Intelligent pet excrement composting and irrigation flowerpot

Abstract

The invention discloses an intelligent pet excrement composting and irrigation flowerpot, and relates to the technical field of intelligent home and gardening equipment. The flowerpot is of a multi-layer vertical structure and comprises a plant planting cabin at the top, a parallel excrement treatment area in the middle and a liquid storage cabin at the bottom. The excrement treatment area is composed of an excrement temporary storage and pretreatment bin and a main composting bin which are horizontally arranged in parallel, and material transfer between the two bins is achieved through a spiral conveyor. The control system takes a 51 single-chip microcomputer as a core, is externally arranged on the wall surface of the flowerpot, can automatically control the material transfer process according to the composting state, and allows a user to select three irrigation modes of clear water, thin fertilizer or normal fertilizer through independent keys. Continuous collection and batch efficient composting of pet excrement and precise irrigation and fertilization of plants are achieved, a complete resource circulation system is formed, and the device has the advantages of being stable in structure, easy and convenient to operate, sanitary and efficient.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the intersection of smart home technology, environmental protection technology and embedded automatic control technology, and in particular to a multifunctional smart flowerpot that can automatically process pet feces and compost them, while simultaneously using the compost products to intelligently irrigate plants. Background Technology

[0002] With the improvement of urban living standards, keeping pets and growing indoor plants have become popular choices for many families. However, the disposal of pet waste is a troublesome problem; direct disposal is both wasteful of resources and pollutes the environment. Traditional composting methods require large spaces and long cycles, and are not easily carried out indoors. Existing smart flower pots mostly focus on automatic watering, with limited functionality, and have failed to integrate with household waste disposal. In particular, how to resolve the contradiction between continuous waste production and batch composting processes, while ensuring composting efficiency and the hygiene and safety of the final product, is a problem that current technologies have not yet adequately solved. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide an intelligent pet feces composting and irrigation flower pot with a compact and stable structure, a high degree of automation, and the ability to effectively solve the contradiction between continuous feeding and batch composting.

[0004] This invention adopts the following technical solution: an intelligent pet feces composting and irrigation flowerpot, employing a multi-layered vertical structure. The top is a plant cultivation chamber for planting ornamental plants. The middle section is a parallel feces treatment area, consisting of a feces temporary storage and pretreatment chamber and a main composting chamber arranged horizontally side-by-side, connected by a screw conveyor. The bottom is a liquid storage chamber, divided into a fertilizer liquid storage area, a clean water storage area, and an irrigation temporary storage chamber. The control system, based on a 51 microcontroller, is externally mounted on the flowerpot wall.

[0005] The temporary storage and pre-treatment silo is equipped with a feeding port and a mixing device for daily receiving and initial mixing of pet feces. The main composting silo is equipped with temperature and humidity sensors, a heating device, a mixing device, and a slag discharge door for deep composting fermentation. An electrically controlled valve at the end of the screw conveyor allows for the transfer of pre-treated material from the temporary storage silo to the main composting silo under the control of the system.

[0006] The control system monitors the temperature curve of the main composting silo to determine the composting completion status and automatically triggers the material transfer program to open the transfer valve for fertilizer liquid transfer. After the fertilizer liquid transfer is completed, an LED prompts the user to open the slag discharge door to clean up the waste residue. Users can select "clean water," "diluted fertilizer," or "normal fertilizer" irrigation modes via three independent buttons. The system performs precise irrigation based on feedback from the soil moisture sensor and the user's selected mode.

[0007] This invention further includes a composting humidification system that can intelligently regulate material humidity in the early stages of composting to ensure fermentation efficiency. Simultaneously, a slag discharge door is designed at the bottom of the main composting silo, enabling convenient cleaning of compost products and achieving automated management of the entire lifecycle from feeding, fermentation, liquid production to slag discharge.

[0008] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0009] 1. High Integration and Automation: The three originally separate processes of "pet waste treatment," "organic fertilizer production," and "precision plant care" are highly integrated into a compact household appliance, forming a complete closed loop of matter and energy. This truly realizes the home-based and immediate transformation of waste into treasure.

[0010] 2. Combining continuous feeding with batch composting: Through a parallel dual-compartment design and screw conveyor transfer, the system meets daily feeding needs while ensuring that each batch of material undergoes a complete and efficient composting process. Users can conveniently dispose of pet waste generated daily, while the system ensures that each batch of material undergoes a complete, efficient, and high-temperature standardized composting cycle in the main composting compartment. This fundamentally guarantees composting efficiency and the hygiene and safety of the products, solving the fundamental dilemma of "disposal anytime" and "good compost" in household settings.

[0011] 3. Simple and intelligent operation: Fully automated control reduces the user's workload, and three irrigation modes meet the growth needs of different plants. Users only need to complete simple operations such as feeding and emptying solid humus soil; the rest of the complex processes are completed automatically by the system, which displays the status and prompts through the human-machine interface, greatly reducing the technical threshold and labor intensity of home composting and gardening management.

[0012] 4. Hygiene and Safety: This invention breaks through the traditional extensive mode of composting, which relies on weather conditions or simple heating. It constructs a closed-loop feedback intelligent composting ecosystem. Through real-time monitoring by temperature and humidity sensors, the control system dynamically adjusts heating, humidification, and stirring, actively maintaining the composting environment in an optimal aerobic fermentation state. The sealed design and complete composting cycle ensure the complete inactivation of pathogens, resulting in a safe and hygienic product. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a diagram of the internal structure of the three-layer smart flowerpot of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a diagram of the internal structure of the two layers of the smart flowerpot of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a diagram of the internal structure of the first layer of the smart flowerpot of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 4This is a front view of the smart flowerpot of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 5 This is a block diagram illustrating the principle of the intelligent flowerpot control system of the present invention.

[0018] In the appendix Figure 1 The list of components represented by each number in sections 2 and 3 is as follows:

[0019] 1-Plant planting bin, 2-Manure temporary storage and pretreatment bin, 3-Main compost bin, 4-Feeding port, 5-Mixing device, 6-Main mixing device, 7-Temperature sensor, 8-Compost humidity sensor, 9-Heating device, 10-Irrigation temporary storage bin, 11-Screw conveyor, 12-Soil humidity sensor, 13-Fertilizer solution storage area, 14-Clear water storage area, 15-Control system, 16-Display screen, 17-Buttons, 18-First water pump, 19-Second water pump, 20-Common irrigation pipe, 21-Irrigation water pump, 22-Universal charging interface, 23-Selection valve, 24-Slag discharge door, 25-Transfer valve, 26-Humidifying water pipe, 27-Water inlet. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0021] like Figure 1 As shown, the intelligent flowerpot of this invention adopts a multi-layered vertical structure with a cylindrical outer contour. The plant planting compartment 1 is located at the top and is used to fill soil and plant plants. Below it is a parallel manure treatment area, which consists of a manure temporary storage and pretreatment compartment 2 and a main composting compartment 3 arranged horizontally side by side.

[0022] The manure temporary storage and pretreatment bin 2 is equipped with a feeding port 4 and a mixing device 5. The main composting bin 3 is equipped with a main mixing device 6, a temperature sensor 7, a compost humidity sensor 8, a heating device 9, and a slag discharge door 24. The two bins are connected by a screw conveyor 11.

[0023] The bottom storage tank is divided into a fertilizer storage area 13, a clean water storage area 14, and an irrigation temporary storage tank 10. The clean water storage area 14 contains a water inlet 27. The bottom of the main composting tank 3 has a drain hole with a transfer valve 25 to guide the generated leachate to the fertilizer storage area 13. The bottom storage tank contains a first water pump 18, a second water pump 19, an irrigation water pump 21, and a selection valve 23. The selection valve 23 is opened in the direction of the irrigation temporary storage tank (10) by default. It can be turned towards the humidification water pipe (26) by the control program. After the program command is completed, it returns to the default state.

[0024] like Figure 1As shown, the first water pump 18 is located in the fertilizer storage area 13, and the second water pump 19 is located in the clean water storage area 14. The outlet pipes of the two water pumps converge into the irrigation temporary storage chamber 10, and the irrigation water pump 21 irrigates the upper plant planting chamber 1. The soil moisture sensor 12 is inserted into the soil of the plant planting chamber 1.

[0025] The control system motherboard 15 is fixed to the outer wall of the flowerpot by a bracket and is enclosed in a protective shell. Inside this shell, not only are control circuits such as a 51 microcontroller, motor driver chip, and relays integrated, but a large-capacity rechargeable lithium battery and corresponding charge / discharge management circuitry are also built-in. A universal charging interface 22 is provided on the side of the shell for charging the built-in battery.

[0026] Integrated with the control system's mainboard on the outer wall are an LCD display screen 16 and three independent selection buttons 17 (labeled "Clear Water," "Diluted Fertilizer," and "Normal Fertilizer," respectively). The entire control system (including the mainboard, display screen, and buttons) is independently powered by a built-in battery, eliminating the need for an external power cord and improving the device's neatness and placement flexibility. The system monitors the battery level in real time and displays the battery status on the LCD screen, issuing a reminder when the battery is low.

[0027] The composting humidification system consists of a selection valve 23 and a humidification water pipe 26. The humidification water pipe 26 is led out from the clean water storage area 14 of the bottom liquid storage tank. First, the control system opens the selection valve 23 in the direction of the humidification water pipe, and then the second water pump 19 drives the clean water to be transported to the top of the main composting bin 3 through the humidification water pipe 26.

[0028] Work process:

[0029] 1. Daily feeding and pretreatment: Users put pet feces into the feeding port 4, and the system automatically starts the mixing device 5.

[0030] 2. After the pre-treated material is transferred to the main composting bin 3 via the screw conveyor 11, the control system starts the composting initialization program. The control system reads the data from the compost humidity sensor 8. If the humidity is lower than the preset target value (e.g., 45%), the selector valve 23 (humidifying water pipe direction) and the second water pump 19 are activated to intermittently humidify the bin. This process continues until the humidity of the compost material reaches the optimal fermentation range of 50%-60%, at which point it stops.

[0031] 3. Composting Status Monitoring and Transfer Triggering: The control system monitors the temperature changes of the main composting chamber 3 through temperature sensor 7. When the temperature is detected to have continuously decreased from the high-temperature period (50-65℃) and stabilized within the range of ambient temperature ±5℃, the composting is considered complete.

[0032] 4. After composting is completed, the control system activates the transfer valve 25 and keeps the valve open for a period of time, so that the generated fertilizer liquid is discharged into the fertilizer liquid storage area 13.

[0033] 5. When the main composting chamber 3 completes a composting cycle and the generated liquid fertilizer has been completely discharged into the bottom liquid storage tank, the control system prompts the user to prepare a collection container by placing it under the slag discharge door 24 through the LCD display screen 16. The user then confirms the cleaning by pressing the button. The control system first starts the main stirring device 6 to briefly reverse. After the slag discharge is completed, the slag discharge door 24 is closed, and the system returns to standby mode to prepare to receive the next batch of materials.

[0034] 5. Automatic material transfer: After composting is completed, the control system executes the following sequence: start screw conveyor → transport material → stop screw conveyor.

[0035] 6. New round of composting begins: After the material transfer is completed, the main composting bin 3 begins a new composting cycle.

[0036] 7. Intelligent Irrigation: Soil moisture sensor 12 monitors soil moisture in real time. When the moisture level falls below the set value, the system irrigates according to the mode selected by the user via independent selection button 17.

[0037] "Clear Water" Mode: Only the second water pump 19 is activated to draw clear water, and then the irrigation water pump 21 is activated for irrigation.

[0038] "Diluted fertilizer" mode: The first water pump 18 and the second water pump 19 are started at the same time, but the working time of the first water pump 18 is controlled to be shorter, so as to obtain diluted fertilizer water, and then the irrigation water pump 21 is started for irrigation.

[0039] "Normal Fertilizer" mode: Simultaneously start the first water pump 18 and the second water pump 19, control both to operate at a higher fertilizer solution ratio for a longer period of time, and then start the irrigation water pump 21 for irrigation.

[0040] Through the above methods, the present invention achieves full automation of pet waste disposal and plant care, providing users with a home gardening solution that integrates environmental protection, intelligence, and convenience.

Claims

1. An intelligent pet waste composting and watering planter, characterized in that, Comprise: A basin with a multi-layer vertical structure, from top to bottom in turn: plant planting cabin (1), parallel feces processing area and bottom liquid storage cabin; The parallel feces processing area includes horizontally parallel feces temporary storage and pretreatment bin (2) and main compost bin (3), the two bins are connected by a sealed screw conveyor (11); The bottom liquid storage cabin is divided into liquid storage area (13), clean water storage area (14) and irrigation temporary storage bin (10) by a partition, which respectively contains first water pump (18), second water pump (19) and irrigation water pump (21), and the outside of the bottom liquid storage cabin contains selection valve (23); An irrigation system, including common irrigation pipe (20), irrigation water pump (21), for extracting liquid from the irrigation temporary storage bin and delivering to the plant planting cabin; A control system (15) with 51 single-chip microcomputer as the core, the mainboard of the control system is fixed on the outer wall of the basin and is externally packaged with a protective shell, and the inside of the shell also has motor drive chip, relay and other control circuits and lithium battery and the corresponding charge and discharge management circuit. The side of the shell is provided with a universal charging interface (22) for charging the built-in battery. The feces temporary storage and pretreatment bin is provided with a feeding port (4) and a stirring device (5); The main compost bin is provided with a compost state sensor group for monitoring and controlling the composting process, a compost execution mechanism and a residue discharge door (24); The control system is configured with a user input unit, including independent selection buttons (17) for selecting irrigation mode.

2. The planter of claim 1, wherein, The independent selection buttons (17) in the user input unit are three physical buttons, corresponding to "clean water", "dilute fertilizer" and "normal fertilizer" irrigation modes respectively; The control system (15) is configured to control the corresponding water pump in the irrigation system according to the user's selected mode.

3. The planter of claim 2, wherein, The "clean water" mode corresponds to irrigation with only clean water extracted from the clean water storage area (14); The "dilute fertilizer" mode corresponds to mixed irrigation with compost liquid and clean water extracted at a first preset ratio; The "normal fertilizer" mode corresponds to mixed irrigation with compost liquid and clean water extracted at a second preset ratio, wherein the compost liquid concentration in the second preset ratio is higher than that in the first preset ratio.

4. The planter of claim 1, wherein, The compost state sensor group includes temperature sensor (7) and compost humidity sensor (8); The compost execution mechanism includes main stirring device (6), heating device (9) and humidification water pipe (26); The control system (15) is programmed to determine whether the composting is completed by monitoring the temperature change curve of the main compost bin.

5. The planter of claim 5, wherein, When it is detected that the temperature of the main compost bin (3) continues to drop from the high temperature period and stabilizes at ambient temperature ±5℃, the control system determines that the composting is completed, and prepares to execute the material transfer program.

6. The planter of claim 1, wherein, The irrigation system comprises a soil humidity sensor (12), a first water pump (1) connected with a liquid fertilizer storage area, a second water pump (19) connected with a clean water storage area, and an irrigation water pump (21) connected with an irrigation temporary storage bin. The water outlet pipe of the second water pump contains a selection valve (23) and leads to two branch water pipes, one of which leads to the irrigation temporary storage bin (10), and the other is a humidification water pipe (26). The water outlet pipe of the irrigation water pump in the irrigation temporary storage bin is a common irrigation pipe (20) leading to the upper plant planting cabin and conducting irrigation.

7. The planter of claim 1, wherein, It also includes a compost humidification system; the humidification system includes a humidification water pipe (26) leading out of the selection valve (23), which is supplied with water by the second water pump (19), and is connected to the humidification water pipe through the selection valve, and its outlet leads to the main compost bin; the control system is configured to: after new material is put into the main compost bin, start the selection valve-humidification water pipe direction and the second water pump, according to the feedback of the compost humidity sensor (8), spray an appropriate amount of clean water into the bin to adjust the humidity of the compost material to the optimal range of 40%-60%.

8. The planter of claim 1, wherein, The main board shell of the control system is integrated with a rechargeable battery and a charge-discharge management circuit; the shell is provided with a charging interface; the user input unit is of an integral structure with the control system main board, and is powered by the built-in battery.

9. The planter of claim 1, wherein, The bottom of the main compost bin is provided with an openable residue discharge door (24); the control system is configured to: after the main compost bin completes the composting period and the liquid fertilizer is completely discharged, prompt the user to clean the solid waste; after the user confirms and opens the residue discharge door, control starts the main stirring device to discharge the solid waste outside the bin.

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