Intelligent feeder

Abstract

The utility model provides an intelligent feeder. The feeder comprises a grain storage barrel, a grain distribution barrel and a rotating mechanism, a first opening is formed in the bottom of the grain storage barrel, the grain distribution barrel is arranged below the grain storage barrel, and a second opening is formed in the bottom of the grain distribution barrel; a first impeller of the rotating mechanism is arranged in the grain separating barrel and divides the inner space of the grain separating barrel into a plurality of subspaces; in the rotating process of the first impeller, the subspaces communicate with the first opening and the second opening in turn, so that food in the grain storage barrel sequentially flows into the subspaces from the first opening, and the food in the subspaces sequentially flows out from the second opening. According to the utility model, the rotatable first impeller is arranged in the grain dividing barrel, so that the internal space of the grain dividing barrel is divided, and the movement path of food in the grain dividing barrel is prolonged, thereby reducing the blocking risk of the food in the grain dividing barrel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model belongs to the field of feeding technology, and more specifically, relates to an intelligent feeding device. Background Art

[0002] Smart feeders provide many conveniences for feeding pets. For example, when the owner is out, the pet can be fed at regular intervals and in fixed quantities, which helps to maintain the pet's regular eating habits and avoids food waste and food spoilage caused by feeding too much at one time.

[0003] In order to feed pets at regular intervals and in fixed quantities, related feeders are equipped with a valve at the outlet to control the flow of food by opening and closing the valve. However, during the opening and closing process of the valve, food can easily get stuck in the valve, causing blockage and affecting the normal operation of the feeder. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of this, the utility model provides an intelligent feeder to solve the technical problem that the feeder is easily blocked.

[0005] The technical solution of the present utility model is achieved as follows:

[0006] An embodiment of the present utility model provides an intelligent feeder, comprising: a grain storage barrel, wherein a first opening is provided at the bottom of the grain storage barrel; a grain distribution barrel, which is arranged below the grain storage barrel and has a second opening at the bottom of the grain distribution barrel; a rotating mechanism, comprising a first impeller arranged in the grain distribution barrel, wherein the first impeller divides the internal space of the grain distribution barrel into a plurality of subspaces; wherein, during the rotation of the first impeller, each of the subspaces is connected to the first opening and the second opening in turn, so that the food in the grain storage barrel flows into each of the subspaces in turn from the first opening, and the food in each of the subspaces flows out from the second opening in turn.

[0007] In some embodiments, the rotating mechanism further includes: a motor, disposed on the outside of the grain distribution barrel, for driving the first impeller to rotate; and a travel switch, disposed near the motor, for detecting the number of rotations of the output shaft of the motor.

[0008] In some embodiments, the rotating mechanism further includes: a reduction gearbox connected to the output shaft of the motor, the outer wall of the reduction gearbox being circumferentially provided with a plurality of protrusions for the limit switch to touch; wherein, in the extension direction of the output shaft of the motor, the projection of each of the protrusions overlaps with the projection of each of the subspaces.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first impeller includes: a first axle, fixedly connected to the output shaft of the motor or the reducer; a plurality of first blades, arranged around the outer wall of the first axle; wherein two adjacent first blades and the inner wall of the grain distribution barrel form the subspace.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first blade is spaced apart from the top wall of the grain distribution barrel, and the top wall of the grain distribution barrel is provided with a combing plate, and the height of the combing plate is less than or equal to the distance of the space.

[0011] In some embodiments, at least one of the first blade and the combing plate is made of soft rubber.

[0012] In some embodiments, the rotating mechanism further includes: a second impeller, disposed at the bottom of the grain storage barrel and fixedly connected to the first wheel shaft; wherein, in the radial direction of the second impeller, the second impeller extends to the first opening.

[0013] In some embodiments, the method further includes: a dewatering channel, which is arranged obliquely relative to the axis of the grain distribution barrel, and the top of the dewatering channel is connected to the second opening; and a food bowl, which is arranged at the bottom end of the dewatering channel.

[0014] In some embodiments, a gravity detection device is provided at the bottom of the food bowl to detect the weight of the food in the food bowl.

[0015] In some embodiments, at least one set of infrared detection devices is provided on the side wall of the grain storage barrel to determine whether there is enough food in the grain storage barrel.

[0016] The intelligent feeder provided by the embodiment of the present invention includes a grain storage barrel, a grain distribution barrel and a rotating mechanism, wherein the bottom of the grain storage barrel is provided with a first opening, the grain distribution barrel is provided below the grain storage barrel, and the bottom of the grain distribution barrel is provided with a second opening; the first impeller of the rotating mechanism is provided in the grain distribution barrel and divides the internal space of the grain distribution barrel into a plurality of subspaces; wherein, during the rotation of the first impeller, each subspace is connected to the first opening and the second opening in turn, so that the food in the grain storage barrel flows from the first opening into each subspace in turn, and the food in each subspace flows out from the second opening in turn. The embodiment of the present invention forms subspaces by arranging a rotatable first impeller in the grain distribution barrel, so that two adjacent impellers of the first impeller form subspaces, and these subspaces, as the impeller rotates, allow the food in the grain storage barrel to flow from the first opening into each subspace in turn, and the food in each subspace flows out from the second opening in turn, thereby achieving feeding. That is, by setting the first impeller, not only the internal space of the grain distribution barrel is divided, but also the movement path of food in the grain distribution barrel is extended, thereby reducing the risk of food being blocked in the grain distribution barrel. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the feeding device according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a first-perspective overall cross-sectional view of the feeding device according to an embodiment of the utility model;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a second perspective overall cross-sectional view of the feeding device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the rotating structure of the feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the feeding device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Description of reference numerals:

[0023] 1. Grain storage barrel; 11. First opening; 2. Grain distribution barrel; 21. Second opening; 22. Subspace; 23. Combing plate; 3. Rotating mechanism; 31. First impeller; 311. First wheel shaft; 312. First blade; 32. Motor; 33. Limit switch; 34. Gearbox; 35. Protrusion; 36. Second impeller; 4. Delivery channel; 5. Food bowl; 6. Gravity detection device; 7. Infrared detection device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0025] The various specific technical features described in the specific embodiments may be combined in any suitable manner, unless they are inconsistent. For example, different embodiments and technical solutions may be formed by combining different specific technical features. To avoid unnecessary repetition, the various possible combinations of the specific technical features in this utility model will not be described separately.

[0026] In the following description, the terms "first, second, ..." are used solely to distinguish different objects and do not imply any similarities or connections between the objects. It should be understood that the directions "above," "below," "outside," and "inside" refer to directions during normal use. The directions "left" and "right" refer to the left-right directions shown in the corresponding schematic diagrams, which may or may not be the left-right directions during normal use.

[0027] It should be noted that the terms "comprises," "includes," or any other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus comprising a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not preclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus comprising that element. "A plurality" means greater than or equal to two.

[0028] The present invention provides an intelligent feeder suitable for various feeding scenarios. For example, the feeder can be used to feed pets, automatically delivering food at regular intervals and in fixed quantities to cats, dogs, hamsters, and other pets, making it convenient for pets to eat when their owners are away. Another example is the feeder used in poultry farming, such as chickens and ducks, to achieve large-scale, automated feed delivery.

[0029] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the feeder includes a grain storage bucket 1 and a grain distribution bucket 2. Grain storage bucket 1 can be used to store food such as pet food, granular fish feed, and specialized grain pellets. A first opening 11 is provided at the bottom of grain storage bucket 1, and grain distribution bucket 2 is positioned below grain storage bucket 1. Food in grain storage bucket 1 flows through first opening 11 into grain distribution bucket 2 under its own weight.

[0030] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the bottom of the grain distributing barrel 2 is provided with a second opening 21, below which are provided a discharge channel 4 and a food bowl 5. Specifically, the discharge channel 4 is arranged at an angle relative to the axis of the grain distributing barrel 2, with the top of the discharge channel 4 communicating with the second opening 21, and the food bowl 5 being provided at the bottom of the discharge channel 4. This facilitates the food in the grain distributing barrel 2 to flow out of the second opening 21 under its own weight and slide along the discharge channel 4 into the food bowl 5. The axial direction of the grain distributing barrel 2 can be understood as the direction in which the grain distributing barrel 2 extends. When the feeder is in normal use, the axial direction of the grain distributing barrel 2 is in the vertical direction, indicated by the dotted line a in the figure.

[0031] like Figure 2 and Figure 4As shown, the feeder also includes a rotating mechanism 3. The rotating mechanism 3 includes a first impeller 31 disposed within the grain distribution barrel 2. The first impeller 31 divides the internal space of the grain distribution barrel 2 into multiple subspaces 22. Multiple subspaces 22 can be understood as a number of subspaces 22 greater than or equal to two. Furthermore, the multiple subspaces 22 are arranged around the axis of the first impeller 31. During the rotation of the first impeller 31, each subspace 22 alternately connects with the first opening 11 and each subspace 22 alternately connects with the second opening 21. The "subspace 22 connected to the first opening 11" and the "subspace 22 connected to the second opening 21" are two different subspaces 22; that is, a subspace 22 cannot connect to both the first opening 11 and the second opening 21 simultaneously. Thus, during the rotation of the first impeller 31, food within the grain storage barrel 1 flows sequentially from the first opening 11 into each subspace 22, and food within each subspace 22 sequentially flows out from the second opening 21, thereby achieving continuous feeding.

[0032] To stop feeding from the feeder, it is only necessary to stop the rotation of the rotating mechanism 3. It is understood that if the rotating mechanism 3 stops rotating, the subspace 22 connected to the first opening 11 is filled with food, while the subspace 22 connected to the second opening 21 is empty, thereby stopping feeding.

[0033] The feeder provided by the embodiment of the present invention includes a grain storage barrel 1, a grain distribution barrel 2 and a rotating mechanism 3. The bottom of the grain storage barrel 1 is provided with a first opening 11, the grain distribution barrel 2 is provided below the grain storage barrel 1, and the bottom of the grain distribution barrel 2 is provided with a second opening 21; the first impeller 31 of the rotating mechanism 3 is provided in the grain distribution barrel 2 and divides the internal space of the grain distribution barrel 2 into a plurality of subspaces 22; wherein, during the rotation of the first impeller 31, each subspace 22 is connected with the first opening 11 and the second opening 21 in turn, so that the food in the grain storage barrel 1 flows into each subspace 22 in turn from the first opening 11, and the food in each subspace 22 flows out from the second opening 21 in turn. The embodiment of the present invention disposes a rotatable first impeller 31 within the grain distributing barrel 2, so that two adjacent impellers of the first impeller 31 form subspaces 22. As the impellers rotate, these subspaces 22 allow food within the grain storage barrel 1 to flow into each subspace 22 in turn through the first opening 11, and the food within each subspace 22 to flow out of the second opening 21 in turn, thereby achieving feeding. That is, the provision of the first impeller 31 not only achieves the division of the internal space of the grain distributing barrel 2, but also extends the movement path of the food within the grain distributing barrel 2, thereby reducing the risk of food clogging within the grain distributing barrel 2.

[0034] Compared to related feeders that use valves to start and stop feeding, the present invention uses multiple subspaces 22 that alternately pass through the first opening 11 and the second opening 21 to start and stop feeding, reducing the risk of food clogging the food distribution barrel 2. Furthermore, the provision of multiple subspaces 22 in the present invention facilitates control of the amount of food fed each time, facilitating a balanced diet for pets or other animals.

[0035] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the rotating mechanism 3 further includes a motor 32 and a travel switch 33. The motor 32 is arranged outside the grain distributing barrel 2 to drive the first impeller 31 to rotate; the travel switch 33 is arranged close to the motor 32 to detect the number of rotations of the output shaft of the motor 32.

[0036] The limit switch 33 may illustratively consist of a contact system, a spring, and other components. The operating principle of the limit switch 33 is as follows: when a component fixedly connected to the rotating shaft of the first impeller 31 presses against the spring of the limit switch 33, the internal circuit of the contact system closes. When the moving component moves away, the spring acts to reset the contact system, disconnecting the internal circuit. Thus, this mechanical collision achieves circuit on / off control. Accordingly, the number of collisions of the limit switch 33 is equal to the number of on / off cycles of the circuit, thereby detecting the number of rotations of the output shaft of the motor 32, and further detecting the number of rotations of the first impeller 31. This in turn determines the number of subspaces 22 connected to the second opening 21 during the rotation of the first impeller 31. This indicates the amount of food being fed.

[0037] The embodiment of the present invention facilitates the control of the number of rotations of the subspace 22 in the grain distribution barrel 2 by providing the travel switch 33, thereby facilitating the control of the amount of food fed.

[0038] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the rotating mechanism 3 further includes a reduction gearbox 34. Connected to the output shaft of the motor 32, the outer wall of the reduction gearbox 34 is circumferentially provided with a plurality of protrusions 35 for contact by the limit switch 33. In the extension direction of the output shaft of the motor 32, the projection of each protrusion 35 overlaps with the projection of each subspace 22. In other words, the number and position of the protrusions 35 correspond to the number and position of the subspaces 22.

[0039] The following is an example in which the number of subspaces 22 is 4, and the first subspace 22, the second subspace 22, the third subspace 22 and the fourth subspace 22 are arranged in sequence around the axis a. When the protrusion 35 touches the limit switch 33, the first subspace 22 is connected to the first opening 11, and the third subspace 22 is connected to the second opening 21, then the first subspace 22 is gradually filled, and the third subspace 22 is gradually emptied, so that feeding can be carried out. If the motor 32 stops driving, the first subspace 22 remains connected to the first opening 11, and the third subspace 22 remains empty, so that feeding is no longer continued. Therefore, the position of the subspace 22 relative to the first opening 11 and the second opening 21 can be easily known, which facilitates switching between the feeding state and the feeding stop state.

[0040] In the embodiment of the present invention, the corresponding arrangement of the protrusion 35 and the subspace 22 facilitates obtaining the position information of the subspace 22 , thereby facilitating the opening and closing of the grain distributing barrel 2 .

[0041] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the first impeller 31 includes a first shaft 311 and a plurality of first blades 312. The first shaft 311 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the motor 32 or the reduction gearbox 34. The plurality of first blades 312 are arranged around the outer wall of the first shaft 311. Two adjacent first blades 312 and the inner wall of the grain distribution barrel 2 form a subspace 22. Thus, the first blades 312 and the subspace 22 rotate under the drive of the motor 32.

[0042] Specifically, the first blades 312 are evenly arranged around the first axle 311, and the extension direction of the surface of the first blades 312 is parallel or approximately parallel to the axial direction of the first axle 311. When the feeder is in normal use, the first blades 312 are vertically arranged.

[0043] The embodiment of the present invention drives the rotation of the first blade 312 and the subspace 22 by the motor 32, thereby achieving uniform division of the internal space of the grain distribution barrel 2, so that the size of each subspace 22 is consistent, so as to facilitate control of the fraction and total amount of food flowing out.

[0044] In some embodiments, as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the first blade 312 is spaced apart from the top wall of the grain distributing barrel 2. A combing plate 23 is provided on the top wall of the grain distributing barrel 2, and the height of the combing plate 23 is less than or equal to the spacing distance. Only one combing plate 23 can be provided around the first wheel shaft 311, or multiple combing plates 23 can be provided.

[0045] During the rotation of the first impeller 31, if the height of the food in one subspace 22 is higher than the height of the first blade 312, the combing plate 23 will push the food that is higher than the height of the first blade 312 into other subspaces 22. In this way, the food in each subspace 22 is flush with the height of the first blade 312, so that the amount of food in each subspace 22 is consistent, which is conducive to controlling the amount of food flowing out.

[0046] Moreover, due to the arrangement of the combing plate 23, there is a distance between the food in each subspace 22 and the top wall of the grain distribution barrel 2, which is conducive to the rotation of the first blade 312 and reduces the risk of food getting stuck between the first impeller 31 and the grain distribution barrel 2.

[0047] In some embodiments, as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, at least one of the first blade 312 and the combing plate 23 is made of soft rubber, which includes at least three situations: first, only the first blade 312 is made of soft rubber; second, only the combing plate 23 is made of soft rubber; and third, both the first blade 312 and the combing plate 23 are made of soft rubber. The soft rubber can be, for example, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).

[0048] In the embodiment of the present invention, by setting at least one of the first blade 312 and the combing plate 23 to be made of soft rubber, the first blade 312 and / or the combing plate 23 are deformed when squeezed by food, thereby reducing the risk of food getting stuck in the first blade 312 and / or the combing plate 23.

[0049] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the grain storage barrel 1 and the grain distribution barrel 2 can be made of hard plastic, such as a synthetic material of polylactic acid and copolyester, so that the grain storage barrel 1 and the grain distribution barrel 2 are degradable, will not cause pollution to the environment, and are beneficial to the health of pets.

[0050] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the rotating mechanism 3 further includes a second impeller 36 . The second impeller 36 is disposed at the bottom of the grain storage barrel 1 and is fixedly connected to the first wheel shaft 311 ; wherein, in the radial direction of the second impeller 36 , the second impeller 36 extends to the first opening 11 .

[0051] The embodiment of the present invention provides the second impeller 36 so that the second impeller 36 can rotate along with the rotation of the first impeller 31, thereby moving the food at the bottom of the grain storage barrel 1, making it difficult for the food at the bottom of the grain storage barrel 1 to get stuck at the first opening 11, thereby reducing the risk of blockage inside the feeder.

[0052] In some embodiments, as Figure 5As shown, the side wall of the grain storage barrel 1 is provided with at least one group of infrared detection devices 7. The infrared emitting heads of each group of infrared detection devices 7 are opposite, that is, one of the infrared detection devices 7 is used to transmit signals and the other infrared detection device 7 is used to receive signals.

[0053] Under normal use, if the height of the food in the grain storage barrel 1 is higher than the height of the infrared detection device 7, the infrared detection device 7 will not receive the infrared signal, which means that there is enough food in the grain storage barrel 1. If the height of the food in the grain storage barrel 1 is lower than the height of the infrared detection device 7, the infrared detection device 7 will not receive the infrared signal, which means that there is too little food in the grain storage barrel 1.

[0054] The embodiment of the present invention can detect whether the food in the grain storage barrel 1 is sufficient through the setting of the infrared detection device 7. If the food in the grain storage barrel 1 is too little, the user can be prompted to add food to the grain storage barrel 1.

[0055] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 As shown, a gravity sensor 6 is installed at the bottom of the food bowl 5 to detect the weight of the food inside. The gravity sensor can be composed of a spring, a damper, and a sensor chip. When the spring is subjected to the gravity of the food bowl 5 and the food inside, the spring and damper limit and attenuate its displacement. The sensor chip converts the displacement into an electrical signal, which can be used to determine the amount of food in the food bowl 5 and facilitate the user's decision whether to add food to the food bowl 5.

[0056] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An intelligent feeding device, characterized in that: include: A grain storage barrel, wherein the bottom of the grain storage barrel is provided with a first opening; A grain distribution barrel is provided below the grain storage barrel, and a second opening is provided at the bottom of the grain distribution barrel; The rotating mechanism includes a first impeller disposed in the grain distribution barrel, wherein the first impeller divides the internal space of the grain distribution barrel into a plurality of subspaces; In which, during the rotation of the first impeller, each of the subspaces is connected to the first opening and the second opening in turn, so that the food in the grain storage barrel flows into each of the subspaces from the first opening in turn, and the food in each of the subspaces flows out from the second opening in turn.

2. The intelligent feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating mechanism further comprises: a motor, disposed outside the grain distributing barrel, for driving the first impeller to rotate; The limit switch is arranged near the motor and is used to detect the number of rotations of the output shaft of the motor.

3. The intelligent feeding device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The rotating mechanism further comprises: A reduction box connected to the output shaft of the motor, wherein the outer wall of the reduction box is provided with a plurality of protrusions in the circumferential direction for the travel switch to touch; Wherein, in the extension direction of the output shaft of the motor, the projection of each protrusion overlaps with the projection of each subspace.

4. The intelligent feeding device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first impeller comprises: A first wheel shaft, fixedly connected to the output shaft of the motor or the reduction gearbox; a plurality of first blades disposed around an outer wall of the first wheel shaft; The two adjacent first blades and the inner wall of the grain distribution barrel form the subspace.

5. The intelligent feeding device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first blade is spaced apart from the top wall of the grain distribution barrel, and the top wall of the grain distribution barrel is provided with a combing plate, and the height of the combing plate is less than or equal to the distance of the space.

6. The intelligent feeding device according to claim 5, characterized in that: At least one of the first blade and the combing plate is made of soft rubber.

7. The intelligent feeding device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The rotating mechanism further comprises: a second impeller, disposed at the bottom of the grain storage barrel and fixedly connected to the first wheel shaft; Wherein, in the radial direction of the second impeller, the second impeller extends to the first opening.

8. The intelligent feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: An outlet channel is arranged obliquely relative to the axis of the grain distribution barrel, and a top end of the outlet channel is communicated with the second opening; The food bowl is arranged at the bottom end of the outlet channel.

9. The intelligent feeding device according to claim 8, characterized in that: A gravity detection device is provided at the bottom of the food bowl to detect the weight of the food in the food bowl.

10. The intelligent feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least one set of infrared detection devices is provided on the side wall of the grain storage barrel to judge whether the food in the grain storage barrel is sufficient.

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