Automatic feeding device for three-dimensional animal food box

Abstract

The application discloses an automatic feeding device of a three-dimensional animal food box and belongs to the three-dimensional breeding field. One end of the food box is grabbed by a grabbing structure of a grabbing mechanism. A lifting mechanism is used to lift the grabbing mechanism and the grabbed food box. The food box is horizontally drawn out to automatically feed the food. Meanwhile, a feeding belt rotates to uniformly spread the food into the food box. Then, the food box is slightly lifted to send the food box from a first opening to a target placement position of a breeding frame. The food box is inserted into the middle of the target placement position. The grabbing end is slightly lowered to lift the inserted end. The grabbed food box is continuously driven to move horizontally until the food box is supported by the bearing members at both ends of the bottom of the target placement position. Then, the food box is released to exit the breeding frame. Compared with the prior art, the application improves the automation degree of the three-dimensional breeding feeding work, reduces the labor intensity, and is beneficial to the expansion of the breeding scale.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of three-dimensional aquaculture technology, and more specifically, to an automatic feeding device for a three-dimensional animal feed box. Background Technology

[0002] Mealworms, also known as yellow mealworms, are small, fast-growing, low-cost to raise, high in protein, and can be converted from agricultural waste. Their excrement can be used as organic fertilizer, making them a high-quality feed and a novel protein source. They are environmentally friendly, efficient, and in high market demand, thus often being raised on a large scale in integrated, three-dimensional farming systems. Three-dimensional farming utilizes the vertical space of the farming facility, using multi-layered racks to hold multiple layers of breeding boxes for raising mealworms. When feeding, farmers manually pull out the breeding boxes (also called feeding boxes), scatter food into them, and then manually push them back into the racks. This manual feeding method is inefficient and causes worker fatigue.

[0003] Therefore, how to improve the automation level of feeding operations in three-dimensional aquaculture has become an urgent problem to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic feeding device for a three-dimensional animal food box to solve the aforementioned technical problems.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: An automatic feeding device for a three-dimensional animal feed box is provided for feeding food into a multi-layer feed box supported by a three-dimensional breeding rack. The top of the feed box has a receiving port extending along a first horizontal straight line. The three-dimensional breeding rack has a placement space for supporting the feed box. Along the first straight line, the two ends of the placement space have first and second openings respectively. The bottom and top of the space are hollowed out in the middle. Support members are provided at both ends to form the first and second openings. The first opening is close to the automatic feeding device. The automatic feeding device includes a mounting base. The mounting base is equipped with a lifting mechanism. Its lifting platform is equipped with a food box carrying part, a gripping mechanism, a first material conveying mechanism, and a first material bin. A food box accommodating space is formed above the food box carrying part. The first material conveying mechanism is used to form a receiving position in the food box accommodating space and transport the food from the first material bin to the receiving position and add it to the food box. The food box carrying part supports the food box from the bottom of the food box. The lifting mechanism is used to drive the lifting platform to rise and fall so that the food box accommodating space and the target food box placement space are horizontally relative to each other. The gripping mechanism is used to drive its gripping structure and the gripped food box to move horizontally. The gripping structure extends into the target placement space from the first opening and can detachably grip the end of the food box near the first opening. The food box is gripped and driven to move horizontally from the target placement space to the food box accommodating space. During the movement, the receiving port passes through the receiving position to receive the food. The lifting mechanism raises the lifting platform, and the grabbing mechanism and the food box it grabs rise simultaneously, so that the bottom of the food box is higher than the bottom of the first opening of the target placement space, and the top of the food box is still lower than the top of the target placement space. The grabbing mechanism drives the grabbed food box to move horizontally to extend into the target placement space. When the end of the grabbed food box that has been inserted moves to the middle of the target placement space along the first straight line, the lifting mechanism lowers the lifting platform, and the grabbed end of the grabbed food box falls simultaneously, so that the end of the food box that has been inserted rises. The grabbing mechanism drives the grabbed food box to move back to the target placement space until the end of the food box that has been inserted passes through the second opening of the target placement space, and the bottom of the grabbed end is still supported by the bearing member forming the first opening. The grabbing structure releases the food box and exits the three-dimensional breeding rack. The support base is also equipped with a second hopper, which is equipped with a second conveying mechanism to transport the food from the second hopper to the first hopper.

[0006] This invention utilizes a gripping structure to grasp the food container and a gripping mechanism to pull the food container horizontally out. During this horizontal movement, the food container, pulled from its placement space into the food container's receiving space, passes through a receiving position (directly above this position is the end of the conveyor belt of the first conveying mechanism, from which food falls evenly to the receiving position and enters the food container). Different positions of the food container sequentially receive food at the receiving positions, thus ultimately resulting in the food being evenly distributed at the bottom of the food container.

[0007] For automatic feeding devices, returning the food to the feeding rack after feeding is a major challenge. This is because the food container is relatively soft and deforms under stress. Especially when only one end is grasped, leaving the other end suspended, the weight of the food in a fully loaded container causes slight deformation at the suspended end, causing it to sink below its original height and thus below the bottom of the first operating opening. Directly pushing the food container horizontally back will cause it to jam or even be blocked by the bottom support of the first opening. This application provides a lifting mechanism to assist the grasping mechanism in resetting and pushing the food container back, and provides a method for the lifting and grasping mechanisms to work together to push the food container back, solving the above problem. The lifting mechanism slightly raises the food container to prevent the end about to be inserted from being jammed or limited by the bottom support of the first opening, and then extends the food container into the target placement space. As the food container extends further into the target placement space, the extended end detaches from the food container support, and the portion no longer supported from the bottom becomes increasingly longer, resulting in less support at the extended end and a greater degree of sinking. If the feeding box continues to be pushed back horizontally, it will be jammed or even stopped by the bottom support that forms the second opening. Therefore, when the feeding box extends beyond the bottom support of the first opening, the lifting mechanism will press down the gripping end of the feeding box. Using the bottom support of the first opening as the fulcrum, the bottom plane of the feeding box as the lever, and the gripping end and the extended end as the two ends of the lever, a slight downward pressure on the gripping end will cause the extended end to rise slightly under the action of the fulcrum, compensating for the downward movement. The gripping mechanism continues to push the gripped feeding box, moving it out of the feeding box's holding space and to the target placement position, until the extended end of the feeding box passes through the second opening and the feeding box (even if no longer gripped by the gripping structure) can be stably supported independently by the bottom of the placement space. At this point, the gripping structure releases the gripped feeding box and exits the feeding rack. The feeding operation continues at other feeding boxes at other heights. Attached Figure Description

[0008] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments and descriptions of the invention are used to explain the invention, but do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely some embodiments, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without creative effort. In the drawings: Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of an automatic feeding device for a three-dimensional animal food box provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first support frame in the embodiment; Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the second support frame in the embodiment; Figure 4 for Figure 3 A magnified view of a portion of the image; Figure 5 for Figure 1 A partial structural diagram of the bottom rear side of the embodiment in the direction of travel of the second support frame; Figure 6 for Figure 1 A partial structural schematic diagram of the top of the first support frame in the embodiment; Figure 7 for Figure 1 Enlarged view of a partial structure of the embodiment; Figure 8 for Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first silo; Figure 9 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first material conveying mechanism in the embodiment; Figure 10 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the lifting platform in the embodiment; Figure 11 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the base structure in the embodiment; Figure 12 for Figure 11 Internal structure diagram of the embodiment; Figure 13 for Figure 12 Bottom view of the embodiment; Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the base according to another embodiment of this application; Figure 15 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the bottom frame of the first support frame in the embodiment; Figure 16 for Figure 15 A bottom view; Figure 17 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first transfer pin in the embodiment; Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first transfer pin according to another embodiment of this application.

[0009] Reference numerals: First support frame 100, first moving device 110, electric cylinder 120, electric cylinder shaft 121, first pivot pin 130, first connecting part 131, first inclined surface 132, second inclined surface 133, slot 140, first safety guardrail 150, first micro switch 151, battery 160, lifting platform 170, rack 171, base 172, support member 173, lifting mechanism 180, first hopper 210, first discharge port 21 1. Divider 212, gripping mechanism 220, gripping hook 221, limiting part 222, gear 223, food box bearing part 230, first conveying mechanism 240, sprocket 241, chain 242, connector 243, belt 244, second support frame 300, second moving device 310, second micro switch 320, second safety guardrail 330, second hopper 400, second conveying mechanism 410, three-dimensional breeding rack 500, food box 510. Detailed Implementation

[0010] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments.

[0011] See Figures 1 to 18 As shown, this application provides an automatic feeding device for a three-dimensional animal feeder, used to feed food into a multi-layered feeder supported by a three-dimensional breeding rack 500. The top of the feeder 510 has a receiving port extending along a first horizontal straight line. The three-dimensional breeding rack has a placement space to support the feeder 510. Along the first straight line, the bottom and top of the placement space are hollowed out in the middle, and support members are provided at both ends. Both ends of the placement space along the first straight line have operating ports, and the feeder 510 can be pulled out / pushed back along the first straight line from one of the operating ports.

[0012] The automatic feeding device includes a support base. Optionally, a walking mechanism is provided at the bottom of the support base for moving along the side of the breeding rack, with the walking direction perpendicular to a first straight line. The mounting base is provided with a lifting mechanism 180, and the lifting platform 170 of the lifting mechanism 180 is equipped with a feed box carrier 230, a gripping mechanism 220, a first feeding mechanism 240, and a first feed bin 210. A feed box accommodating space is formed above the feed box carrier 230. The first feeding mechanism 240 is used to form at least one receiving position in the feed box accommodating space and transport the feed from the first feed bin 210 to the receiving position, adding it to the feed box 510. The feed box carrier 230 supports the feed box 510 from the bottom. The lifting mechanism 180 is used to drive the lifting platform 170 to rise and fall, so that the feed box accommodating space and the target feed box placement space are horizontally relative to each other. Along the first straight line, the operating port on the side of the target placement space closest to the automatic feeding device is the first opening, and the operating port on the other side is the second opening. The supporting members at both ends are used to form the first and second openings, respectively. The gripping mechanism 220 is equipped with a gripping structure for driving the gripping structure to move horizontally. If it grips a food container 510, the gripped food container 510 moves horizontally synchronously. This application does not specifically limit the gripping structure or its gripping method; as long as the gripping structure can extend into the target placement space from the first opening and can detachably grip the end of the food container 510 closest to the first opening, it is acceptable. Optionally, the gripping mechanism 220 and the lifting mechanism 180 are also used to control the gripping structure to automatically and detachably grip the food container 510, as specifically seen in the embodiment of the gripping hook. The gripping mechanism 220 drives the gripping structure and the gripped food container 510 to move horizontally, thereby moving the food container 510 in the target placement space towards the food container receiving space. During the movement, the receiving port of the food container 510 passes through the receiving position to receive food.

[0013] The lifting mechanism 180 raises the lifting platform 170, and the gripping mechanism 220 and the food container 510 it grips rise synchronously, so that the bottom of the food container 510 is higher than the bottom of the first opening of the target placement space, while the top of the food container 510 remains lower than the top of the target placement space. Subsequently, the gripping mechanism 220 drives the gripped food container 510 to move horizontally into the target placement space. When the inserted end of the gripped food container 510 moves beyond the bottom support of the first opening, the lifting mechanism 180 slightly lowers the lifting platform 170, and the gripped end of the food container 510 descends synchronously, raising the inserted end of the food container 510. The amount of this slight descent is controllable and can be freely determined and flexibly set according to the hardness, deformation degree of the food container 510, and the height redundancy of the target placement space, with the principle that the bottom and top of the inserted end are not jammed during lifting, allowing for continued horizontal movement and smooth passage through the second opening. When the extended end of the food container 510 moves beyond the bottom support of the first opening, the lifting mechanism 180 slightly raises the lifting platform 170, causing the extended end of the food container 510 to descend. The food container 510 is simultaneously placed on the support of both the first and second openings. The gripping mechanism continues to advance, pushing the food container 510 back to the target placement space. (In other words, the food container 510 is simultaneously supported by the support at both ends of the bottom of the target placement position.) The gripping structure releases the food container 510 and exits the breeding rack. The first hopper 210 needs to be raised and lowered synchronously with the target food container 510, thus its height and capacity are limited. Therefore, this application adds a second hopper 400 to the support base to replenish the first hopper 210. The second hopper 400 is equipped with a second conveying mechanism 410 for transporting the food from the second hopper 400 to the first hopper. Optionally, the second conveying mechanism 410 is a belt conveyor. Figure 4 This is a partial structural diagram of the end of a belt conveyor, at the material discharge point. The upper impeller is the driving impeller, and the lower impeller is the driven impeller. Both are multi-toothed sprockets, driven by a chain-linked drive mechanism. The upper impeller rotates, which in turn drives the belt conveyor belt to circulate, transporting the material on the belt from the lower impeller. Figure 4 It fell to the left.

[0014] This invention utilizes a gripping mechanism 220 to grip the food container 510 and pull it out horizontally. During this horizontal movement, the food container, pulled from the placement space into the food container receiving space, passes through a receiving position (directly above this position is the end of the belt conveyor of the first material conveying mechanism 240, from which food falls evenly to the receiving position and enters the food container 510). Different positions of the food container 510 sequentially receive food at the receiving positions, thus ultimately resulting in a uniform distribution of food at the bottom of the food container 510.

[0015] For automatic feeding devices, returning the food container to the feeding rack after feeding is a major challenge. This is because the food container is relatively soft and deforms under stress. Especially when only one end is grasped, leaving the other end suspended, the weight of the food in a fully loaded food container causes slight deformation at the suspended end, causing it to sink below its original height and thus below the bottom of the first operating opening. Directly pushing the food container horizontally back will cause it to jam or even be blocked by the bottom support of the first opening. This application provides a lifting mechanism 180 to assist the grasping mechanism 220 in resetting and pushing the food container 510 back, and provides a method for the lifting mechanism 180 and the grasping mechanism 220 to work together to push the food container 510 back. The lifting mechanism 180 slightly raises the food container 510 to prevent the end about to be inserted from being jammed or limited by the bottom support of the first opening, and then extends the food container 510 into the target placement space. As the food container 510 extends into the target placement space, the extended end of the food container 510 detaches from the food container support part 230, and the portion no longer supported from the bottom becomes increasingly longer, resulting in less support at the extended end and a greater degree of sag. If it continues to be pushed back horizontally, the food container 510 will be jammed or even limited by the bottom support member that forms the second opening. Therefore, when the food container 510 extends beyond the bottom support member of the first opening, the lifting mechanism will be activated to press down the gripping end of the food container 510. Using the bottom support member of the first opening as the fulcrum of a lever, the bottom plane of the food container 510 as the lever, and the gripping end and the extended end as the two ends of the lever, a slight downward press of the gripping end, under the action of the fulcrum, will inevitably cause the extended end to rise slightly, compensating for the sag. The grasping mechanism 220 continuously pushes the grasped food container 510, moving it out of the food container holding space and to the target placement position, until the food container 510's extended end protrudes through the second opening and the food container 510 (even if no longer grasped by the grasping structure) can be stably supported independently by the bottom of the placement space. At this point, the grasping structure releases the grasped food container and exits the breeding rack. It then moves to other heights to continue feeding other food containers.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the gripping mechanism 220 is equipped with a gripping hook 221 as a gripping structure. The gripping mechanism 220 can drive its gripping hook 221 to make a horizontal linear reciprocating motion. The gripping hook 221 extends outward along its own linear motion direction and then bends downward. The middle of the horizontally extended gripping hook 221 is connected to a downwardly extending limiting part 222, which is used to limit and push the food box 510. The gripping mechanism 220 drives the gripping hook 221 to extend horizontally into the gap above the food box 510 of the three-dimensional breeding rack 500. The lifting mechanism 180 drives the gripping mechanism 220 to descend. The gripping hook 221 descends synchronously to grip the food box 510. The box wall of the food box 510 is located between the downwardly bent section of the gripping hook 221 and the limiting part 222. The gripping mechanism 220 is activated to horizontally hook out the food box 510. The food box 510 is horizontally slid out under force to the food box bearing part 230 below the first feed bin 210 and receives food at the receiving position. The gripping mechanism 220 is also used to horizontally push away the feed box 510 that has been fed. The feed box 510 slides back to the breeding rack 500 under horizontal force, and the lifting mechanism 180 drives the gripping hook 221 to rise and horizontally exit the breeding rack 500. The placement space of the three-dimensional breeding rack 500 will reserve operating space above the feed box 510. The gripping structure of the gripping mechanism 220 (such as the gripping hook 221) extends horizontally into this space and then performs the relevant operations to grip the feed box 510. The gripping mechanism 220 hooks out and pushes back quickly, and the distance between the breeding rack 500 and the feed box support part 230 is less than the length of the feed box 510. The simple hooking also avoids the risk of falling.

[0017] The mounting base includes a first support frame 100 and a second support frame 300. The walking mechanism includes first and second moving devices (110 and 310) respectively installed at the bottom of the first and second support frames (100 and 300) for moving along the aisle on the side of the breeding rack 500. Optionally, the first moving device 110 is an active walking device, preferably equipped with directional wheels with a drive device. The second moving device 310 is a passive walking device, preferably equipped with guide wheels. A second feed hopper 400 is mounted on the second support frame 300. The second feed hopper 400 has a second discharge port, and the second discharge port is equipped with a second conveying mechanism 410 to transport the feed from the second feed hopper 400 to the first feed hopper 210.

[0018] This invention utilizes the downward bending section of the gripping hook 221 to hook out the feeding box 510 for feeding, and uses the limiting part 222 to push the fed feeding box 510 back into the breeding rack 500. The gripping mechanism 220 and the first feed bin 210 rise and fall synchronously to feed the feeding boxes 510 on other layers. The first moving device 110 drives the first support frame 100 to move, and the second moving device 310 can reduce the friction of the second support frame 300 moving with the first support frame 100. The two move together on the side aisle of the breeding rack 500. The support base and its load-bearing components move along the length of the breeding rack 500 to feed each layer of the feeding box 510 of the entire length of the breeding rack 500. Compared with the prior art, this application realizes automated feeding of the three-dimensional breeding rack 500, reduces the manual labor intensity of feeding the feeding box 510, and is conducive to expanding the breeding scale.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the first material conveying mechanism 240 is a tubular chain belt conveyor, with its belt conveying direction aligned with the first linear direction. Unlike ordinary belt conveyors, the pulleys driving the belt displacement are not smooth round wheels, but sprockets 241 with multi-toothed radial outer surfaces, capable of engaging with the chain 242 for transmission. The driver of the tubular chain belt conveyor drives the sprockets 241 to rotate, with the two sprockets 241 at both ends rotating synchronously along the belt conveying direction, causing the chain 242 to circulate. The belt 244, fixedly mounted on the chain 242, moves synchronously, moving the food it carries along the current conveying direction. The folded position of the belt 244 at the sprocket 241 is the food drop position of the first material conveying mechanism 240. By changing the direction of the conveying direction by changing the sprocket 241, two food drop positions can be formed, creating two receiving positions in the food container placement space. The specific choice of one or two receiving positions can be flexibly selected according to the actual situation. Optionally, as shown in the figure, a plurality of connectors 243 are fixed on the chain 242, arranged adjacently at intervals along the circulation direction. The connectors 243 are elongated strips, with their length direction aligned with the width direction of the transport machine. The two ends of the connectors 243 are respectively fixed to two chains 242 on either side of the transport machine's width direction, and the belt 244 is fixed to the connectors 243. In other words, the belt 244 is fixed to the chain 242 via the connectors 243. Preferably, the connectors 243 are hollow long tubes.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the first material conveying mechanism 240 is a tubular chain belt conveyor. The bottom of the first hopper is provided with a first discharge port 211, which is located above the first material conveying mechanism 240 and in the middle of its belt conveying direction. The food box accommodating space is located below the first material conveying mechanism 240 and above the food box carrying part 230. The end of the belt conveyor in the conveying direction is the food falling position, and the receiving position is located in the food box accommodating space, below the food falling position.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the first support frame 100 and the second support frame 300 are detachably connected, facilitating disassembly, lifting, and transportation to other feeding boxes 510 arranged as other three-dimensional breeding racks 500 for feeding.

[0022] Optionally, the transport direction end of the second material conveying mechanism 410 is its food drop position. Along the travel direction of the support base, with the first support frame 100 and the second support frame 300 connected, the transport direction end of the second material conveying mechanism 410 is located outside the lifting area of ​​the first hopper 210, preferably behind it in the forward direction. The top of the first hopper 210 is provided with a first feed inlet, which extends linearly along the travel direction. In this embodiment, the detachable connection of the first support frame 100 and the second support frame 300 also facilitates the second material conveying mechanism 410 to evenly feed the first hopper 210. Specifically: When the first hopper 210 is filled, the first support frame 100 and the second support frame 300 are connected, with the former driving the latter, and the two move synchronously. When the first hopper 210 is empty and the second conveying mechanism 410 needs to be activated to add material, the lifting platform 170 needs to be raised to a suitable height and the first support frame 100 and the second support frame 300 need to be separated. After separation, the first moving device drives the first support frame 100 to move closer to the rear of the second support frame 300, so that the first feed inlet is located below the material drop position of the second conveying mechanism 410, and the foremost side of the first feed inlet along the walking direction is directly below the material drop position of the second conveying mechanism 410. Then the first support frame 100 moves forward, while the material drop position of the second conveying mechanism 410 remains unchanged, adding material at a uniform speed while moving, evenly adding material to the entire length of the first hopper 210, and the adding is complete. Then the first support frame 100 and the second support frame 300 are reconnected. Optionally, the second material conveying mechanism is a belt conveyor. A slight reversal after feeding can reduce unnecessary material loss. The aforementioned lifting mechanism can adjust the height of the first hopper 210 so that it receives material below the material falling position of the second material conveying mechanism 410. It can also precisely adjust the height difference between the two, thereby reducing the height difference between the discharge and receiving components, minimizing the conversion of kinetic energy, and reducing material splashing and waste caused by impact.

[0023] This application does not specifically limit the movement method of the first mobile device 110, as long as it can achieve the walking goal and feeding. Optionally, the first mobile device 110 is a powered walking mechanism, driven by energy, preferably a motor-driven walking mechanism. Optionally, the walking channel is provided with a ground rail along the second straight direction, and the first mobile device 110 and the second mobile device 310 walk on the ground rail, which has a guiding and constraining effect. When there is no energy drive, they are locked to a standstill by the friction of the ground rail. Alternatively, the first mobile device can also be a human-powered active walking mechanism. Compared with repeatedly bending over and tiptoeing at different angles to retrieve boxes, find placement platforms, scatter feed, and then bend over and tiptoe to put them back in the narrow passage inside the breeding rack 500, the personnel compliance is higher and the labor intensity is lower in the wide passage where multiple people take turns pushing and pulling the equipment. Alternatively, a hybrid movement method that can be powered or manual can be used, as long as the movement function can be completed.

[0024] In one possible implementation, the first support frame 100 is provided with a first pivot pin 130, which is elongated. The middle of the first pivot pin 130 along its length is hinged to the first connecting portion 131 of the first support frame 100. One end of the first pivot pin 130 is connected to the cylinder shaft 121 of the electric cylinder 120 on the first support frame 100. The other end of the first pivot pin 130 is detachably connected to the second support frame 300 as it rotates. This other end has a second inclined surface 133 at its top and a slot 140 at its bottom. The second inclined surface 133 is inclined along the length of the first pivot pin 130. As the first pivot pin 130 gradually moves away from the first connecting portion 131 along its length, the inclination of the second inclined surface 133 causes the top of the first pivot pin 130 to gradually approach its bottom, i.e., it gradually thins. The electric cylinder 120 is used to drive the first pivot pin 130 to rotate, thereby locking / unlocking the connection between the first pivot pin 130 and the second support frame 300. The second hopper 400 moves synchronously with the first hopper 210. If there is no remaining material in the second hopper 400, the electric cylinder 120 can be driven to unlock the connection between the first support frame 100 and the second support frame 300, and the above-mentioned operation of adding material can be performed. Optionally, the first support frame 100 in the unlocked state advances until the material addition is completed. At this time, the relative distance between the first support frame 100 and the second support frame 300 is exactly restored to the relative distance required for reconnection. The electric cylinder 120 is then operated to reconnect the two.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the electric cylinder 120 is located at the top of the first pivot pin 130, with its cylinder shaft 121 extending downwards along the direction of gravity and connected to one end of the first pivot pin 130. The axial direction of the hinge in the middle of the first pivot pin 130 is horizontal. A downward-opening slot 140 is provided at the bottom of one end of the first pivot pin 130. One side of the second support frame 300 faces the first support frame 100, and this side has a second connecting portion. The opening of the slot 140 matches the second connecting portion. The electric cylinder 120 drives the first pivot pin 130 to rotate, and the slot 140 rotates synchronously until it engages with the second connecting portion. The slot 140 restricts the horizontal displacement of the second connecting portion, thereby locking the connection between the first pivot pin 130 and the second support frame 300. The electric cylinder 120 drives the first pivot pin 130 to rotate in the opposite direction, and the slot 140 rotates synchronously to disengage from the second connecting portion, thereby unlocking the connection between the first pivot pin 130 and the second support frame 300. Optionally, a first support member 173 is also connected to the bottom of the first pivot pin 130. Along the length of the first pivot pin 130, the first support member 173 is located between the first connecting part 131 and the slot 140.

[0026] Optionally, the slot 140 is formed by two snap-fit ​​structures that are oppositely arranged and fixed to the bottom of the first pivot pin 130. The snap-fit ​​structures extend downward beyond the side wall of the first pivot pin 130. A gap is provided between the two snap-fit ​​structures to form the slot space. The snap-fit ​​structure can be an angle steel, with one side of the angle steel fitted and fixed to the first pivot pin, and the other side extending beyond the side wall of the first pivot pin 130 and protruding to the bottom. Preferably, the bottom of the first support member 173100 is a first inclined surface, with one inclined end of the first inclined surface 132 connected to the bottom end of a snap-fit ​​structure (near the first connecting part 131), and the other inclined end connected to the bottom of the first pivot pin.

[0027] In one possible implementation, such as Figure 1 As shown, the first hopper 210, the first conveying mechanism 240, the gripping mechanism 220 and the food box carrier 230 are installed on the same lifting platform 170. The lifting platform 170 is installed in the lifting track of the first support frame 100 and is driven to rise / fall by the lifting mechanism 180.

[0028] In one possible implementation, one end of the first safety guardrail 150 is hinged to the bottom front side of the first support frame 100 in the direction of travel, rotating about a first straight line, while the other end is inclined to the ground, protruding from the frame of the first support frame 100 in the direction of travel. The first support frame 100 is also equipped with a first micro switch 151, connected to the rotating end of the first safety guardrail 150, to monitor whether it rotates. If there is an obstacle in the front side of the direction of travel, the first safety guardrail 150 will first collide with the obstacle, triggering an alarm signal from the first micro switch 151. In other words, the first micro switch 151 is used to generate and feedback an alarm signal when the first safety guardrail 150 rotates. Optionally, a second safety guardrail 330 and a second micro switch 320 are also provided on the rear side of the mounting base in the direction of travel. One end of the second safety guardrail 330 is hinged to the bottom rear side of the mounting base in the direction of travel, with its rotation axis aligned with the first straight line, while the other end is inclined to the ground, protruding from the side wall of the mounting base in the direction of travel. The second micro switch 320 is mounted on the support base and connected to the rotating end of the second safety railing 330. It is used to monitor whether the second safety railing 330 is rotating, and to issue an alarm signal when rotation of the second safety railing 330 is detected. The second micro switch 320 feeds back the alarm signal, and the mounting base stops moving when the alarm signal is detected.

[0029] The system provides feedback alarm signals to personnel, prompting them to stop the machine. Alternatively, a corresponding microswitch can be directly connected to the control terminal of the controller / drive device of the support base's walking mechanism, directly feeding back an alarm signal and automatically stopping the machine based on the alarm signal. For example, the relevant microswitch can be electrically connected to the drive device of the first moving device 110, or to a component that controls whether the first moving device 110 drives the first support frame 100 to move (such as the controller of the automatic feeding device described later). If necessary, if the system detects that the relevant safety railing has been hit by an obstacle and rotates, after feeding back an alarm signal, in addition to stopping the movement of the mounting base, it is also necessary to stop all operations of the automatic feeding device. The necessary components and connections to achieve these functions are not detailed here. This should not be interpreted as the absence of such components or the lack of relevant electrical connections.

[0030] Optionally, the automatic feeding device also includes a controller. The drive devices of the second feeding mechanism 410, the first feeding mechanism 240, the gripping mechanism 220, the lifting mechanism 180, and the first moving device 110 are all electrically connected to and controlled by the controller. Both the first microswitch 151 and the second microswitch 320 can send alarm signals to the controller they are electrically connected to. If any switch sends an alarm signal, the controller will generate a control signal based on the alarm signal, triggering an emergency stop. The lifting mechanism 180 and the gripping mechanism 220 will stop, causing the lifting platform 170 to stop, and the gripping hook 221 and the food container 510 to stop horizontal movement to prevent accidental entry and injury to personnel. The food container 510 will be paused. Conversely, if the first discharge port 211 has an on / off control structure, the first discharge port 211 will be cut off, and the first feeding mechanism 240 will be stopped. If no such structure exists, only the first feeding mechanism 240 will be stopped. The purpose is to prevent the first discharge port 211 from discharging material. The second material conveying mechanism 410 stops, and the second hopper 400 suspends material replenishment. After staff clear the obstruction and allow feeding to resume, the automatic feeding device can be manually restarted to restore operation. Optionally, the automatic feeding device is also equipped with an alarm, electrically connected to the controller or the first and second microswitches 320. Upon receiving an alarm signal, it will sound an alarm to alert staff. The alarm can be a buzzer, indicator light, etc.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the second material conveying mechanism 410 is a belt conveyor.

[0032] In one possible implementation, the first support frame 100 is equipped with a battery 160 to power all electrical devices on the first support frame 100 and the second support frame 300.

[0033] In one possible implementation, such as Figure 2 As shown, the lifting platform 170 is equipped with two gripping units along the first straight line. These two gripping units are used to grip the food containers 510 on the three-dimensional breeding racks on both sides of the automatic feeding device. The first feeding mechanism 240 forms two receiving positions in the food container space, corresponding to feeding the food containers 510 gripped by the two gripping units. Each gripping unit includes a gripping structure. In the same gripping unit, the gripping hook 221 extends horizontally outward toward the breeding rack 500 on the same side of the aisle. In two gripping units, the gripping hooks 221 extend horizontally outward toward the breeding racks 500 on both sides of the aisle. Alternatively, the first support frame 100 may have only one gripping unit for single-sided gripping. Optionally, a gripping unit may have three gripping structures, each including two gripping hooks 221, for detachably gripping two or more food containers 510. The first hopper 210 has three discharge ports, and a separator 212 is provided between the three discharge ports to separate the food from different food containers 510 for transportation, thereby reducing waste.

[0034] In one possible implementation, the lifting platform 170 is further provided with a first track, and a gripping mechanism 220 is used to drive the gripping structure to move linearly along a first straight direction within the first track, and lock it in place after moving into position. The first track extends along the first straight direction and may be a rack 171 extending along the first straight direction. The gripping mechanism 220 includes a gear 223 and a driver that drives the gear 223 to rotate. The gear 223 matches and meshes with the rack 171. The driver drives the gear 223 to rotate, displacing it on the rack 171, thereby causing the gripping structure to move linearly on the rack 171, thus causing the gripping structure and the food box 510 it grips to move horizontally synchronously, achieving the above-mentioned function. Optionally, a first conveying mechanism 240 is provided above the food box accommodating space, and a food box carrying part 230 is provided below it, extending along the first straight direction, with two first tracks arranged opposite each other at both ends along the second straight direction. The first track is composed of a rack 171 extending along the first straight direction. A driver is installed on the base 172, and the driver is connected to the gear 223. Gears 223 extend from both ends of the base 172 along the second straight line. Gears 223 mesh with gears 223. A driver drives the coaxially connected gears 223 to rotate, thereby moving the base 172 along the first straight line on the rack 171, and driving the base 172 and all components mounted on the base 172 to move synchronously. All gripping structures of all gripping units are mounted on the base 172, and the gripping structures of different gripping units are respectively mounted at both ends of the base 172 along the first straight line. The base 172 and the gripping units move freely along the first straight line within the feed box accommodating space, extending from either side of the automatic feeding device to grab / push back the feed box 510 of the breeding rack 500.

[0035] In one possible implementation, the food container support 230 is a roller-type support structure, including two or more support members 173 distributed along a first straight line. Each support member 173 includes a shaft and a roller. The axial ends of the shaft are fixed to the lifting platform 170, and the roller is sleeved outside the shaft and rotates around the shaft on the lifting platform 170. The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely preferred examples and are not intended to limit the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the present invention as claimed. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An automatic feeding device for a three-dimensional animal food box, characterized in that, The automatic feeding device is used to feed the multi-layer feeding box supported by the three-dimensional breeding rack. The top of the feeding box has a receiving port extending along a first horizontal straight line. The three-dimensional breeding rack has a placement space to support the feeding box. Along the first straight line, the two ends of the placement space have first and second openings respectively. The middle of the bottom and top is hollowed out. The two ends are provided with support members to form the first and second openings. The first opening is close to the automatic feeding device. The automatic feeding device includes a mounting base. The mounting base is equipped with a lifting mechanism. Its lifting platform is equipped with a food box carrying part, a gripping mechanism, a first material conveying mechanism, and a first material bin. A food box accommodating space is formed above the food box carrying part. The first material conveying mechanism is used to form a receiving position in the food box accommodating space and transport the food from the first material bin to the receiving position and add it to the food box. The food box carrying part supports the food box from the bottom of the food box. The lifting mechanism is used to drive the lifting platform to rise and fall so that the food box accommodating space and the target food box placement space are horizontally relative to each other. The gripping mechanism is used to drive its gripping structure and the gripped food box to move horizontally. The gripping structure extends into the target placement space from the first opening and can detachably grip the end of the food box near the first opening. The food box is gripped and driven to move horizontally from the target placement space to the food box accommodating space. During the movement, the receiving port passes through the receiving position to receive the food. The lifting mechanism raises the lifting platform, and the grasping mechanism and the food box it grasps rise synchronously, so that the bottom of the food box is higher than the bottom of the first opening of the target placement space, and the top of the food box is still lower than the top of the target placement space. The grasping mechanism drives the grasped food box to move horizontally to extend into the target placement space. When the extended end of the grasped food box moves to the middle of the target placement space along the first straight line, the lifting mechanism lowers the lifting platform, and the grasped end of the grasped food box descends synchronously, so that the extended end of the food box is raised. The grasping mechanism drives the grasped food box to move back to the target placement space until the extended end of the food box passes through the second opening of the target placement space, and the bottom of the grasped end is still supported by the bearing member forming the first opening. The grasping structure releases the food box and exits the three-dimensional breeding rack. The support base is also provided with a second hopper, which is equipped with a second conveying mechanism for transporting the food in the second hopper to the first hopper.

2. The automatic feeding device for the three-dimensional animal feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first material conveying mechanism is a tubular chain belt conveyor.

3. The automatic feeding device for the three-dimensional animal feeder according to claim 2, characterized in that, The bottom of the first hopper is provided with a first discharge port, which is located above the first conveying mechanism and in the middle of its belt conveying direction. The food box accommodating space is located below the first conveying mechanism and above the food box bearing part. The end of the conveying direction of the belt conveyor is the food falling position, and the receiving position is located in the food box accommodating space, below the food falling position.

4. The automatic feeding device for the three-dimensional animal feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting base includes a first support frame and a second support frame. The first support frame is provided with a lifting platform and a lifting mechanism, and the second support frame is provided with a second feed hopper. The first support frame and the second support frame are detachably connected. The bottom of the first and second support frames are respectively provided with a first and a second moving device for walking on the aisle on the side of the breeding rack. The walking direction is the same and is perpendicular to the first straight line direction and the gravity direction.

5. The automatic feeding device for the three-dimensional animal feeder according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first support frame is provided with a first pivot pin. The middle part of the first pivot pin is hinged to the first connecting part of the first support frame. One end of the first pivot pin is connected to the electric cylinder shaft of the electric cylinder on the first support frame. The other end of the first pivot pin is detachably connected to the second support frame as it rotates. The electric cylinder is used to drive the first pivot pin to rotate, thereby locking / unlocking the connection between the first pivot pin and the second support frame.

6. The automatic feeding device for the three-dimensional animal feeder according to claim 4, characterized in that, A first safety guardrail and a first micro switch are provided on the front side of the first support frame in the direction of travel. One end of the first safety guardrail is rotatably connected to the first support frame, and the rotation axis intersects the direction of travel. The other end of the first safety guardrail protrudes from the frame of the first support frame in the direction of travel. The first micro switch is installed on the first support frame and is connected to the rotating end of the first safety guardrail to detect whether it is rotating. When an object is detected to collide with the first safety guardrail and cause it to rotate, an alarm signal is issued to stop the first support frame from moving.

7. The automatic feeding device for the three-dimensional animal feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting platform is equipped with a gripping unit, which includes two or more gripping structures for gripping two or more target food boxes, so that the gripped food boxes are distributed sequentially along a second straight line. The first hopper is equipped with a discharge unit, which includes two or more first discharge ports that are distributed at intervals along the second straight line. The number of discharge units and gripping units is the same and they are set in a one-to-one correspondence. The first discharge port of the discharge unit is the same as the maximum number of food boxes that the gripping unit can grip and they are set in a one-to-one correspondence. The second straight line, the first straight line, and the gravity direction are perpendicular to each other.

8. The automatic feeding device for the three-dimensional animal feeder according to claim 7, characterized in that, The lifting platform is equipped with two gripping units. Along the first straight line, the two gripping units are used to grip the food boxes on the three-dimensional breeding racks on both sides of the automatic feeding device. The first feeding mechanism forms two receiving positions in the food box accommodating space, which correspond to feeding the food boxes gripped by the two gripping units.

9. The automatic feeding device for the three-dimensional animal feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The food box bearing part is a roller support structure, including two or more support members distributed along a first straight line. Each support member includes a shaft core and a roller. The two axial ends of the shaft core are fixed to the lifting platform. The roller is sleeved outside the shaft core and rotates around the shaft core on the lifting platform.

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