Automatic feeder and feeding method thereof

Abstract

The application discloses an automatic feeder and a feeding method thereof, and relates to the technical field of breeding equipment. The automatic feeder comprises a rack, a feeding plate, a quantitative feeding mechanism and a driving mechanism. The rack is provided with multiple layers of support frames in the height direction, and each layer of support frame is used for placing multiple fish tanks. The feeding plate is fixed to the top of the rack, and the feeding plate is provided with multiple feeding hole positions. Each fish tank is connected with a feeding hole position. The quantitative feeding mechanism is movably arranged above the feeding plate. The quantitative feeding mechanism comprises a bait storage bin and a quantitative piece. The bait storage bin is provided with a discharge port. The quantitative piece is provided with a quantitative groove. The quantitative piece can be switched between a receiving state and a feeding state. In the receiving state, the quantitative groove is in butt joint with the discharge port. In the feeding state, the quantitative groove is in butt joint with the feeding hole position. The driving mechanism is connected with the quantitative feeding mechanism and is used for driving the quantitative feeding mechanism to move along the feeding plate, so that the quantitative piece is in butt joint with the multiple feeding hole positions in sequence.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aquaculture equipment technology, and in particular to an automatic feeder and its feeding method. Background Technology

[0002] Zebrafish, as an important model vertebrate in the life sciences, are widely used in research on developmental biology, genetics, toxicology, and drug screening. In experimental aquaculture, the regularity of their daily feeding and the precise control of feed quantity directly affect the fish's health, developmental synchronicity, and the reproducibility of experimental data. However, laboratories or aquaculture workshops typically employ intensive multi-tank rearing methods, with stocking densities ranging from several to dozens of fish per tank, resulting in significant variations in the required daily feed quantity. The minimum feeding amount often needs to be precise to tens of milligrams. Artificial feeding is susceptible to factors such as holidays, staff rotation, and fatigue / negligence, making it prone to missed or overfeeding. Excessive uneaten feed can also rapidly degrade water quality, disrupt the nitrification balance in recirculating aquaculture systems, introduce uncontrollable experimental variables, and severely affect the reliability of experimental results.

[0003] Currently, most automatic feeders on the market use methods such as screw conveyors, vibrating discs, or intermittent gate feeding. The minimum quantitative capacity of these devices is often limited to several hundred milligrams or even grams, making it difficult to meet the high-precision micro-feeding requirements of 25 mg / feed for zebrafish juveniles or low-density rearing. Furthermore, existing structures often have a separate feeding unit for each tank. When there are dozens or even hundreds of tanks, the system becomes complex, costly, and inflexible in setting different feeding amounts for tanks with different stocking densities. For experimental fish farms requiring separate quantitative and controlled feeding in large numbers of small units, existing equipment still has significant shortcomings in terms of quantitative accuracy, multi-tank compatibility, and system simplicity. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic feeder and its feeding method, so as to realize independent quantitative feeding of multiple fish tanks and be compatible with fish tanks of different sizes and different stocking densities.

[0005] To achieve this objective, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: An automatic feeder includes: The frame has multiple support frames along the height direction, and each layer of the support frame is used to hold multiple fish tanks; A feeding board is fixed to the top of the frame. The feeding board has multiple feeding holes, and each fish tank is connected to one feeding hole. A quantitative feeding mechanism is movably disposed above the feeding plate. The quantitative feeding mechanism includes a feed storage bin and a quantitative component. The feed storage bin has a discharge port, and the quantitative component has a quantitative groove. The quantitative component can switch between a receiving state and a feeding state. In the receiving state, the quantitative groove is aligned with the discharge port; in the feeding state, the quantitative groove is aligned with the feeding hole. A driving mechanism, connected to the metering feeding mechanism, is used to drive the metering feeding mechanism to move along the feeding plate so that the metering element sequentially aligns with the plurality of feeding holes.

[0006] As an optional embodiment of the automatic feeder, the quantitative feeding mechanism further includes a mounting base, an adapter pipe, and a feeding pipe. The mounting base is connected to the drive mechanism, and the adapter pipe and the feeding pipe are both fixed to the mounting base. The upper end of the adapter pipe is connected to the discharge port, and the lower end is connected to the quantitative groove in the receiving state. The upper end of the feeding pipe is connected to the quantitative groove in the feeding state, and the lower end is used to connect to the feeding hole.

[0007] As an optional embodiment of the automatic feeder, the feeding pipe includes a feeding pipe, a movable cone sleeve, and an elastic clamping member. The movable cone sleeve is axially slidably fitted onto the lower end of the feeding pipe. The elastic clamping member is disposed between the feeding pipe and the movable cone sleeve and is used to apply a downward elastic preload to the movable cone sleeve so that the lower end face of the movable cone sleeve elastically abuts against the feeding plate to form a sealing pair.

[0008] As an alternative to the automatic feeder, the inner wall of the movable cone sleeve forms a conical constriction surface for discharging feed, and the movable cone sleeve is made of polytetrafluoroethylene.

[0009] As an optional embodiment of the automatic feeder, the quantitative feeding mechanism further includes an air blowing component and / or a drying component disposed on the mounting base, wherein the outlet of the air blowing component and / or the drying component is connected to the upper end of the feeding pipe.

[0010] As an optional solution for the automatic feeder, each layer of the support frame can hold two rows of fish tanks along the width direction of the frame, and the feeding holes are arranged in two rows accordingly. The number of feeding holes in each row is equal to the sum of the number of fish tanks below it in the row. There are two quantitative feeding mechanisms, each corresponding to a row of feeding holes, and the driving mechanism synchronously drives the two quantitative feeding mechanisms to move back and forth.

[0011] As an optional embodiment of the automatic feeder, the drive mechanism includes a drive motor and a synchronous belt pulley assembly. The synchronous belt pulley assembly is located between the two quantitative feeding mechanisms and includes a drive pulley, a driven pulley, and a synchronous belt. The drive motor is connected to the drive pulley, and the driven pulley is fixed to the top of the frame away from the drive pulley. The synchronous belt drives and connects the drive pulley and the driven pulley. Both quantitative feeding mechanisms are connected to the synchronous belt.

[0012] As an optional embodiment of the automatic feeder, the metering component is a rotating shaft, the connecting pipe and the feeding pipe are arranged opposite each other in the vertical direction, and the rotating shaft switches between the receiving state and the feeding state by rotation.

[0013] As an optional embodiment of the automatic feeder, the metering component is a metering plate, the transfer tube and the feeding tube are staggered in the vertical direction, and the metering plate switches between the receiving state and the feeding state by linear movement.

[0014] As an alternative to the automatic feeder, the mounting base has a channel for the metering element to rotate or move linearly, and during the operation of the metering element, the wall of the channel closes the metering groove.

[0015] As an optional embodiment of the automatic feeder, the quantitative feeding mechanism further includes a detection component, which includes a sensor and a detection sensor. The sensor is disposed on the quantitative feeder, and the detection sensor is disposed on the mounting base. It is used to detect the number of times the quantitative feeder moves, so as to measure the number of times the quantitative feeder switches between the receiving state and the feeding state at the same feeding hole position.

[0016] As an optional embodiment of the automatic feeder, the quantitative feeding mechanism further includes a drive component, which is mounted on the mounting base and connected to the quantitative component, for driving the quantitative component to rotate or move linearly, so that the quantitative component switches between the receiving state and the feeding state.

[0017] As an optional embodiment of the automatic feeder, the automatic feeder also includes a bait container, which is located at a lower position on the frame; The top of the bait storage compartment is equipped with a bait inlet and a negative pressure exhaust port. The bait inlet is connected to the bait tank through a bait pipe, and the negative pressure exhaust port is used to connect to a negative pressure source.

[0018] As an optional feature of the automatic feeder, each connection of the feed storage compartment is equipped with a sealing ring; The bait container and / or the bait storage compartment are equipped with a desiccant.

[0019] As an optional feature of the automatic feeder, the feed storage compartment is also equipped with a feed shortage detection device to detect whether the feed storage compartment is short of feed.

[0020] As an optional embodiment of the automatic feeder, the automatic feeder further includes a feeding cover disposed on each of the fish tanks, the feeding cover having a vortex cavity with an open top, the bottom of the vortex cavity having a communication port communicating with the interior of the fish tank; the upper end of the side wall of the vortex cavity is provided with a water inlet and a feeding inlet spaced apart, the water inlet being at a lower position relative to the feeding inlet. The automatic feeder also includes a water tank, and the water inlet is connected to the water tank via a water inlet pipe; the feed inlet is connected to the corresponding feeding hole via a feed inlet pipe.

[0021] As an alternative to the automatic feeder, both the feed tube and the feed cover are made of polytetrafluoroethylene.

[0022] As an alternative to the automatic feeder, the centerline of the water inlet is set inclined downwards in the vertical direction, and the projection of the centerline of the feed inlet in the horizontal direction is set towards the connecting port.

[0023] As an alternative to the automatic feeder, the water inlet and the feed inlet are disposed on the first sidewall of the vortex cavity, the centerline of the water inlet is horizontally oriented toward the second sidewall adjacent to the first sidewall, and the second sidewall is located on the side closer to the water inlet.

[0024] As an optional embodiment of the automatic feeder, the automatic feeder also includes an electrical control box and a human-machine interface screen. The electrical control box is located at the bottom of the frame, and the human-machine interface screen is hung on the side of the frame. The electrical control box and the human-machine interface screen are electrically connected.

[0025] A feeding method for an automatic feeder, applied to an automatic feeder as described in any of the above embodiments, the feeding method comprising the following steps: Establish a numbering mapping relationship between the fish tank and the feeding hole location; According to the preset feeding amount, the drive mechanism drives the quantitative feeding mechanism to move to the target feeding hole position; The minimum feeding amount is determined by using the capacity of the metering groove as the minimum feeding amount, and the number of times the metering component switches between the receiving state and the feeding state is determined according to the preset feeding amount and the minimum feeding amount. Perform the switching action of the metering device to complete the metered feeding.

[0026] As an optional feeding method for the automatic feeder, it further includes: performing active cleaning and / or drying of the feed tube after feeding.

[0027] The beneficial effects of this invention are: The automatic feeder provided by this invention features a multi-layered support frame for mounting fish tanks, with a feeding plate at the top of the frame. Each feeding hole on the feeding plate corresponds to a fish tank. A quantitative feeding mechanism is movably positioned above the feeding plate. The quantitative feeder can switch between a receiving state and a feeding state. In the receiving state, the quantitative groove aligns with the outlet of the food storage compartment, achieving precise feeding in units of the groove's volume. In the feeding state, the quantitative groove aligns with a feeding hole, releasing that unit of food into the corresponding fish tank. A drive mechanism propels the quantitative feeding mechanism back and forth along the feeding plate, precisely feeding the corresponding fish tank through different feeding holes. Therefore, through the cycle of "movement positioning - receiving - feeding", not only can the volume of the quantitative groove be used as the smallest feeding unit to achieve milligram-level precision, but also the number of feeding actions for a specific feeding hole can be controlled to flexibly combine any multiple of feeding amount required for aquariums with different breeding densities. This achieves efficient and precise coverage of the differentiated feeding needs of dozens or even hundreds of aquariums, completely solving the problems of low precision, complex structure and poor compatibility in traditional multi-tank feeding.

[0028] The feeding method of the automatic feeder provided in this embodiment is applied to the above-mentioned automatic feeder. First, each fish tank and its corresponding feeding hole are assigned the same number to establish a one-to-one mapping relationship. Then, the driving mechanism positions the quantitative feeding mechanism to the target feeding hole in sequence. By controlling the number of times the quantitative component switches between the receiving state and the feeding state, the precise feeding of any target amount of feed for fish tanks with different breeding densities can be achieved. This realizes high-precision quantitative feeding and flexible compatibility for the differentiated feeding needs of multiple fish tanks. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is a first-view structural schematic diagram of the automatic feeder provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a second-view structural schematic diagram of the automatic feeder provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a top view of the automatic feeder provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the drive mechanism and the quantitative feeding mechanism provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first quantitative feeding mechanism provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the first quantitative feeding mechanism provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second quantitative feeding mechanism provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view of the second quantitative feeding mechanism provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the hidden mounting block of the second quantitative feeding mechanism provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the third quantitative feeding mechanism provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 11 This is a top view of the third quantitative feeding mechanism provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 12 yes Figure 11 Sectional view along line AA; Figure 13 This is a longitudinal sectional view of the third quantitative feeding mechanism provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 14 This is a first-view structural schematic diagram of the feed cover provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 15 This is a second-view structural schematic diagram of the feed cover provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 16 This is a top view of the feed cover provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 17 This is a flowchart of the feeding method of the automatic feeder provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0030] In the picture: 100. Fish tank; 1. Frame; 11. Support frame; 12. Feeding plate; 121. Feeding hole; 13. Protective cover; 14. Fixing plate; 15. Positioning plate; 151. Positioning groove; 2. Metered feeding mechanism; 21. Feed storage bin; 211. Feed inlet; 212. Negative pressure exhaust port; 213. Sealing ring; 214. Feed shortage detection device; 22. Metering device; 221. Metering groove; 222. Connecting lug; 23. Mounting base; 231. Mounting block; 232. Mounting base plate; 233. Mounting side plate; 231'. Mounting base; 2311'. First mounting surface; 2312'. Second mounting surface. Mounting surface; 2313', third mounting surface; 2314', guide rail; 232', mounting plate; 2321', air blowing channel; 2322', connecting hole; 24, adapter pipe; 25, feed pipe; 251, feed pipe; 252, movable cone sleeve; 253, elastic clamping component; 26, air blowing assembly; 27, drying assembly; 28, detection assembly; 281, sensing element; 282, detection sensor; 29, driving element; 3. Drive mechanism; 31. Drive motor; 32. Driving pulley; 33. Driven pulley; 34. Synchronous belt; 4. Bait container; 41. Bait pipeline; 42. Vacuum pump; 5. Feed cover; 51. Vortex chamber; 511. First side wall; 512. Second side wall; 52. Connecting port; 53. Water inlet; 54. Feed inlet; 6. Water tank; 7. Electrical control box; 8. Human-computer interaction screen; 9. Connector. Detailed Implementation

[0031] 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 present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0032] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for 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 invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. The terms "first position" and "second position" refer to two different positions.

[0033] Unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections or detachable connections; mechanical connections or electrical connections; direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and connections within two components or interactions between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0034] Unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" a second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of a second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" of a second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0035] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0036] like Figures 1-4 , Figure 6 and Figure 12 As shown, this embodiment provides an automatic feeder, including a frame 1, a feeding plate 12, a quantitative feeding mechanism 2, and a drive mechanism 3. The frame 1 has multiple support frames 11 arranged along its height, each layer of the support frame 11 for holding multiple fish tanks 100. The feeding plate 12 is fixed to the top of the frame 1 and has multiple feeding holes 121, with each fish tank 100 connected to one feeding hole 121. The quantitative feeding mechanism 2 is movably disposed above the feeding plate 12. The quantitative feeding mechanism 2 includes a food storage bin 21 and a quantitative component 22. The food storage bin 21 has a discharge port, and the quantitative component 22 has a quantitative groove 221. The quantitative component 22 can switch between a receiving state and a feeding state. In the receiving state, the quantitative groove 221 engages with the discharge port; in the feeding state, the quantitative groove 221 engages with the feeding hole 121. The drive mechanism 3 is connected to the quantitative feeding mechanism 2 and is used to drive the quantitative feeding mechanism 2 to move along the feeding plate 12 so that the quantitative component 22 is sequentially connected to the multiple feeding holes 121.

[0037] The automatic feeder provided in this embodiment consists of a frame 1 with multiple layers of support frames 11 for placing fish tanks 100, and a feeding plate 12 on the top of the frame 1. The feeding plate 12 has multiple feeding holes 121, with each fish tank 100 connected to one feeding hole 121. A quantitative feeding mechanism 2 is movably positioned above the feeding plate 12. The quantitative feeder 22 can switch between a receiving state and a feeding state. In the receiving state, the quantitative groove 221 engages with the outlet of the food storage bin 21, achieving precise feeding in units with the volume of the quantitative groove 221 as the smallest unit. In the feeding state, the quantitative groove 221 engages with the feeding hole 121, releasing the unit of food into the corresponding fish tank 100. Furthermore, a drive mechanism 3 drives the quantitative feeding mechanism 2 to reciprocate along the feeding plate 12, precisely feeding the fish tanks 100 connected to it through different feeding holes 121. Thus, through the cycle of "movement positioning - receiving - feeding", not only can the volume of the quantitative groove 221 be used as the smallest feeding unit to achieve milligram-level precision, but also the number of feeding actions for a specific feeding hole 121 can be controlled to flexibly combine any multiple of the feeding amount required for fish tanks 100 with different breeding densities. This achieves efficient and precise coverage of the differentiated feeding needs of dozens or even hundreds of fish tanks 100, completely solving the problems of low precision, complex structure and poor compatibility in traditional multi-tank feeding.

[0038] In one embodiment, the frame 1 adopts a vertical frame structure, with a top frame, a bottom frame, and multiple support frames 11 arranged between the top and bottom frames along the height direction. For example, the frame 1 is configured with five layers of support frames 11, and a preset interlayer spacing is maintained between the top frame and the uppermost support frame 11, as well as between adjacent support frames 11. The setting of this interlayer spacing fully considers the height dimensions of standardized aquariums 100 of different brands on the market, so that each layer can be compatible with aquariums 100 of various sizes without the need for customization or modification for specific aquariums 100. The feeding plate 12, the quantitative feeding mechanism 2, and the drive mechanism 3 are all integrated and installed on the top frame, using a top-down gravity feeding method, making full use of the idle space at the top of the automatic feeder, without encroaching on the aquaculture operation area of ​​the aquarium 100; thus greatly increasing the aquaculture capacity within a limited space.

[0039] The top of the frame 1 is also equipped with a protective cover 13. The quantitative feeding mechanism 2 and the drive mechanism 3 are both covered inside the protective cover 13. The protective cover 13 isolates the drive mechanism 3 and the quantitative feeding mechanism 2 from the external environment, effectively preventing the deposition of suspended particulate matter on the surface of the moving parts, preventing dust from entering, and ensuring the positioning accuracy and transmission reliability of the quantitative feeding mechanism 2 during long-term operation.

[0040] The automatic feeder also includes a feed tank 4, a water tank 6, an electrical control box 7, and a human-machine interface screen 8. The feed tank 4 is located at the lower part of the frame 1, preferably installed on the side of the frame 1, so that its feeding port is at a height below the waist of the operator, so that the feed can be replenished without climbing.

[0041] The water tank 6 and the electrical control box 7 are located at the bottom of the frame 1, preferably mounted on the base frame. A large gap is reserved between the base frame and the lowest support frame 11, which is sufficient to accommodate the installation height of the water tank 6 and the electrical control box 7. Placing heavy components such as the water tank 6 and the electrical control box 7 at the bottom of the frame 1 effectively lowers the overall center of gravity of the automatic feeder and enhances the anti-tipping stability of the vertical frame mechanism.

[0042] The human-machine interface screen 8 is mounted on the side of the frame 1. Its installation height is adapted to the operator's natural line of sight and touch operation range when standing. The electrical control box 7 is electrically connected to the human-machine interface screen 8 through a cable to realize the transmission of control commands and real-time display of operating status.

[0043] In one embodiment, such as Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown, the top of the feed storage chamber 21 is equipped with a feed inlet 211 and a negative pressure exhaust port 212. The feed inlet 211 is connected to the feed tank 4 via a feed pipe 41, and the negative pressure exhaust port 212 is used to connect to a negative pressure source. The negative pressure source is a vacuum pump 42, which is connected to the negative pressure exhaust port 212 via a negative pressure pipe. When feed needs to be replenished, the vacuum pump 42 is activated, creating a negative pressure inside the feed storage chamber 21. Driven by the pressure difference, the feed in the feed tank 4 is sucked into the feed storage chamber 21 along the feed pipe 41, completing the negative pressure feeding. This allows operators to add feed to the feed tank 4 only at ground level, avoiding the risk of falls and the burden of frequent up-and-down handling of feed that are associated with traditional top-feeding methods. This method is particularly suitable for large experimental fish houses with high feed consumption and frequent refilling requirements.

[0044] To ensure the effectiveness of negative pressure feeding and the quality stability of the bait during storage, sealing rings 213 are installed at each connection of the bait storage chamber 21.

[0045] As an alternative implementation method, such as Figures 5-9 As shown, the bait storage bin 21 may include an upper bin and a lower bin. The upper bin and the lower bin are detachably connected by screwing or snap-fitting. A sealing ring 213 is provided at the connection between the two. The feed pipe 25 is integrally formed with the lower bin. The lower end of the feed pipe 25 passes through the mounting base 23. A sealing ring 213 is also provided at the connection between the feed pipe 25 and the mounting base 23.

[0046] As another alternative implementation, such as Figures 10-13As shown, the bait storage bin 21 includes a bin body and a top cover. A sealing ring 213 is provided at the connection between the top cover and the bin body. The feed pipe 25 is integrally formed with the bin body. A sealing ring 213 is also provided at the mating point between the lower end of the feed pipe 25 and the mounting base 23.

[0047] Both of the above construction methods ensure that all connecting and jointing surfaces of the bait storage chamber 21, except for the bait inlet 211 and the negative pressure exhaust port 212, are in a sealed state, maintaining the stability of the negative pressure environment inside the bait storage chamber 21 and effectively isolating it from external humid air.

[0048] To further reduce the humidity inside the bait storage chamber 21 and prevent the bait from absorbing moisture and clumping, a desiccant is provided inside the bait container 4 and / or the bait storage chamber 21. For example, a desiccant groove can be opened on the inner wall of the bait storage chamber 21 corresponding to the bait inlet 211, and the desiccant can be placed in the desiccant groove to continuously absorb trace amounts of moisture inside the bait storage chamber 21 without interfering with the bait flow path; alternatively, the desiccant can be placed directly in the bottom space of the bait storage chamber 21 or the bait container 4.

[0049] like Figures 5-13 As shown, a low-feed detection device 214 is also installed in the bait storage bin 21 to detect whether there is a shortage of bait in the bait storage bin 21. The low-feed detection device 214 is a capacitive proximity switch or a photoelectric level sensor, used to monitor the remaining bait in the bin in real time. When the bait is lower than the preset low level line, it sends a signal to the controller of the electrical control box 7, prompting the operator to replenish the bait in time through the human-machine interface screen 8, or automatically triggering the vacuum pump 42 to perform negative pressure feeding.

[0050] In early prototype tests, an attempt was made to connect the feed pipe 25 of the quantitative feeding mechanism 2 directly to the feed hole on the cover of the fish tank 100 via the feed pipe, in order to shorten the feed delivery path. However, after several days of continuous operation, it was found that the saturated water vapor generated by the constant temperature control in the fish tank 100 continuously diffused and permeated upwards along the feed pipe, condensing into fine water droplets on the inner surface of the pipe wall. When the dry powdered feed came into contact with these water droplets during the feeding process, it quickly absorbed moisture and adhered, accumulating one after another. Eventually, this led to feed clumping and blockage at the connection between the feed pipe 25 and the feed pipe, seriously affecting the feeding accuracy and the reliability of continuous operation of the equipment.

[0051] To solve the pipe blockage problem caused by water vapor condensation, such as... Figures 14-16As shown, in one embodiment, the automatic feeder further includes a feeding cover 5 disposed on each fish tank 100. The feeding cover 5 has a vortex cavity 51 with an open top. The bottom of the vortex cavity 51 is provided with a communication port 52 communicating with the inside of the fish tank 100. The upper side wall of the vortex cavity 51 is provided with a water inlet 53 and a feeding port 54 spaced apart. The water inlet 53 is at a lower position than the feeding port 54. The water inlet 53 is connected to the water tank 6 through a water inlet pipe. The feeding port 54 is connected to the corresponding feeding hole 121 through a feeding pipe.

[0052] It should be noted that both the feed pipe and the water inlet pipe are flexible pipes, which facilitates connection with the feed cover 5 at different locations.

[0053] The feed cover 5 can be installed on the cover plate of the fish tank 100, or it can replace the original cover plate of the fish tank 100 and be installed at the top opening of each fish tank 100. The connecting port 52 of the feed cover 5 is directly connected to the air layer above the water inside the fish tank 100, serving as the channel for the food to finally enter the fish tank 100. The upper side wall of the vortex chamber 51 is provided with a water inlet 53 and a feed inlet 54 at intervals, wherein the water inlet 53 is vertically lower than the feed inlet 54 by a set distance. For example, the set distance is 2mm to 4mm. Preferably, the set distance is 3mm. The water inlet 53 and the feed inlet 54 can be located on the same side wall or adjacent side walls in the circumferential direction of the side wall. The water inlet 53 is connected to the water tank 6 located at the bottom of the frame 1 through a water inlet pipe, and water is pumped into the vortex chamber 51 by a micro water pump and injected into the fish tank 100. The feed inlet 54 is connected to the feed hole 121 at the corresponding position on the feed plate 12 via the feed pipe, and receives the feed released quantitatively from the quantitative feeding mechanism 2.

[0054] In one embodiment, both the feed pipe and the feed cover 5 are made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). PTFE is widely used in high-cleanliness fluid contact components in biopharmaceuticals, medical devices, and other fields. Its physicochemical properties are extremely stable, and it is completely inert to common chemical additives in water, releasing no harmful leachates into the aquaculture water. More importantly, PTFE has extremely low surface free energy; water cannot spread to form a film on its surface but spontaneously contracts and coalesces into spherical droplets. Similarly, feed powder is difficult to adhere firmly to its surface. This characteristic means that even in extreme cases where trace amounts of feed dust fall onto the inner wall of the feed cover 5 or the surface of the vortex cavity 51, it will not adhere to the wall and can be completely removed by the subsequent water flow, fundamentally eliminating the risk of feed residue breeding microbial films and biofilm contamination.

[0055] In one embodiment, the centerline of the inlet 53 is inclined downwards along the vertical direction, so that the water flowing into the vortex cavity 51 is injected into the vortex cavity 51 tangentially or normally at a certain downward angle, avoiding horizontal jetting that would cause the water to splash directly out of the open vortex cavity 51. The centerline of the feed inlet 54 is positioned so that its projection in the horizontal direction is directed toward the connecting port 52, so that after the bait falls into the vortex cavity 51 from the feed inlet 54, its initial movement direction is directly toward the area where the connecting port 52 is located, reducing ineffective bouncing and dispersed deposition on the cavity wall.

[0056] In one embodiment, the inlet 53 and the feed inlet 54 are disposed on the first sidewall 511 of the vortex cavity 51. The centerline of the inlet 53 is horizontally oriented toward the second sidewall 512 adjacent to the first sidewall 511, and the second sidewall 512 is located on the side closer to the inlet 53. The projection direction of the centerline of the inlet 53 onto the horizontal plane is toward the second sidewall 512 adjacent to the first sidewall 511, and the second sidewall 512 is located in a lateral position closer to the inlet 53. This oblique injection layout causes the water flow to not rush directly toward the opposite cavity wall after entering the vortex cavity 51, but to form a wall-attached rotating flow along the adjacent sidewall, establishing a stable horizontal circulating vortex within the vortex cavity 51.

[0057] During actual feeding, the bait falls into the vortex chamber 51 through the feed pipe and feed inlet 54. Simultaneously or slightly before, the incoming water flow creates a rotating vortex within the vortex chamber 51. Entrained by the swirling water flow, the bait particles spiral downwards along the inner wall of the vortex chamber 51, eventually being flushed into the aquarium 100 through the bottom connecting port 52. After feeding, a short flow of water continues to enter through the inlet 53, using the residual rotating water flow within the vortex chamber 51 to perform a flushing cycle on the chamber walls and connecting port 52, thoroughly washing away any remaining bait particles into the aquarium 100.

[0058] In one embodiment, along the width direction of the frame 1, each layer of support frame 11 can accommodate two rows of aquariums 100. Two rows of feeding holes 121 are correspondingly provided, with the number of feeding holes 121 in each row equal to the sum of the number of aquariums 100 below that row. Two quantitative feeding mechanisms 2 are provided, each corresponding to one row of feeding holes 121. The drive mechanism 3 synchronously drives the two quantitative feeding mechanisms 2 to reciprocate. To improve the space utilization of a single-layer plane, the width of each layer of support frame 11 is designed to accommodate two rows of aquariums 100 placed in parallel. Correspondingly, two rows of parallel feeding holes 121 are provided on the feeding plate 12 fixed to the top frame. Regarding the number of feeding holes 121, the number of feeding holes 121 in each row is equal to the maximum number of multi-layer aquariums 100 that can be placed below that row along its length. Accordingly, there are two quantitative feeding mechanisms 2, and the drive mechanism 3 drives the two quantitative feeding mechanisms 2 to move back and forth in a straight line in a synchronized manner, thereby completing the synchronous coverage of the two rows of fish tanks 100; the number of power components is greatly reduced, the structure is more compact, and the manufacturing and maintenance costs are significantly reduced.

[0059] In one embodiment, continue to refer to Figure 4 The drive mechanism 3 includes a drive motor 31 and a synchronous belt pulley assembly. The synchronous belt pulley assembly is located between the two quantitative feeding mechanisms 2 and includes a drive pulley 32, a driven pulley 33, and a synchronous belt 34. The drive motor 31 is connected to the drive pulley 32, and the driven pulley 33 is fixed to the top of the frame 1 away from the drive pulley 32. The synchronous belt 34 drives the drive pulley 32 and the driven pulley 33. Both quantitative feeding mechanisms 2 are connected to the synchronous belt 34. The drive motor 31 drives the drive pulley 32 to rotate, and the rotation of the drive pulley 32 drives the synchronous belt 34 and the driven pulley 33 to rotate synchronously. The two quantitative feeding mechanisms 2 are fixed to the same side of the closed-loop synchronous belt 34 through the connecting seat 9, so that the two quantitative feeding mechanisms 2 reciprocate linearly in the same direction.

[0060] Specifically, the top frame includes a lower positioning plate 15 and an upper fixing plate 14, with an installation space between the positioning plate 15 and the fixing plate 14. Two feeding plates 12 are provided, each with a row of feeding holes 121 along its length. The two feeding plates 12 are arranged parallel to each other and fixed within the reserved space between the positioning plate 15 and the fixing plate 14. Corresponding to the positions of the two rows of feeding holes 121, the positioning plate 15 has two strip-shaped positioning grooves 151 extending along its length. Each feeding hole 121 is equipped with a pipe connector, the lower end of which extends downwards and passes through the corresponding positioning groove 151, reaching below the positioning plate 15 to connect to the feed pipe leading to the fish tank 100. The upper part of the pipe connector is used to connect with the feed pipe 25 of the quantitative feeding mechanism 2. With the strip-shaped opening design of the positioning groove 151, the pipe fittings can be arranged along the length of the positioning groove 151, while the downward-extending part is structurally constrained by the side wall of the positioning groove 151 to ensure stable position.

[0061] To ensure the smooth movement and high precision of the two quantitative feeding mechanisms 2 during long-distance movement, two slide rails parallel to the transmission direction of the synchronous belt 34 are fixedly installed on the upper surface of the fixed plate 14. The mounting bases 23 of the two quantitative feeding mechanisms 2 are respectively slidably engaged with the corresponding slide rails via sliders. Thus, the synchronous belt 34 provides driving force, and the slide rails and sliders provide linear guidance and vertical load bearing, effectively suppressing the swaying and vibration of the two quantitative feeding mechanisms 2 during movement.

[0062] In one embodiment, such as Figures 5-13As shown, the quantitative feeding mechanism 2 also includes a mounting base 23, an adapter pipe 24, and a feeding pipe 25. The mounting base 23 is connected to the drive mechanism 3. Both the adapter pipe 24 and the feeding pipe 25 are fixed to the mounting base 23. The upper end of the adapter pipe 24 is connected to the discharge port, and the lower end is connected to the quantitative groove 221 in the receiving state. The upper end of the feeding pipe 25 is connected to the quantitative groove 221 in the feeding state, and the lower end is used to connect to the feeding hole 121. The mounting base 23 serves as the integrated base of the quantitative feeding mechanism 2. One end of it is fixed to the synchronous belt 34 through the connecting seat 9, and the bottom is connected to the slide rail through the slider to achieve follow-up with the drive mechanism 3. The adapter pipe 24 is connected to the discharge port of the bait storage bin 21 and extends downward in the vertical direction. The lower end is aligned with the opening of the quantitative groove 221 when the quantitative component 22 is in the receiving state, forming a feeding channel. The feed pipe 25 is vertically fixed inside the mounting base 23. Its upper end is aligned with the opening of the metering groove 221 when the metering element 22 is in the feeding state, and its lower end extends downward to connect with the upper end of the pipe connector that passes through the positioning groove 151. When the metering element 22 switches its operation, the bait falls from the bait storage bin 21 through the transfer pipe 24 into the metering groove 221, and then from the metering groove 221 through the feed pipe 25, the pipe connector, and the feed pipe into the corresponding fish tank 100, forming a fully enclosed bait conveying path. This ensures that the bait does not come into prolonged contact with the outside air during the entire conveying process, effectively preventing the bait from absorbing moisture, clumping, and causing blockages.

[0063] To achieve a reliable seal between the feed pipe 25 and the feeding plate 12 during mobile feeding, and to compensate for the flatness error of the feeding plate 12 surface and wear caused by long-term operation, the feed pipe 25 adopts an elastic floating sealing structure. Specifically, as shown in... Figure 6As shown, the feeding pipe 25 includes a feeding pipe 251, a movable cone sleeve 252, and an elastic clamping member 253. The movable cone sleeve 252 is axially slidably fitted onto the lower end of the feeding pipe 251. The elastic clamping member 253 is disposed between the feeding pipe 251 and the movable cone sleeve 252, and is used to apply a downward elastic preload to the movable cone sleeve 252 so that the lower end face of the movable cone sleeve 252 elastically abuts against the feeding plate 12 to form a sealing pair. When the quantitative feeding mechanism 2 moves above the target feeding hole and stops, the lower end face of the movable cone sleeve 252 is tightly pressed against the upper surface of the feeding plate 12 under the action of the elastic preload, forming an annular surface contact sealing pair. If there are minor local bumps or unevenness on the surface of the feeding plate 12, the movable cone sleeve 252 will experience an upward reaction force when it encounters a bump, sliding a small distance upward along the feeding pipe 251. The elastic clamping member 253 will be further compressed, thus passively adapting to the surface undulations. After the bump passes, the elastic clamping member 253 pushes the movable cone sleeve 252 back to its original position, re-clamping the surface of the feeding plate 12. This floating compensation ensures that the feeding pipe 25 maintains a stable and moderate contact pressure with the feeding plate 12 throughout the entire movement process. This ensures that the feed will not leak from the contact surface when it is dropped, and also avoids scratches on the surface of the movable cone sleeve 252 or the feeding plate 12 due to excessive rigid contact pressure.

[0064] In this embodiment, the movable cone sleeve 252 is sleeve-shaped and slidably fitted onto the lower outer periphery of the feed pipe 251 along the axial direction, with an elastic clamping member 253 disposed between them. One end of the elastic clamping member 253 abuts against the limiting step or retaining ring on the feed pipe 251, and the other end abuts against the outer step surface of the movable cone sleeve 252, continuously applying a downward axial elastic preload to the movable cone sleeve 252.

[0065] Furthermore, the inner wall of the movable cone sleeve 252 forms a conical constriction surface for discharging bait, and the movable cone sleeve 252 is made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). This conical constriction surface is funnel-shaped, with its upper opening matching the inner diameter of the feed pipe 251 and its lower opening matching the diameter of the feeding orifice 121. After the bait falls from the feed pipe 251 into the movable cone sleeve 252, it converges towards the center under the guidance of the conical constriction surface, smoothly transitioning to the feeding orifice 121. This eliminates bait bridging or dead zones caused by sudden changes in pipe diameter during straight-pipe feeding, ensuring that each unit of bait can completely and smoothly enter the feed pipe connected to the feeding orifice 121. PTFE has an extremely low coefficient of surface friction and excellent self-lubricating properties, while also possessing good hydrophobicity and corrosion resistance. When the lower end face of the movable cone sleeve 252 continuously slides in contact with the surface of the feeding plate 12 under the action of elastic preload, the self-lubricating properties of PTFE result in minimal sliding friction resistance between the two, effectively reducing the load power consumption and motion noise of the drive mechanism 3. More importantly, this low-friction characteristic fundamentally prevents mechanical wear caused by prolonged relative friction between the movable cone sleeve 252 and the feeding plate 12, avoiding the risk of increased sealing gaps and feed leakage due to end face wear, or the risk of feed contamination due to wear debris falling into the feeding hole 121. At the same time, the hydrophobic surface of PTFE can effectively inhibit the adhesion of trace amounts of moisture or oil in the feed to the conical contraction surface. Combined with the guiding effect of the conical contraction surface, it further eliminates the problem of feed gradually accumulating on the pipe wall and eventually clogging the feeding channel, significantly extending the maintenance-free cycle of the automatic feeder in unattended continuous operation.

[0066] Under the influence of diurnal temperature variations or seasonal changes, the trace amounts of moisture carried by the feed particles themselves may form a molecular-level adsorption layer on the pipe wall. For powdered feed with a minimum feeding unit of 25mg, even an extremely thin wet film invisible to the naked eye on the pipe wall is enough to cause the gradual adhesion and accumulation of trace amounts of feed. After long-term operation, this may lead to a reduction in the pipe diameter and an increase in feed drop resistance.

[0067] To eliminate this potential risk, in one embodiment, the metering feeding mechanism 2 further includes an air blowing assembly 26 and / or a drying assembly 27 disposed on the mounting base 23, the outlet of which is connected to the upper end of the feeding tube 25. The air blowing assembly 26 and / or the drying assembly 27 actively cleans and dries the inside of the feeding tube 25. Each time the metering groove 221 completes the feeding action to the feeding hole 121, during the interval between the metering element 22 switching back to the receiving state or when the metering element 22 receives food, the controller automatically triggers the air blowing assembly 26 and / or the drying assembly 27 to operate for a preset short period of time, performing forward blowing and drying of the inside of the feeding tube 25 vertically from top to bottom. High-pressure airflow passes quickly along the tapered contraction surface of the feeding pipe 251 and the movable cone sleeve 252, pushing out any loosely attached trace amounts of bait dust and condensed water droplets on the pipe wall. At the same time, the pipe wall quickly returns to a dry state under the action of the dry airflow, preparing a clean and low-friction conveying channel for the next quantitative feeding.

[0068] Specifically, the air blowing assembly 26 can be supplied with air by a miniature compressed air pump or compressed air pipeline, and pulse-jet clean, dry compressed air into the feed pipe 25 under the command of the controller. The drying assembly 27 can be a miniature electric heating wire heating module or a ceramic heating element, which continuously provides a slightly warm, dry airflow to the upper area of ​​the feed pipe 25 through convection or radiation.

[0069] The air blowing assembly 26 and the drying assembly 27 can be configured separately or used in combination. For example, after each feeding, the drying assembly 27 preheats the environment inside the feed pipe 25, and then the air blowing assembly 26 performs pulse purging, forming a composite cleaning mode of "thermal drying + pneumatic cleaning".

[0070] In the quantitative feeding mechanism 2, to achieve precise and controlled switching between the receiving and feeding states of the metering element 22, the quantitative feeding mechanism 2 also includes a drive element 29. The drive element 29 is mounted on the mounting base 23 and connected to the metering element 22, and is used to drive the metering element 22 to rotate or move linearly, so that the metering element 22 switches between the receiving and feeding states. The drive element 29 is electrically connected to the controller of the electrical control box 7 and can execute precise action cycles according to preset switching number commands. The independent drive element 29 is configured for the action of the metering element 22, so that it is completely decoupled from the drive mechanism 3 that drives the overall movement of the quantitative feeding mechanism 2. This ensures that each quantitative action is performed under stable conditions when the quantitative feeding mechanism 2 is completely stationary, eliminating the influence of movement inertia on the quantitative accuracy, so that the volumetric metering with 25mg as the minimum unit can remain highly consistent in hundreds of continuous actions.

[0071] In one embodiment, a channel is formed within the mounting base 23 for the metering component 22 to rotate or move linearly. During operation, the wall of the channel seals the metering groove 221. Whether the metering component 22 is in the receiving state, the feeding state, or the transition between the two, the wall of the channel always covers and seals the opening end face of the metering groove 221. This ensures that the metering groove 221 only opens at the moment it aligns with the lower end of the adapter pipe 24 or the upper end of the feed pipe 25, and remains closed at other times. This effectively isolates the bait from contact with any suspended moisture that may exist in the operating environment, compressing the time the bait is exposed to the external environment to only the moment it connects with the adapter pipe 24 or the feed pipe 25. This significantly reduces the risk of the bait absorbing moisture and clumping inside the metering component 22, ensuring that the accuracy of the volumetric metering does not decrease due to changes in the physical properties of the bait during long-term operation.

[0072] To further achieve closed-loop control and feedback confirmation of the feeding amount at each feeding hole 121, the quantitative feeding mechanism 2 also includes a detection component 28. The detection component 28 includes a sensor 281 and a detection sensor 282. The sensor 281 is located on the quantitative component 22, and the detection sensor 282 is located on the mounting base 23. It is used to detect the number of times the quantitative component 22 moves, so as to measure the number of times the quantitative component 22 switches between the receiving state and the feeding state at the same feeding hole 121. When the metering unit 22 completes a cycle of switching from receiving to feeding and back to receiving, the sensing element 281 moves with the metering unit 22 and triggers the detection sensor 282 to generate a pulse signal. The controller counts this pulse to accurately measure the number of times the metering unit 22 switches between receiving and feeding at the same feeding hole 121, thus achieving real-time monitoring and closed-loop verification of the actual feeding action count. If the metering unit 22 fails to complete the state switch as instructed due to mechanical jamming or electrical fault, the detection sensor 282 will not generate the corresponding pulse signal. The controller can then determine the abnormality and issue an alarm or perform automatic compensation. This provides a key guarantee for large-scale unattended operation.

[0073] In one alternative implementation, such as Figures 5-9 As shown, the metering component 22 is a rotating shaft, and the transfer tube 24 and the feeding tube 25 are arranged opposite each other in the vertical direction. The rotating shaft switches between the receiving state and the feeding state by rotating. That is, the axes of the transfer tube 24 and the feeding tube 25 are located in the same radial section of the rotating shaft, and the metering component 22 switches between the receiving state and the feeding state by rotating around its own axis.

[0074] Specifically, the mounting base 23 is assembled from a mounting base plate 232, a mounting block 231, and a mounting side plate 233. The drive component 29 is a rotary motor. Both the mounting block 231 and the mounting side plate 233 are fixed to the mounting base plate 232 by fasteners, with the mounting side plate 233 located on one side of the mounting block 231. The mounting block 231 has a first through hole and a second through hole that are interconnected and perpendicularly intersecting each other. The first through hole is used to accommodate and rotate the rotating shaft, while the second through hole penetrates the mounting block 231 vertically. Its upper end is sealed to the adapter pipe 24, and its lower end is fixedly connected to the feed pipe 25. The rotary motor is fixed to the outer side of the mounting side plate 233. Its output spindle passes through the mounting side plate 233 and is fixedly connected to one end of the rotating shaft. The other end of the rotating shaft passes through the first through hole and is radially supported by a bearing or bushing inside the mounting block 231. One end of the mounting base plate 232 is fixedly connected to the timing belt 34 via the connecting seat 9, thereby enabling the entire quantitative feeding mechanism 2 to reciprocate under the drive mechanism 3.

[0075] During the working cycle of the metering component 22, the rotating shaft rotates around the horizontal axis. When the metering groove 221 on the rotating shaft rotates to the position with its opening facing upwards, the metering groove 221 aligns with the lower end of the transfer pipe 24, and the bait in the bait storage bin 21 falls into and fills the metering groove 221 under the action of gravity. At this time, the metering component 22 is in the receiving state. After the rotating motor drives the rotating shaft to rotate 180°, the metering groove 221 flips with the rotating shaft to the position with its opening facing downwards, aligning with the upper end of the feeding pipe 25. The bait in the metering groove 221 is completely guided into the feeding pipe 25 under the action of gravity. At this time, the metering component 22 is in the feeding state. The rotating shaft continues to rotate 180° to complete one complete receiving-feeding cycle. The inner wall of the first through hole in the mounting block 231 always covers and closes the opening of the metering groove 221 during the rotation of the rotating shaft, only opening briefly at the connection between the first through hole and the second through hole, realizing the controlled transfer of bait in a closed environment.

[0076] In the arrangement of the detection component 28, the sensor 281 is directly fixed to the rotating shaft; or, the end of the rotating shaft away from the mounting side plate 233 is provided with a fixed shaft extending out of the first through hole, and the sensor 281 is fixedly installed on the fixed shaft. The other end of the mounting base plate 232 away from the mounting side plate 233 is fixed with a detection sensor 282. The detection sensor 282 can be a slotted photoelectric switch. The fixed shaft rotates synchronously with the rotating shaft. When the sensor 281 enters the light slot of the photoelectric switch and blocks the light path, the detection sensor 282 outputs a pulse signal. The controller measures the number of rotations of the rotating shaft based on this signal, and then calculates the number of times the metering element 22 switches between the receiving state and the feeding state at the same feeding hole position 121.

[0077] Regarding the integration of the cleaning pipeline, the mounting block 231 is also provided with an air blowing hole. The air blowing hole extends downward at an angle from the outer wall of the mounting block 231, with its inner end opening facing the upper area of ​​the feed pipe 25, but maintaining a distance from the feed pipe 25 to avoid interfering with the connection between the metering groove 221 and the upper end of the feed pipe 25. The gas outlet of the air blowing assembly 26 is sealed to the outer port of the air blowing hole. After each feeding by the metering groove 221, the controller controls the air blowing assembly 26 to pulse-jet dry compressed air through the air blowing hole to the upper end of the feed pipe 25, performing positive pressure purging on the inner wall of the feed pipe 25.

[0078] As an alternative or supplementary solution, a connection channel communicating with the second through hole can also be opened on the mounting block 231, with its outer port connected to the drying component 27. By continuously or intermittently sending a slightly heated drying airflow into the second through hole and the upper area of ​​the feed pipe 25, a low humidity environment is maintained inside the pipeline.

[0079] The working principle of the aforementioned metering component 22, which is a rotating shaft, is as follows: the bait in the bait storage bin 21 falls into the metering groove 221 on the rotating shaft via the transfer pipe 24 to complete the feeding. The rotating shaft rotates 180°, causing the metering groove 221 to flip over, and the bait falls into the feed pipe 25 under gravity, and is then transported to the fish tank 100 through the feed pipe connected to the feeding hole 121. Each rotation of the rotating shaft completes one metered feeding, and the output of any target feeding amount can be achieved by controlling the number of rotations.

[0080] In another alternative implementation, such as Figures 10-13 As shown, the metering component 22 is a metering plate. The transfer pipe 24 and the feeding pipe 25 are staggered vertically. The metering plate switches between the receiving state and the feeding state by moving linearly. The axes of the transfer pipe 24 and the feeding pipe 25 are spaced a preset distance apart in the horizontal direction. The metering plate switches between the receiving state and the feeding state by reciprocating linearly in the horizontal direction.

[0081] Specifically, the mounting base 23 includes a mounting base 231' and a mounting plate 232'. The mounting base 231' is machined from bottom to top with a first mounting surface 2311', a second mounting surface 2312', and a third mounting surface 2313', forming a stepped structure. The driving component 29 is a linear motor, which is mounted on the first mounting surface 2311' via a motor mount. A guide rail 2314' extending along the moving direction of the metering plate is also fixedly mounted on the first mounting surface 2311'. The metering plate slides horizontally on the second mounting surface 2312', and its bottom surface is machined with a guide rail groove that matches the cross-section of the guide rail 2314'. Smooth linear guidance is achieved through the sliding cooperation between the guide rail 2314' and the guide rail groove. Mounting plate 232' is fixed to the third mounting surface 2313', and a sliding cavity for linear movement of the metering plate is formed between the bottom surface of mounting plate 232' and the second mounting surface 2312'. The metering plate slides back and forth in the sliding cavity, and its top and bottom surfaces are constrained by the bottom surface of mounting plate 232' and the second mounting surface 2312', respectively. The drive end of the linear motor is fixedly connected to the connecting lug 222 on the upper part of the metering plate, providing linear reciprocating driving force for the metering plate.

[0082] A metering groove 221 is provided on the metering plate, which is a cavity penetrating the metering plate vertically. A connecting hole 2322' is provided on the mounting plate 232', the upper end of which is sealed and connected to the lower end of the adapter pipe 24, and the lower end is aligned with the metering groove 221 when the metering plate moves to the receiving position. The feeding pipe 25 is fixedly installed on the mounting base 231', the upper end of which penetrates the second mounting surface 2312', and is aligned with the metering groove 221 when the metering plate moves to the feeding position; the lower end of the feeding pipe 25 extends to the bottom of the mounting base 231' for connection with the feeding hole 121. A sealing ring 213 is provided at the connection between the adapter pipe 24 and the mounting plate 232' to ensure the sealing of the material handling path.

[0083] During the working cycle of the metering unit 22, the linear motor drives the metering plate to move along the sliding cavity to the receiving position. At this time, the metering groove 221 aligns with the connecting hole 2322', and the bait in the bait storage bin 21 falls into the metering groove 221 through the transfer pipe 24 and the connecting hole 2322', completing the receiving action. Subsequently, the linear motor drives the metering plate to move in the opposite direction to the feeding position, and the metering groove 221 aligns with the upper end of the feeding pipe 25. The bait in the positioning groove falls into the feeding pipe 25, completing the feeding action. One round trip of the metering plate completes one receiving-feeding cycle. Throughout the entire linear movement stroke of the metering plate, the bottom surface of the mounting plate 232' and the second mounting surface 2312' always cover the upper and lower ports of the metering groove 221, opening only at the moment of alignment with the connecting hole 2322' or the feeding pipe 25, thereby effectively sealing the bait in the metering groove 221 and preventing it from being in contact with external humid air for a long time.

[0084] In the arrangement of the detection component 28, the sensor 281 can be disposed on the outer wall of the metering plate away from the mounting plate 232', and this outer wall is flush with the outer wall of the mounting base 231'. The detection sensor 282 is fixedly installed at the corresponding position on the outer wall of the mounting base 231'. When the metering plate completes one reciprocating movement, the sensor 281 passes the detection sensor 282 twice, thereby detecting the number of reciprocating movements of the metering plate, and thus measuring the number of times the metering plate switches between the receiving state and the feeding state at the same feeding hole 121.

[0085] Regarding the integration of the cleaning pipeline, an air blowing channel 2321' is also provided on the mounting plate 232'. The air blowing channel 2321' and the connecting hole 2322' are spaced apart along the moving direction of the metering plate, and the distance between them is equal to the travel distance of the metering plate from the receiving position to the feeding position. The upper port of the air blowing channel 2321' is connected to the external air blowing assembly 26, and the lower port is aligned with the upper end of the feeding pipe 25 when the metering plate is in the feeding position. This layout ensures that when the metering plate moves to the feeding position, the metering groove 221 connects with the feeding pipe 25 to release the bait, and then moves back to the receiving position and the metering groove 221 connects with the transfer pipe 24, the air blowing channel 2321' is simultaneously aligned with the upper end of the feeding pipe 25. While the metering groove 221 completes feeding and the metering plate returns to the receiving position to receive the material, the air blowing assembly 26 performs pulse purging on the discharge pipe 25 through the air blowing channel 2321' to remove residue from the pipe wall, thus achieving coordinated operation of receiving material and cleaning the pipe in the same stroke.

[0086] The working principle of the above-mentioned metering component 22, which is a metering plate, is as follows: A linear motor drives the metering plate to reciprocate within the sliding cavity. The metering groove 221 alternately aligns with the connecting hole 2322' below the transfer tube 24 to pick up material and the feeding pipe 25 below to feed material. Simultaneously with the metering groove 221 receiving material, the air blowing component 26 can be controlled to pulse-purge the feeding pipe. One round trip of the metering plate completes one metering feed, and the target feeding amount is achieved by controlling the number of round trips.

[0087] Example 2: This embodiment provides a feeding method for an automatic feeder. This method is based on the automatic feeder provided in Embodiment 1. By combining high-precision volumetric metering with programmable multi-tank positioning control, it achieves differentiated and high-precision automatic feeding for dozens or even hundreds of tanks 100. Figure 17 As shown, the following section will explain in detail each step of the feeding method, taking into account the specific structure of the automatic feeder.

[0088] S10. Establish a numbering mapping relationship between fish tank 100 and feeding hole 121.

[0089] First, each fish tank 100 placed on each support frame 11 on the frame 1, and the corresponding feeding hole 121 on the feeding plate 12, are assigned the same unique number. This numbering mapping is pre-stored in the controller inside the electrical control box 7. For example, along the length of the frame 1 from left to right and along the height from top to bottom, the fish tanks 100 are sequentially numbered as 1-1, 1-2, ..., 2-1, 2-2, ..., and the corresponding feeding holes 121 are also identified using the same numbering rule. When the automatic feeder is first installed or the layout of the fish tanks 100 is adjusted, the operator can enter or modify the numbering mapping table through the human-machine interface screen 8, and the controller will automatically generate the movement and positioning sequence of the quantitative feeding mechanism 2 accordingly.

[0090] S20. According to the preset feeding amount, the drive mechanism 3 drives the quantitative feeding mechanism 2 to move to the target feeding hole.

[0091] At the daily preset feeding time or after the operator manually triggers the feeding command through the human-machine interface screen 8, the controller reads the number of the fish tank 100 to be fed and its preset feeding amount. In response to the preset feeding amount, the controller sends a control command to the drive motor 31 of the drive mechanism 3. The drive motor 31 drives the synchronous belt pulley assembly to rotate, and the synchronous belt 34 drives the two quantitative feeding mechanisms 2 to move synchronously along the slide rail. The controller monitors the current position of the quantitative feeding mechanism 2 in real time through encoder feedback or preset pulse counting. When the quantitative feeding mechanism 2 reaches the position coordinate corresponding to the target feeding hole number, the drive motor 31 stops running, and the quantitative feeding mechanism 2 stops precisely above the feeding hole 121. At this time, the movable cone sleeve 252 of the feed pipe 25 elastically abuts against the surface of the feeding plate 12 under the action of the elastic clamping member 253, forming a sealed connection with the upper end of the pipe joint of the target feeding hole.

[0092] S30. Using the capacity of the quantitative groove 221 as the minimum feeding amount, determine the number of times the quantitative component 22 switches between the receiving state and the feeding state according to the preset feeding amount and the minimum feeding amount.

[0093] The volume of the metering groove 221 is used as the minimum indivisible feeding amount for a single feeding. This minimum feeding amount is calibrated by the physical dimensions of the metering groove 221 at the time of manufacture of the automatic feeder, and is exemplarily 25mg. The controller reads the preset feeding amount of the current target aquarium 100, divides the preset feeding amount by the minimum feeding amount, and obtains the required number of feeding-receiving switching operations. If the division result is an integer, the number of switching operations is that integer value; if the preset feeding amount is not an integer multiple of the minimum feeding amount, the controller determines the number of switching operations according to the principle of rounding down or rounding to the nearest integer, and accumulates the slight remainder that cannot be accurately dispensed in the smallest unit into the feeding amount for the next day, or prompts the operator to adjust the parameters through the human-machine interface screen 8.

[0094] For example, if a fish tank has a preset feeding amount of 150mg and a minimum feeding amount of 25mg, then the number of switching times is calculated as 6. If the preset feeding amount is 80mg, then the number of switching times is 3 (75mg is actually fed), and the remaining 5mg is carried over to the next feeding cycle.

[0095] S40. Perform the switching action of the quantitative component 22 to complete the quantitative feeding.

[0096] After the metering feeding mechanism 2 stops at the target feeding hole, the controller sends an action command to the drive unit 29 mounted on the mounting base 23. The drive unit 29 drives the metering unit 22 to cycle between the receiving state and the feeding state, executing the number of switching times determined in S30. Each complete cycle includes: the metering unit 22 switching from the feeding state to the receiving state, and the bait in the bait storage bin 21 falling into the metering groove 221 through the transfer pipe 24 to complete the feeding; then the metering unit 22 switching back from the receiving state to the feeding state, and the bait in the metering groove 221 falling into the target fish tank 100 through the discharge pipe 25, pipe joint, feed pipe and feed cover 5.

[0097] In each cycle of the metering unit 22, the sensor 281 fixed to the metering unit 22 moves with it, triggering the detection sensor 282 fixed to the mounting base 23 to generate a pulse signal. The controller counts this pulse signal in real time. When the cumulative number of pulses reaches the preset switching number, the controller sends a stop command to the drive unit 29, and the metering unit 22 stops moving. If the controller does not receive a feedback pulse from the detection sensor 282 within the preset time, or if the pulse count does not match the command count, the controller determines that the action is abnormal, immediately stops the current feeding task, and issues a fault alarm through the human-machine interface screen 8, prompting the operator to check whether the metering feeding mechanism 2 is stuck or blocked.

[0098] S50. After feeding, perform active cleaning and / or drying of the feed pipe 25.

[0099] After feeding the bait into the target feeding hole, the controller automatically triggers the cleaning process of the feeding pipe 25. Specifically, if an air blowing assembly 26 is configured, the controller controls the solenoid valve of the air blowing assembly 26 to open for a preset time, and introduces clean, dry compressed air into the air blowing hole in the mounting block 231 or the air blowing channel 2321' in the mounting plate 232'. The compressed air is sprayed through the air blowing hole or the air blowing channel 2321' to the upper end of the feeding pipe 25, and passes through the feeding pipe 251 and the conical contraction surface of the movable cone sleeve 252 at high speed from top to bottom, blowing away the trace amounts of bait dust and moisture remaining on the pipe wall.

[0100] If a drying component 27 is configured, the controller controls the drying component 27 to start after feeding is completed, and sends a slightly warm drying airflow into the upper area of ​​the connecting channel or the feeding pipe 25 for a preset duration, so that the temperature of the inner wall of the feeding pipe 25 rises, the residual moisture evaporates, and it returns to a dry state, thus preparing a clean conveying channel for the next round of feeding.

[0101] In embodiments where both the air blowing assembly 26 and the drying assembly 27 are configured, the two can work together in a preset sequence: the drying assembly 27 preheats the pipe wall first, and then the air blowing assembly 26 performs pulse purging, achieving the best pipe wall cleaning effect in a composite mode of "thermal drying + pneumatic cleaning".

[0102] After the cleaning process is completed, the controller determines whether there are any unfed aquarium numbers in the current feeding task sequence. If so, steps S20 to S50 are repeated to drive the quantitative feeding mechanism 2 to move to the next target feeding hole for feeding. If all aquariums 100 to be fed have been fed, the drive mechanism 3 drives the quantitative feeding mechanism 2 back to the initial standby position, the current feeding cycle ends, and the automatic feeder enters standby mode, waiting for the trigger of the next preset feeding time.

[0103] The feeding method of the automatic feeder provided in this embodiment is applied to the above-mentioned automatic feeder. First, each fish tank 100 and its corresponding feeding hole 121 are assigned the same number to establish a one-to-one mapping relationship. Then, the driving mechanism 3 positions the quantitative feeding mechanism 2 sequentially to the target feeding hole. By controlling the number of times the quantitative component 22 switches between the receiving state and the feeding state, the precise feeding of any target amount of feed for fish tanks 100 with different breeding densities can be achieved. This realizes high-precision quantitative feeding and flexible compatibility for the differentiated feeding needs of multiple fish tanks 100.

[0104] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation and application scope based on the ideas of the present invention. The content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic feeder, characterized in that, include: The frame (1) has multiple support frames (11) arranged along the height direction, and each layer of the support frame (11) is used to place multiple fish tanks (100); A feeding plate (12) is fixed to the top of the frame (1). The feeding plate (12) is provided with a plurality of feeding holes (121), and each fish tank (100) is connected to one feeding hole (121). A quantitative feeding mechanism (2) is movably disposed above the feeding plate (12). The quantitative feeding mechanism (2) includes a feed storage bin (21) and a quantitative component (22). The feed storage bin (21) has a discharge port. The quantitative component (22) is provided with a quantitative groove (221). The quantitative component (22) can switch between a receiving state and a feeding state. In the receiving state, the quantitative groove (221) is connected to the discharge port. In the feeding state, the metering groove (221) is aligned with the feeding hole (121); The driving mechanism (3) is connected to the quantitative feeding mechanism (2) and is used to drive the quantitative feeding mechanism (2) to move along the feeding plate (12) so that the quantitative component (22) is connected to the plurality of feeding holes (121) in sequence.

2. The automatic feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The quantitative feeding mechanism (2) further includes a mounting base (23), a transfer pipe (24), and a feeding pipe (25). The mounting base (23) is connected to the drive mechanism (3). The transfer pipe (24) and the feeding pipe (25) are both fixed to the mounting base (23). The upper end of the transfer pipe (24) is connected to the discharge port, and the lower end is connected to the quantitative groove (221) in the receiving state. The upper end of the feeding pipe (25) is connected to the quantitative groove (221) in the feeding state, and the lower end is used to connect to the feeding hole (121).

3. The automatic feeder according to claim 2, characterized in that, The feeding pipe (25) includes a feeding pipe (251), a movable cone sleeve (252), and an elastic clamping member (253). The movable cone sleeve (252) is axially slidably sleeved on the lower end of the feeding pipe (251). The elastic clamping member (253) is disposed between the feeding pipe (251) and the movable cone sleeve (252) and is used to apply a downward elastic preload to the movable cone sleeve (252) so that the lower end face of the movable cone sleeve (252) elastically abuts against the feeding plate (12) to form a sealing pair.

4. The automatic feeder according to claim 3, characterized in that, The inner wall of the movable cone sleeve (252) forms a conical contraction surface for discharging bait, and the movable cone sleeve (252) is made of polytetrafluoroethylene.

5. The automatic feeder according to claim 2, characterized in that, The quantitative feeding mechanism (2) further includes an air blowing assembly (26) and / or a drying assembly (27) disposed on the mounting base (23), and the outlets of the air blowing assembly (26) and / or the drying assembly (27) are connected to the upper end of the feed pipe (25).

6. The automatic feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that, Along the width direction of the frame (1), each layer of the support frame (11) can hold two rows of fish tanks (100), and the feeding holes (121) are arranged in two rows. The number of feeding holes (121) in each row is equal to the sum of the number of fish tanks (100) below it in the row. There are two quantitative feeding mechanisms (2), each of which corresponds to a row of feeding holes (121). The driving mechanism (3) synchronously drives the two quantitative feeding mechanisms (2) to move back and forth.

7. The automatic feeder according to claim 6, characterized in that, The drive mechanism (3) includes a drive motor (31) and a synchronous belt pulley assembly. The synchronous belt pulley assembly is located between the two quantitative feeding mechanisms (2) and includes a drive pulley (32), a driven pulley (33), and a synchronous belt (34). The drive motor (31) is connected to the drive pulley (32). The driven pulley (33) is fixed to the top of the frame (1) at an end away from the drive pulley (32). The synchronous belt (34) is driven between the drive pulley (32) and the driven pulley (33). Both quantitative feeding mechanisms (2) are connected to the synchronous belt (34).

8. The automatic feeder according to claim 2, characterized in that, The metering component (22) is a rotating shaft, and the connecting pipe (24) and the feeding pipe (25) are arranged opposite each other in the vertical direction. The rotating shaft switches between the receiving state and the feeding state by rotating.

9. The automatic feeder according to claim 2, characterized in that, The metering component (22) is a metering plate. The transfer pipe (24) and the feeding pipe (25) are staggered in the vertical direction. The metering plate switches between the receiving state and the feeding state by linear movement.

10. The automatic feeder according to claim 2, characterized in that, The mounting base (23) has a channel for the metering element (22) to rotate or move linearly. During the operation of the metering element (22), the wall of the channel closes the metering groove (221).

11. The automatic feeder according to claim 2, characterized in that, The quantitative feeding mechanism (2) further includes a detection component (28), which includes a sensor (281) and a detection sensor (282). The sensor (281) is disposed on the quantitative component (22), and the detection sensor (282) is disposed on the mounting base (23). It is used to detect the number of times the quantitative component (22) moves, so as to measure the number of times the quantitative component (22) switches between the receiving state and the feeding state at the same feeding hole position (121).

12. The automatic feeder according to claim 2, characterized in that, The quantitative feeding mechanism (2) further includes a drive (29), which is mounted on the mounting base (23) and connected to the quantitative component (22) for driving the quantitative component (22) to rotate or move linearly, so that the quantitative component (22) switches between the receiving state and the feeding state.

13. The automatic feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The automatic feeder also includes a feed container (4), which is located at the lower part of the frame (1); The top of the bait storage compartment (21) is provided with a bait inlet (211) and a negative pressure exhaust port (212). The bait inlet (211) is connected to the bait tank (4) through a bait pipe (41), and the negative pressure exhaust port (212) is used to connect to a negative pressure source.

14. The automatic feeder according to claim 13, characterized in that, Each connection of the bait storage compartment (21) is provided with a sealing ring (213); The bait container (4) and / or the bait storage compartment (21) are equipped with a desiccant.

15. The automatic feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bait storage bin (21) is also equipped with a shortage detection device (214) for detecting whether there is a shortage of bait in the bait storage bin (21).

16. The automatic feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The automatic feeder also includes a feeding cover (5) disposed on each of the fish tanks (100), the feeding cover (5) having a vortex cavity (51) with an open top, the bottom of the vortex cavity (51) having a communication port (52) communicating with the interior of the fish tank (100); the upper end of the side wall of the vortex cavity (51) is provided with a water inlet (53) and a feeding inlet (54) spaced apart, the water inlet (53) being at a lower position relative to the feeding inlet (54); The automatic feeder also includes a water tank (6), and the water inlet (53) is connected to the water tank (6) through a water inlet pipe; the feed inlet (54) is connected to the corresponding feeding hole (121) through a feed pipe.

17. The automatic feeder according to claim 16, characterized in that, Both the feed pipe and the feed cover (5) are made of polytetrafluoroethylene.

18. The automatic feeder according to claim 16, characterized in that, The center line of the water inlet (53) is set vertically downwards, and the center line of the feed inlet (54) is set horizontally towards the connecting port (52).

19. The automatic feeder according to claim 18, characterized in that, The water inlet (53) and the feed inlet (54) are disposed on the first side wall (511) of the vortex cavity (51). The center line of the water inlet (53) is horizontally oriented toward the second side wall (512) adjacent to the first side wall (511), and the second side wall (512) is located on the side closer to the water inlet (53).

20. The automatic feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The automatic feeder also includes an electrical control box (7) and a human-machine interface screen (8). The electrical control box (7) is located at the bottom of the frame (1), and the human-machine interface screen (8) is hung on the side of the frame (1). The electrical control box (7) and the human-machine interface screen (8) are electrically connected.

21. A feeding method for an automatic feeder, characterized in that, The feeding method, applicable to any one of claims 1-20, comprises the following steps: Establish a numbering mapping relationship between the fish tank (100) and the feeding hole (121); According to the preset feeding amount, the driving mechanism (3) drives the quantitative feeding mechanism (2) to move to the target feeding hole position; The minimum feeding amount is determined by using the capacity of the quantitative groove (221) as the minimum feeding amount, and the number of times the quantitative component (22) switches between the receiving state and the feeding state is determined according to the preset feeding amount and the minimum feeding amount. Perform the switching action of the metering device (22) to complete the metering.

22. The feeding method of the automatic feeder according to claim 21, characterized in that, Also includes: After feeding, perform active cleaning and / or drying of the feed pipe (25).

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