot 12, and a guide rail 13 arranged parallel to the storage rack 11. The industrial robot 12 moves relative to the storage rack 11 on the guide rail 13. The storage rack 11 is designed with a multi-layer structure and is used to classify and quantitatively store empty culture dishes 60 of different specifications. Culture dishes 60 of different specifications are placed on the storage rack 11 in a certain number with the opening facing down, which facilitates subsequent cleaning and avoids contamination.

[0029] The industrial robot 12, according to the instructions of the control system (specifications required by the order), grasps the corresponding culture dish 60 and transfers it to the box cleaning and disinfection device 20. Specifically, the industrial robot 12 is equipped with an actuator at its end, which in this embodiment is a gripper 121. The industrial robot 12, according to the order instructions issued by the control system, precisely positions itself at the location of the storage rack 11 of the corresponding specification; and the gripper 121, through a cylinder-driven mechanical gripping method, safely grasps a single culture dish 60 of the corresponding specification. Subsequently, the industrial robot 12 smoothly and accurately transfers the empty culture dish 60 along the guide rail 13 to the conveyor chain 24 of the box cleaning and disinfection device 20 along a preset trajectory.

[0030] The box cleaning and disinfection device 20 includes a cleaning and disinfection zone 21, an input end 22 located at the longitudinal front end of the cleaning and disinfection zone 21, an output end 23 located at the longitudinal rear end of the cleaning and disinfection zone 21, and a conveyor chain 24. The conveyor chain 24 is a closed loop conveyor chain used to carry the culture vessel 60 through the cleaning and disinfection zone 21 at a certain speed; that is, the conveyor chain 24 drives the culture vessel 60 from the input end 22 through the cleaning and disinfection zone 21 and then out to the output end 23. Specifically, the cleaning and disinfection zone 21 is a continuous channel structure and is provided with a main washing station 211, a rinsing station 212, and a drying station 213 arranged sequentially from front to back.

[0031] The main washing station 211 is equipped with multiple high-pressure spray heads facing the inside and outside of the culture vessel 60. These spray heads spray cleaning fluid to clean the inside and outside of the culture vessel 60, removing physical stains. The rinsing station 212 can use steam-heated or electrically heated spray heads to rinse and sterilize the surface of the cleaned culture vessel 60, achieving sterilization. The drying station 213 is equipped with a high-efficiency hot air fan and air knife; the clean hot air blown out is used to quickly remove residual moisture from the surface of the culture vessel 60, ensuring the container is completely dry. After being cleaned by the container cleaning and disinfection device 20, the culture vessel 60 is conveyed to the positioning, turning, and conveying device 30. Simultaneously, throughout the entire process, the speed of the conveyor chain 24 is precisely controlled by the control system to ensure sufficient processing time at each station.

[0032] The positioning, turning, and conveying device 30 includes a central positioning mechanism 31, a turning mechanism 32, and a conveying mechanism 33 arranged from front to back. The positioning, turning, and conveying device 30 uses conveying rollers to drive the culture vessels 60 from the cleaning and disinfection zone 21 through the central positioning mechanism 31, the turning mechanism 32, and the conveying mechanism 33 in sequence. Specifically, the central positioning mechanism 31 centers the culture vessels 60, the turning mechanism 32 turns the culture vessels 60 from face down to face up, and the conveying mechanism 33 conveys the culture vessels 60 to the feeding device 40.

[0033] Specifically, the positioning mechanism 31 is equipped with photoelectric sensors 311 located on both sides of the conveying roller and a guide plate 312 located below the conveying roller. After the dried culture vessel 60 enters the positioning mechanism 31, the photoelectric sensors 311 detect the relative position of the culture vessel 60. Then, under the command of the control system, the guide plate 312 precisely positions the culture vessel 60 at the center of the conveying roller of the positioning mechanism 31.

[0034] The flipping mechanism 32 includes a stopper 321 located at the longitudinal rear end, a clamping arm 322 located in front of the stopper 321, and a rotary cylinder 323 connected to the clamping arm 322. The clamping arm 322 is arranged vertically opposite each other to clamp the culture vessel 60. When the positioned culture vessel 60 is conveyed from the central positioning mechanism 31 to the flipping mechanism 32, the stopper 321 rises to stop the movement of the culture vessel 60. Then, the clamping arm 322 closes and firmly clamps the culture vessel 60. At the same time, the rotary cylinder 323 drives the clamping arm 322 to rotate 180° so that the opening of the culture vessel 60 faces upward. After the flipping is completed, the clamping arm 322 releases and resets, and the culture vessel 60 falls onto the conveying roller below it. At this time, the conveying roller is activated to convey the culture vessel 60 to the feeding device 40.

[0035] The feeding device 40 provides different types and quantities of pet food according to production needs. The feeding device 40 includes a feeding frame 41 and a quantitative feeding mechanism 42 located on the upper part of the feeding frame 41. The feeding frame 41 has a feeding station 411 located thereon, and the quantitative feeding mechanism 42 is located above the feeding station 411. When the culture dish 60 is transferred to the feeding station 411, the quantitative feeding mechanism 42 automatically feeds the pet food into the culture dish 60 and spreads it evenly according to the production needs command of the control system. Simultaneously, the culture dish 60, after being fed, awaits to be picked up and stored in the dish storage device 50.

[0036] Specifically, the feeding frame 41 can move along the guide rail or be fixed above the workstation to cover culture dishes 60 of different sizes. The quantitative feeding mechanism 42 is provided with several storage bins 421 and corresponding feeding ports 422 connected to the storage bins 421. The storage bins 421 are used to store different types of pet food (dry food, wet food) and, according to the instructions of the control system, feed pet food into the culture dishes 60 on the feeding station 411 through the feeding ports 422. The quantitative feeding mechanism 42, according to the instructions received from the control system, controls the weight of food distributed from different storage bins 421 to the culture dishes 60 by controlling the extension and retraction of the cylinder and the time, so as to accurately measure specific varieties and quantities of pet food.

[0037] The container storage device 50 enables high-density, intelligent warehousing of finished products and includes an environmentally controlled automated warehouse 51 and a unloading robot 52 located within the environmentally controlled automated warehouse 51. The environmentally controlled automated warehouse 51 is a closed storage unit with a multi-layer shelving structure, meaning it has several storage locations. The environmentally controlled automated warehouse 51 integrates temperature and humidity sensors, refrigeration / heating units, and a ventilation system to ensure that pet food is stored in an optimal environment. Simultaneously, each storage location in the environmentally controlled automated warehouse 51 has a unique coded identifier (QR code or RFID tag) to correspond to instructions in the control system; that is, the coded identifier of each storage location corresponds to the container code of the culture vessel 60 output in the production schedule, facilitating automatic retrieval and delivery.

[0038] The end effector of the unloading robot 52 is a forklift bracket 521 that can adapt to various sizes of culture dishes 60. It can grab culture dishes 60 filled with pet food from the feeding station 411 according to instructions from the control system and accurately place them in the corresponding storage location within the environmentally controlled automated warehouse 51 to complete the entire automated process. Simultaneously, the dish storage device 50 also includes a conveying mechanism 53. The unloading robot 52 grabs the culture dishes 60 from the corresponding storage location according to instructions from the control system and places them on the conveying mechanism 53 for outbound delivery.

[0039] In this invention, the contactless pet food container feeding device 100 is based on digital order scheduling requirements. Orders are scheduled through a digital dispatch system, eliminating the need for manual operation and automating the entire process from empty container loading to finished product warehousing. Furthermore, it enables personalized order-based production, increasing efficiency by over 80%, reducing manpower by 2-3 people, and lowering costs by 60% for the same output. Specifically, the fully automated contactless design eliminates the risk of contamination from manual operation and increases efficiency by 80%. The quantitative feeding mechanism ensures the accuracy of the weight and consistency of the appearance of each pet food serving. The use of a temperature and humidity-controlled automated warehouse extends the shelf life of the pet food and enables order-based, refined warehouse management.

[0040] In summary, the above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. Any simple equivalent changes and modifications made in accordance with the claims and description of the present invention should still fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A contactless pet culture dish feeding device, comprising, sequentially arranged from upstream to downstream, an automatic empty container loading and unloading device, a container cleaning and disinfection device, a positioning and turning and conveying device, a feeding device, a container storage device, and a control system. The automatic empty container loading and unloading device includes a storage rack and an industrial robot. The storage rack is used to classify and quantitatively store empty culture dishes of different sizes. The culture dishes are placed with their openings facing downwards. The industrial robot, according to instructions from the control system, picks up the corresponding culture dish and transfers it to the container cleaning and disinfection device. The culture dish is cleaned by the container cleaning and disinfection device and then conveyed to the positioning and turning and conveying device. The device is characterized in that: The positioning, turning, and conveying device includes a central positioning mechanism, a turning mechanism, and a conveying mechanism arranged from front to back. The central positioning mechanism centers the culture vessel, the turning mechanism turns the culture vessel from face down to face up, and the conveying mechanism conveys it to the feeding device. The feeding device includes a feeding station and a quantitative feeding mechanism located above the feeding station. When the culture vessel is transferred to the feeding station, the quantitative feeding mechanism automatically feeds pet food into the culture vessel and flattens it according to the instructions of the control system. The vessel storage device includes an environmentally controllable automated warehouse with several storage locations and a unloading robot located in the environmentally controllable automated warehouse. The unloading robot grabs the culture vessel at the feeding station according to the instructions of the control system and places it in the corresponding storage location of the environmentally controllable automated warehouse.

2. The contactless pet culture dish feeding device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The automatic loading and unloading device for empty containers includes a guide rail arranged parallel to the storage rack. The industrial robot moves on the guide rail and precisely positions and picks up the culture dish of the corresponding size according to the instructions of the control system.

3. The contactless pet culture dish feeding device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The box cleaning and disinfection device includes a cleaning and disinfection zone, an input end located at the longitudinal front end of the cleaning and disinfection zone, an output end located at the longitudinal rear end of the cleaning and disinfection zone, and a loop-shaped conveyor chain. The conveyor chain drives the culture vessel to flow from the input end through the cleaning and disinfection zone and then out to the output end.

4. The contactless pet culture dish feeding device as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The cleaning and disinfection area is provided with a main washing station, a rinsing station and a drying station arranged from front to back. The main washing station is used to clean the inside and outside of the culture vessel. The rinsing station is used to rinse and sterilize the surface of the culture vessel after cleaning. The drying station is used to quickly remove residual moisture from the surface of the culture vessel.

5. The contactless pet culture dish feeding device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The positioning mechanism is equipped with a photoelectric sensor and a guide plate. After the culture vessel enters the positioning mechanism, the photoelectric sensor detects the relative position of the culture vessel, and the guide plate positions the culture vessel at the center of the positioning mechanism under the command of the control system.

6. The contactless pet culture dish feeding device as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The flipping mechanism includes a stopper located at the longitudinal rear end, a clamping arm located in front of the stopper and positioned vertically opposite each other, and a rotary cylinder connected to the clamping arm. When the culture vessel is transported from the positioning mechanism to the flipping mechanism, the stopper rises to stop the culture vessel from moving, the clamping arm closes to clamp the culture vessel, and the rotary cylinder drives the clamping arm to rotate 180° as a whole so that the opening of the culture vessel faces upward.

7. The contactless pet culture dish feeding device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The feeding device includes a feeding frame, the feeding station is set on the feeding frame, the quantitative feeding mechanism is set on the upper part of the feeding frame and has several storage bins and corresponding feeding ports connected to the storage bins. The several storage bins are used to store different types of pet food and, according to the instructions of the control system, feed the pet food to the culture vessel on the feeding station through the feeding ports.

8. The contactless pet culture dish feeding device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The environmentally controlled automated warehouse integrates temperature and humidity sensors, refrigeration / heating units, and a ventilation system to ensure that pet food is stored in the best possible environment.

9. The contactless pet culture dish feeding device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: Each storage location in the environmentally controllable automated warehouse has a unique coded identifier that corresponds to an instruction in the control system.

10. The contactless pet culture dish feeding device as described in claim 9, characterized in that: The vessel storage device includes a conveying mechanism. The unloading robot grabs the culture vessel in the corresponding storage location according to the instructions of the control system and places it on the conveying mechanism for outbound and shipment.

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