Self-calibration rotary weighing structure and pet water dispenser comprising same

Abstract

The utility model discloses a self-calibration rotary weighing structure and a pet water dispenser comprising the same. The self-calibration rotary weighing structure comprises a weighing sensor, a driving assembly and a water drinking basin, one end of the weighing sensor is connected with the driving assembly, the other end of the weighing sensor is connected with the drinking water basin, the end, connected with the drinking water basin, of the weighing sensor is suspended, and the driving assembly drives the drinking water basin to rotate through the weighing sensor. The pet water drinking device has the advantages that the weighing sensor is arranged between the water drinking basin and the driving assembly; when a pet drinks water, the weighing sensor collects single-time water drinking amount data; after the drinking water basin completes liquid pouring through the rotating assembly, the system automatically triggers a sensor zero calibration program by utilizing the characteristic that the basin body is no-load after rotating and resetting, and accumulated errors caused by material creep, temperature drift or long-term load of the weighing sensor are effectively eliminated. The scheme creatively solves the problem of irreversible creep distortion caused by the fact that a water tank continuously applies pressure to a sensor in a traditional pet water dispenser, and meanwhile breaks through the bottleneck that automatic regular calibration cannot be implemented in the prior art.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of pet supplies technology, specifically to a self-calibrating rotating weighing structure and a pet water dispenser including the structure. Background Technology

[0002] With the deep integration of the pet economy and the concept of smart pet care, modern pet water fountains have achieved basic water volume monitoring functions, but their core technology still has significant shortcomings. Existing devices mostly use the differential method of total tank weight to calculate the amount of water consumed per serving. This method forces the weighing sensor to bear a static load of several kilograms for extended periods. Under the deformation characteristics of the material and continuous stress, the sensor's sensitive element inevitably experiences creep effects. This, combined with nonlinear drift caused by temperature and humidity changes during long-term operation, results in a complex measurement distortion. More importantly, due to limitations in device architecture, traditional methods cannot implement periodic calibration, leading to irreversible cumulative amplification of errors, completely deviating from the accuracy requirements of scientific pet care. This systematic bias not only renders health management functions such as chronic disease early warning and screening ineffective, but may also delay the optimal window for diagnosis and treatment of pet diseases due to data distortion. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a self-calibrating rotary weighing structure and a pet water dispenser incorporating the structure in order to solve the above problems, as detailed below.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0005] This utility model provides a self-calibrating rotating weighing structure, including a weighing sensor, a driving component, and a drinking basin; one end of the weighing sensor is connected to the driving component, and the other end is connected to the drinking basin. The end of the weighing sensor connected to the drinking basin is suspended in the air. The driving component drives the drinking basin to rotate through the weighing sensor so as to pour out the liquid in the drinking basin.

[0006] Preferably, the assembly also includes a basin connector and a bushing assembly; the basin is mounted on one end of the bushing assembly via the basin connector, and the load cell is detachably mounted on the other end of the bushing assembly; the load cell is a beam-type load cell.

[0007] Preferably, the bushing assembly includes a first bushing and a second bushing; the first bushing is sleeved on the second bushing, the first bushing has a first hole, and the second bushing has a second hole, the first hole and the second hole communicating so that the inner cavity of the first bushing communicates with the outside through the second hole. The water basin connector is detachably installed below the first bushing, and the second bushing has a load cell mounting hole, the load cell being detachably installed in the load cell mounting hole.

[0008] Preferably, the drive assembly includes a drive motor and a rotating assembly. The drive motor is connected to one end of the rotating assembly so that the drive motor drives the rotating assembly to rotate. The other end of the rotating assembly is connected to the weighing sensor.

[0009] Preferably, the drive assembly further includes a transmission assembly, and the drive motor is connected to one end of the rotating assembly through the transmission assembly so that the drive motor drives the rotating assembly to rotate, and the other end of the rotating assembly is connected to the weighing sensor.

[0010] This utility model also provides a pet water dispenser including the above-mentioned self-calibrating rotating weighing structure, including a first housing and a water pump. The first housing has a first space for containing clean water. One end of the water pump is connected to the first space, and the other end is connected to the water bowl. The water pump is used to pump water from the first space into the water bowl.

[0011] Preferably, the water pump connects the first hole and the second hole to connect the drinking basin through the inner cavity of the first hole, the second hole and the first bushing.

[0012] Preferably, the pet water fountain further includes a second housing. The second housing has a second space, in which the water pump and the drive assembly are both housed. A third hole is provided on the side wall of the second housing, through which the bushing assembly passes. A gap is provided between the bushing assembly and the wall of the third hole so that the bushing assembly does not contact the wall of the third hole under the pressure of the water bowl.

[0013] Preferably, the rotating component has at least a first position in its rotation path corresponding to the water basin being able to hold water, and a second position corresponding to the water basin being able to pour water out. The rotating component can reciprocate between the first position and the second position under the drive of the drive motor. The drive component also includes a position detection component, which is communicatively connected to the drive motor and can transmit the detected signals of the rotating component rotating to the first position and the second position to the drive motor.

[0014] Preferably, the position detection component includes a sensor, a first position detection element, and a second position detection element. The sensor is connected to the rotating component to rotate with it. The sensor has at least a third position corresponding to the first position and a fourth position corresponding to the second position in its rotation path. Both the first and second position detection elements are communicatively connected to the drive motor. The first position detection element can detect that the sensor is located at the third position and transmit the signal indicating that the sensor is located at the third position to the drive motor. The second position detection element can detect that the sensor is located at the fourth position and transmit the signal indicating that the sensor is located at the fourth position to the drive motor.

[0015] The beneficial effects are as follows: This utility model, through innovative structural design, places the weighing sensor between the water bowl and the drive assembly, forming a dual-function measurement system: when the pet drinks, the weighing sensor collects real-time data on the amount of water consumed in a single instance; after the water bowl is emptied by the rotating assembly, the system automatically triggers the sensor's zero-point calibration program, taking advantage of the empty state after the bowl's rotation and reset, effectively eliminating the cumulative errors caused by material creep, temperature drift, or long-term load on the weighing sensor itself. This solution creatively solves the problem of irreversible creep distortion caused by continuous pressure on the sensor in traditional pet water fountains, while also overcoming the bottleneck of existing technologies that cannot implement automatic periodic calibration. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of this utility model;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of the main control board, drive assembly, and drinking basin of this utility model;

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the drive component and drinking basin of this utility model.

[0022] The annotations in the attached figures are explained as follows:

[0023] 1. Weighing sensor; 2. Drive assembly; 201. Drive motor; 202. Rotation assembly; 203. Transmission assembly; 204. Front shell; 205. Rear shell; 3. Water basin; 4. Water basin connector; 5. Bushing assembly; 501. First bushing; 5011. First hole; 502. Second bushing; 5021. Second hole; 5022. Weighing sensor mounting hole; 6. First housing; 7. Water pump; 8. Second housing; 801. Third hole; 9. Position detection assembly; 901. Sensor; 902. First position detection element; 903. Second position detection element; 10. Main control board. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To facilitate understanding of this utility model, a more complete description will be given below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of this utility model. However, this utility model can be implemented in many other different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of the disclosure of this utility model.

[0025] It should be noted that when a component is said to be "fixed to" another component, it can be directly attached to the other component or there may be an intervening component. When a component is said to be "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intervening component. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this document are for illustrative purposes only.

[0026] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0027] See Figures 1-5As shown, this utility model provides a self-calibrating rotating weighing structure, including a weighing sensor 1, a drive assembly 2, and a water bowl 3. One end of the weighing sensor 1 is connected to the drive assembly 2, and the other end is connected to the water bowl 3. The end of the weighing sensor 1 connected to the water bowl 3 is suspended. The drive assembly 2 drives the water bowl 3 to rotate through the weighing sensor 1, so as to pour out the liquid in the water bowl 3. This not only solves the technical problems of water changing and the separation of clean and dirty water in existing pet water fountains, but also accurately measures the amount of water a pet drinks in a single session. This solution uses a dynamic cyclic measurement mechanism to achieve high-precision water measurement: when the water filling stage is completed, the weighing sensor 1 records the initial water volume value; the pet's drinking behavior triggers a secondary measurement, and the single drinking volume is accurately locked through difference calculation. After the measurement is completed, the drive motor 201 drives the water bowl 3 to perform a rotating drainage action. Utilizing the mechanical characteristics of the bowl's no-load reset, the sensor zero-point calibration program is automatically triggered to eliminate errors caused by material creep and residual mechanical stress.

[0028] In this embodiment, a water basin connector 4 and a bushing assembly 5 are also provided between the water basin 3 and the weighing sensor 1; the water basin 3 is installed at one end of the bushing assembly 5 through the water basin connector 4, and the weighing sensor 1 is detachably installed at the other end of the bushing assembly 5.

[0029] In this embodiment, the weighing sensor 1 can be a beam-type weighing sensor.

[0030] In this embodiment, the bushing assembly 5 includes a first bushing 501 and a second bushing 502. The first bushing 501 is sleeved on the second bushing 502. The first bushing 501 has a first hole 5011, and the second bushing 502 has a second hole 5021. The first hole 5011 and the second hole 5021 are connected so that the inner cavity of the first bushing 501 is connected to the outside through the second hole 5021. The water basin connector 4 is detachably installed below the first bushing 501. The second bushing 502 has a mounting hole for a weighing sensor 1, and the weighing sensor 1 is detachably installed in the mounting hole. The bushing assembly 5 can support the installation and rotation of the drinking basin 3, and also allows water to flow into the drinking basin 3 through the first hole 5011, the second hole 5021, and the shaft cavity of the first bushing 501, avoiding the need for complicated water pipe layout.

[0031] In this embodiment, the driving component 2 includes a driving motor 201 and a rotating component 202. The driving motor 201 is connected to one end of the rotating component 202 to drive the rotating component 202 to rotate. The other end of the rotating component 202 is connected to the weighing sensor 1. Specifically, the output shaft of the driving motor 201 can be directly coaxially connected to the rotating component 202 to drive the rotating component 202 to rotate, or a gear can be provided on the output shaft, and a toothed portion can be provided on the outer periphery of the rotating component 202. By meshing the gear and the toothed portion, the driving motor 201 drives the rotating component 202 to rotate.

[0032] Furthermore, the drive assembly 2 also includes a transmission assembly 203. The drive motor 201 is connected to one end of the rotating assembly 202 through the transmission assembly 203 so that the drive motor 201 drives the rotating assembly 202 to rotate. The other end of the rotating assembly 202 is connected to the weighing sensor 1. The transmission assembly 203 may be a reduction gear set.

[0033] This utility model also provides a pet water dispenser including the aforementioned self-calibrating rotating weighing structure, comprising a first housing 6 and a water pump 7. The first housing 6 has a first space capable of containing clean water. One end of the water pump 7 is connected to the first space, and the other end is connected to the water bowl 3. The water pump 7 is used to pump water from the first space into the water bowl 3. It is understood that the water pump 7 has a pump inlet and a pump outlet. The pump inlet can be connected to the first space via a pipe, and the pump outlet can also be connected to the water bowl 3 via a pipe.

[0034] In this embodiment, the water pump 7 connects the first hole 5011 and the second hole 5021, so as to connect the drinking basin 3 through the inner cavity of the first hole 5011, the second hole 5021 and the first bushing 501. The bushing assembly 5 can both support the installation and rotation of the drinking basin 3, and enable water to flow into the drinking basin 3 through the first hole 5011, the second hole 5021 and the shaft cavity of the first bushing 501, avoiding the setting of complicated water pipes.

[0035] Preferably, a main control board 10 can be added, and the water pump 7, drive motor 201, and position detection component 9 can all be communicatively connected to the main control board 10. By setting the main control board 10 to receive signals and control the start and stop of the water pump 7 and drive motor 201, for example, when the position detection component 9 detects that the rotating component 202 has rotated from the second position to the first position, the main control board 10 can control the water pump 7 to pump the purified water 7 in the first space into the drinking basin 3, thereby improving the level of automation.

[0036] In this embodiment, the pet water fountain further includes a second housing 8. The second housing 8 contains a second space, within which the water pump 7 and the drive assembly 2 are housed. A third hole 801 is formed on the side wall of the second housing 8, through which the bushing assembly 5 passes. A gap is provided between the bushing assembly 5 and the wall of the third hole 801 to prevent the bushing assembly 5 from contacting the wall of the third hole 801 under the pressure of the water bowl 3. By providing the second housing 8, both the water pump 7 and the drive assembly 2 can be housed, while the water bowl 3 is located externally, preventing the water pump 7 and the drive assembly 2 from being exposed and avoiding adverse effects from the external environment.

[0037] Preferably, the second housing 8 can serve as the main control box. The pet water fountain also includes the aforementioned main control board 10. The main control board 10, water pump 7, and drive assembly 2 are all housed within the second space. The buttons on the main control board 10 are mounted on the top cover of the second housing 8.

[0038] In this embodiment, the rotating component 202 has at least a first position corresponding to the water basin 3 being able to hold water and a second position corresponding to the water basin 3 being able to pour water out in its rotation path. The rotating component 202 can reciprocate between the first position and the second position under the drive of the drive motor 201. The drive component 2 also includes a position detection component 9, which is communicatively connected to the drive motor 201 and can transmit the detected signals of the rotating component 202 rotating to the first position and the second position to the drive motor 201. It is understandable that the reciprocating motion of the water basin 3 between the first and second positions requires the forward and reverse rotation of the drive motor 201. In this embodiment, by setting the position detection component 9, the signal of the detected rotating component 202 rotating to the first and second positions can be transmitted to the drive motor 201. In this way, when the drive motor 201 receives the signal, it can change its state. For example, when the rotating component 202 rotates from the first position to the second position, the position detection component 9 detects that the rotating component 202 is in the second position, and the drive motor 201 can stop further driving the rotating component 202 to rotate. Then, the rotating component 202 is rotated from the second position to the first position. At this time, after the position detection component 9 detects that the rotating component 202 is in the first position, the drive motor 201 stops driving to avoid the rotating component 202 rotating too much.

[0039] In this embodiment, the position detection component 9 includes a sensor 901, a first position detection element 902, and a second position detection element 903. The sensor 901 is connected to the rotation component 202 so as to rotate with the rotation component 202. The sensor 901 has at least a third position corresponding to the first position and a fourth position corresponding to the second position in its rotation path. The first position detection element 902 and the second position detection element 903 are both communicatively connected to the drive motor 201. The first position detection element 902 can detect that the sensor 901 is located at the third position and transmit the signal of the sensor 901 being located at the third position to the drive motor 201. The second position detection element 903 can detect that the sensor 901 is located at the fourth position and transmit the signal of the sensor 901 being located at the fourth position to the drive motor 201.

[0040] In this embodiment, the position detection component 9 includes a sensor 901, a first position detection element 902, and a second position detection element 903. The sensor 901 is configured to rotate together with the rotating component 202, so that when the rotating component 202 rotates to the first position and the second position, there is a corresponding definite position, namely the third position and the fourth position. The first position detection element 902 and the second position detection element 903 are then used to detect the third position and the fourth position respectively, so as to determine the position of the rotating component 202. With this configuration, the position detection component 9 can be used as a complete set without the need for structural design on the rotating component 202, which facilitates processing, manufacturing, installation, and disassembly.

[0041] In one embodiment, both the first position detection element 902 and the second position detection element 903 can be photoelectric switches. The sensing element 901 has a protrusion capable of inserting into the photoelectric switch. When the sensing element 901 is in the third position, the protrusion is inserted into the first position detection element 902; similarly, when the sensing element 901 is in the fourth position, the protrusion is inserted into the second position detection element 903. In another embodiment, both the first position detection element 902 and the second position detection element 903 can be Hall sensors. A magnetic element is mounted on the protrusion of the sensing element 901, or the protrusion itself is a magnetic element. Thus, when the sensing element 901 is in the third and fourth positions, it will be detected by the first position detection element 902 and the second position detection element 903, respectively. Alternatively, one of the first position detection element 902 and the second position detection element 903 can be a photoelectric switch, and the other can be a Hall sensor; of course, other forms of sensing or detection elements are also possible.

[0042] Specifically, the sensing element 901 can be a fan-shaped structure with a ring at its center and fixed on the rotating assembly 202. In this structure, the two opposite sharp corners of the sensing element 901 can be protrusions.

[0043] More specifically, the drive assembly 2 may also include a front shell 204 and a rear shell 205, with the rotating assembly 202 passing through the front shell 204 and the rear shell 205. The front shell 204 and the rear shell 205 can be fastened together to support the rotating assembly 202. One end of the load cell 1 passes through the front shell 204 and is connected to the rotating assembly 202. The first position detection element 902 and the second position detection element 903 are both mounted on the rear shell 205, and the sensing element 901 is located on the side of the rear shell 205 away from the front shell 204.

[0044] The beneficial effects are as follows: This utility model, through innovative structural design, places the weighing sensor 1 between the water bowl 3 and the drive component 2, forming a dual-function measurement system: when the pet drinks water, the weighing sensor 1 collects the data of the amount of water drunk in real time; after the water bowl 3 completes the liquid pouring through the rotating component 202, the system utilizes the characteristic of the bowl being unloaded after rotation and reset to automatically trigger the zero-point calibration program of the sensor, effectively eliminating the cumulative error of the weighing sensor itself caused by material creep, temperature drift, or long-term load. This solution creatively solves the problem of irreversible creep distortion caused by continuous pressure on the sensor in traditional pet water fountains, while also overcoming the bottleneck of existing technologies that cannot implement automatic periodic calibration.

[0045] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this utility model, but the protection scope of this utility model is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model should be determined by the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A self-calibrating rotary weighing structure, characterized in that: It includes a weighing sensor, a drive assembly, and a drinking basin; one end of the weighing sensor is connected to the drive assembly, and the other end is connected to the drinking basin. The end of the weighing sensor connected to the drinking basin is suspended in the air. The drive assembly drives the drinking basin to rotate through the weighing sensor, so as to pour out the liquid in the drinking basin and return the drinking basin to the correct position to fill with water.

2. The self-calibrating rotary weighing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a water basin connector and a bushing assembly; the water basin is installed at one end of the bushing assembly via the water basin connector, and the weighing sensor is detachably installed at the other end of the bushing assembly; the weighing sensor is a beam-type weighing sensor.

3. The self-calibrating rotary weighing structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The bushing assembly includes a first bushing and a second bushing; the first bushing is sleeved on the second bushing, the first bushing has a first hole, the second bushing has a second hole, the first hole and the second hole are connected so that the inner cavity of the first bushing is connected to the outside through the second hole, the water basin connector is detachably installed below the first bushing, the second bushing has a weighing sensor mounting hole, and the weighing sensor is detachably installed in the weighing sensor mounting hole.

4. The self-calibrating rotary weighing structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: The drive assembly includes a drive motor and a rotating assembly. The drive motor is connected to one end of the rotating assembly so that the drive motor drives the rotating assembly to rotate. The other end of the rotating assembly is connected to the weighing sensor.

5. The self-calibrating rotary weighing structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: The drive assembly further includes a transmission assembly. The drive motor is connected to one end of the rotating assembly through the transmission assembly so that the drive motor drives the rotating assembly to rotate. The other end of the rotating assembly is connected to the weighing sensor.

6. A pet water dispenser comprising the self-calibrating rotary weighing structure according to any one of claims 1-2 and 5, characterized in that: It includes a first housing and a water pump. The first housing has a first space for containing purified water. One end of the water pump is connected to the first space, and the other end is connected to the drinking basin. The water pump is used to pump water from the first space into the drinking basin.

7. A pet water dispenser comprising the self-calibrating rotary weighing structure as described in claim 4, characterized in that: It includes a first housing and a water pump. The first housing has a first space for containing purified water. One end of the water pump is connected to the first space, and the other end is connected to the drinking basin. The water pump is used to pump water from the first space into the drinking basin.

8. The pet water fountain according to claim 7, characterized in that: The water pump connects the first hole and the second hole to the drinking basin through the inner cavity of the first hole, the second hole and the first bushing.

9. The pet water fountain according to claim 7, characterized in that: The pet water fountain also includes a second housing. The second housing has a second space, in which the water pump and the drive assembly are housed. A third hole is provided on the side wall of the second housing. The bushing assembly passes through the third hole, and a gap is provided between the bushing assembly and the wall of the third hole so that the bushing assembly does not contact the wall of the third hole under the pressure of the water bowl.

10. The pet water fountain according to any one of claims 7-9, characterized in that: The rotating component has at least a first position in its rotation path corresponding to the water basin being able to hold water, and a second position corresponding to the water basin being able to pour water out. The rotating component can reciprocate between the first position and the second position under the drive of the drive motor. The drive assembly further includes a position detection assembly, which is communicatively connected to the drive motor and can transmit signals detected by the rotating assembly rotating to the first position and the second position to the drive motor. The position detection assembly includes a sensor, a first position detection element, and a second position detection element. The sensor is connected to the rotating assembly to follow its rotation. The sensor has at least a third position corresponding to the first position and a fourth position corresponding to the second position in its rotation path. Both the first and second position detection elements are communicatively connected to the drive motor. The first position detection element can detect that the sensor is located at the third position and transmit the signal indicating that the sensor is located at the third position to the drive motor. The second position detection element can detect that the sensor is located at the fourth position and transmit the signal indicating that the sensor is located at the fourth position to the drive motor.

Images