Animal sweet water preference automatic water supply system
By combining an intelligent controller with a closed-circuit design and a ball-bearing water head or water ladle, the problems of water volume monitoring error and water supply device flexibility in the metabolic cage system are solved, achieving precise adjustment of water volume and water conservation, and improving the accuracy of experimental data and the versatility of the device.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NANJING CALVIN BIOTECHNOLOGY CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-05-06
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-08
AI Technical Summary
Existing metabolic cage systems have errors in excrement collection and water consumption monitoring, and the water supply device lacks flexibility, resulting in inaccurate experimental data and water waste, which hinders the in-depth development of pharmacological, nutritional, and behavioral research.
It adopts an intelligent controller and closed circuit design, combined with metal fence and water supply pipe, to realize automatic adjustment of water flow; equipped with adjustment mechanism and ball bearing water head or water ladle to adapt to different animal heights and prevent water overflow; designed with pull-out tray for easy cleaning of excrement.
It enables precise monitoring and feedback of water consumption, saves water resources, adapts to different animal body sizes, maintains a hygienic experimental environment, and improves the accuracy and reliability of experimental results.
Smart Images
Figure CN224205914U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of saccharide preference experiment technology, specifically an automatic saccharide preference supply system for animals. Background Technology
[0002] In the fields of pharmacology, nutrition, and behavioral science research, the metabolic cage is a key experimental device. It integrates environmental control, physiological parameter monitoring, and excrement collection functions, and can simultaneously acquire data such as animal food intake, water intake, urine / feces excretion, and activity level. It plays an important role in revealing the laws of metabolism, assessing drug toxicity, and studying the mechanisms of metabolic diseases.
[0003] However, existing structural metabolic cage systems have the following drawbacks: Water intake monitoring in the excrement collection device is easily affected by dripping and splashing from animal licking, and weight sensors often misjudge water intake. Regarding food intake monitoring, food debris easily falls into the excrement collection area and is mistakenly counted as fecal weight, leading to data inaccuracies. Furthermore, the microenvironment within the enclosed cage is affected by animal body heat and respiration, causing local temperature and humidity to deviate from set values, thus altering urine concentration or animal water intake and interfering with experimental results.
[0004] Furthermore, in sucrose preference experiments, existing water supply devices mostly adopt a timed and quantitative water supply method. This method lacks flexibility and cannot be dynamically adjusted according to the animal's actual drinking needs. When the animal does not drink, the device will still discharge water according to the preset time, resulting in water waste. When the animal drinks a lot of water, there may be insufficient water supply, which will affect the animal's normal behavior in the experiment and lead to inaccurate experimental data, thus reducing the practicality and reliability of the water supply device in sucrose preference experiments.
[0005] In summary, the problems with metabolic cage systems regarding excrement collection, water and food intake monitoring, and environmental control, as well as the deficiencies in water supply methods in saccharide preference experiment devices, severely restrict the in-depth development of related research and the accuracy of experimental results. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a novel animal experimental device to solve the aforementioned technical problems and offer a more accurate and reliable experimental tool for pharmacological, nutritional, and behavioral research. Utility Model Content
[0006] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the defects and deficiencies of the existing technology and provide an automatic water supply system for animals with a preference for sugar water, thus solving various problems existing in the existing technology.
[0007] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution:
[0008] An automatic water supply system for animals with sucrose preferences includes a cage with a base. The base has baffles around its perimeter forming a protective cage. A height-adjustable water dispenser is mounted on an end plate at one end of the protective cage. The water supply pipe of the water dispenser is made of metal. The end plate at the other end of the protective cage has a plug-in structure. A metal mesh is laid inside the bottom of the cage. A retractable receiving tray is located below the metal mesh. The metal mesh is connected to a grounding terminal via a wire, serving as a reference potential for the detection circuit. The water supply pipe at the end of the water dispenser is connected to the input terminal of a current detection module via a signal line. The output terminal of the current detection module is electrically connected to the ADC pin of the controller.
[0009] The protective cage has a limiting groove on its inner wall. A lifting block is movably fitted inside the limiting groove. A water supply pipe is fixedly fitted onto the lifting block. The top end of the water supply pipe is connected to a water pump via a flexible hose. The lifting of the lifting block is driven by an adjustment mechanism. The water pump is a motor push rod or a peristaltic pump.
[0010] The adjustment mechanism includes a rotary motor, which is fixedly installed on the top of the protective cage. A threaded rod is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the rotary motor, and a lifting block is guided and installed on the threaded rod.
[0011] The base has guide rails on both sides of its upper surface, and universal ball bearings are installed at intervals on the upper surface of the guide rails. The bottom surface of the receiving plate has guide grooves on both sides that cooperate with the guide rails.
[0012] The end of the water supply pipe is connected to a ball bearing water head, or a water receiving ladle is connected to the bottom of the water supply pipe.
[0013] The ball bearing water head includes a metal tube shell. The top inlet of the metal tube shell is connected to a water supply pipe. A detachable outlet cap is installed at the bottom outlet of the metal tube shell. Automatically rolling balls are provided inside the metal tube shell, and a gap is formed between the balls and the inner wall of the metal tube shell. An annular flange is provided on the inner side of the outlet cap to restrict the balls from falling off. An annular sealing groove is provided on the inner side of the annular flange, and a silicone sealing ring is embedded in the annular sealing groove to prevent leakage.
[0014] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are:
[0015] 1. This device cleverly utilizes the principles of a controller and a closed circuit to achieve intelligent automatic adjustment of water flow based on the animal's drinking volume. The metal fence and the water supply pipe at the end of the water supply tube form an intelligent sensing loop, which, together with the software system, enables precise monitoring and feedback of the animal's drinking behavior. When the animal drinks, its feet contact the metal fence, and the fence, the water supply pipe of the feeder, and the animal form a closed circuit. The controller precisely starts the peristaltic pump, continuously delivering water to the feeder through the hose. When the animal finishes drinking and leaves, the closed circuit breaks, the controller immediately stops the peristaltic pump, and the software records the status and stops the pump. This intelligent control mechanism ensures precise use of water resources, effectively avoids waste, and greatly saves animal drinking water, demonstrating outstanding water conservation performance.
[0016] 2. To accommodate the drinking needs of animals of different heights, the device is specially equipped with an adjustment mechanism. By starting a rotary motor, the threaded rod drives the lifting block and water dispenser to move up and down, allowing for flexible adjustment of the water dispenser's height. This design fully considers the diversity of animal body shapes, providing convenient drinking conditions for animals of different heights, significantly improving the versatility and applicability of the water supply device, and enabling it to meet the needs of various animal husbandry scenarios;
[0017] 3. By cleverly connecting a ball bearing water head to the end of the water supply pipe, or by connecting a water receiving ladle to the bottom of the water supply pipe with a specific structure, it can be effectively ensured that no water will overflow when not drinking.
[0018] 4. The pull-out tray structure allows for timely and convenient collection and cleaning of animal excrement, significantly saving manpower and time costs during cleaning. It also maintains a clean and hygienic experimental environment, reduces bacterial growth and odor, provides good living conditions for animals, reduces environmental interference, and effectively ensures the accuracy and reliability of animal experimental results. Attached Figure Description
[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model;
[0020] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the structure of the metal fence.
[0021] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of the local structure at point A;
[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the adjustment mechanism in this utility model;
[0023] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the ball bearing head.
[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a water-receiving ladle.
[0025] Figure label:
[0026] 1. Base; 2. Baffle; 3. Guide rail; 4. Receiving tray; 5. Peristaltic pump; 6. Controller; 7. Limit groove; 8. Lifting block; 9. Water supply pipe; 10. Flexible hose; 11. Adjustment mechanism; 111. Rotary motor; 112. Threaded rod; 12. Guide groove; 13. Universal ball bearing; 14. Metal fence mesh; 15. Ball bearing water supply head; 16. Water receiving ladle; 151. Metal pipe shell; 152. Water outlet cap; 153. Ball bearing; 154. Silicone sealing ring. Detailed Implementation
[0027] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present utility model.
[0028] See appendix Figure 1-6 ;
[0029] An automatic water supply system for animals with sucrose preferences includes a cage with a base 1. Baffles 2 are installed around the perimeter of the base to form a protective cage. A height-adjustable water feeder is installed on an end plate at one end of the protective cage. The water supply pipe 9 of the water feeder is made of metal. The end plate at the other end of the protective cage has a plug-in structure. Slots are provided on both sides of the baffles, allowing the end plate to be inserted from one side to the other. A metal mesh 14 is laid inside the bottom of the cage. A retractable receiving tray 4 is located below the metal mesh 14. The metal mesh 14 is connected to a grounding terminal via a wire, serving as a reference potential for the detection circuit. The water supply pipe 9 at the end of the water feeder is connected to the input terminal of a current detection module via a signal line. The output terminal of the current detection module is electrically connected to the ADC pin of a controller 6. When the animal drinks, the controller 6 is activated, causing the animal to move to the top of the conduction plate 4 and contact the conductive sleeve 9 to drink. The metal fence, the water supply pipe of the water feeder, and the animal form a closed circuit, which allows the controller 6 to control the peristaltic pump 5 to start. The peristaltic pump 5 then continuously delivers water to the water supply pipe 9 through the hose 10. When the animal finishes drinking and moves away, the controller 6 disconnects the circuit, causing the peristaltic pump 5 to stop delivering water. This achieves the effect of automatically adjusting the water flow according to the amount of water the animal drinks, thus greatly saving the animal's drinking water.
[0030] Furthermore, a limiting groove 7 is provided on the side of the inner wall of the protective cage. A lifting block 8 is movably fitted inside the limiting groove 7. A water supply pipe 9 is fixedly fitted onto the lifting block 8. The top end of the water supply pipe 9 is connected to a water pump via a hose 10. The lifting of the lifting block 8 is driven by an adjustment mechanism 11. The adjustment mechanism 11 includes a rotary motor 111, which is fixedly installed on the top of the end plate of the protective cage. A threaded rod 112 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the rotary motor 111, and the lifting block 8 is guided and installed on the threaded rod 112. The water pump is a motor push rod or a peristaltic pump 5. To adapt to the drinking needs of animals of different heights, the device is specially equipped with an adjustment mechanism. By starting the rotary motor, the threaded rod drives the lifting block and the water dispenser to move up and down, realizing flexible adjustment of the height of the water dispenser. This design fully considers the diversity of animal body shapes, provides convenient drinking conditions for animals of different heights, significantly improves the versatility and applicability of the water supply device, and enables it to meet the needs of various animal husbandry scenarios.
[0031] Furthermore, guide rails 3 are respectively provided on both sides of the upper end face of the base 1. Universal ball bearings 13 are installed at intervals on the upper end face of the guide rails 3. Guide grooves 12 that cooperate with the guide rails are provided on both sides of the bottom end face of the receiving tray 4. In this structure: guide rails 3 are carefully provided on both sides of the upper end face of the base 1. The two guide rails 3 are symmetrically positioned and precisely sized, providing basic guidance for the smooth pulling of the receiving tray. The receiving tray 4, as a key component for collecting animal excrement, has guide grooves 12 on both sides of its bottom end face, achieving precise guidance and cooperation with the guide rails 3 on the base 1, ensuring the structural stability of the receiving tray 4 during the pulling process. The shape and size of the guide grooves 12 perfectly match the guide rails 3. When the receiving tray 4 is pulled out, the guide grooves 12 can slide smoothly along the guide rails 3, ensuring that the receiving tray 4 will not deviate or jam during movement. To further reduce the friction when the receiving tray 4 is pulled out, making the operation easier and less strenuous, universal ball bearings 13 are installed on the upper end face of the guide rails. These universal ball bearings 13 have excellent rolling performance. When the receiving plate 4 is pulled out, the universal ball bearings 13 cause the contact surface between the guide groove of the receiving plate and the guide rail to roll, transforming sliding friction into rolling friction, which greatly reduces the impact of friction on operation. The operator can easily pull the receiving plate 4 out of the base 1 or push it back with just a little force, which greatly improves work efficiency.
[0032] Furthermore, a ball bearing water head 15 is connected to the end of the water supply pipe 9. The ball bearing water head 15 includes a metal casing 151. The top inlet of the metal casing 151 is connected to the water supply pipe 9, and a removable outlet cap 152 is installed at the bottom outlet of the metal casing 151. An automatically rolling ball bearing 153 is provided inside the metal casing 151, and a gap is formed between the ball bearing 153 and the inner wall of the metal casing 151. An annular flange is provided on the inner side of the outlet cap 152 to prevent the ball bearing 153 from falling off. An annular sealing groove is provided on the inner side of the annular flange, and a silicone sealing ring 153 is embedded in the annular sealing groove to prevent leakage. When the ball bearing water head design is adopted, the ball bearing fits tightly with the internal structure of the water head. When the animal is not drinking, the ball bearing, due to its own weight and the constraint of its internal structure, will fit tightly against the outlet, forming a reliable sealing barrier, thereby preventing water from flowing out. The ball only moves when an animal touches or licks it, causing the outlet to open and allowing water to flow smoothly for the animal to drink. This design cleverly utilizes mechanical principles to achieve precise control over the water flow.
[0033] Alternatively, a water scoop 16 can be connected to the lower part of the water supply pipe 9. The scoop is installed in a suitable position below the water supply pipe, and its capacity and shape are carefully designed. During non-drinking periods, even if a small amount of water flows out of the water supply pipe, it will flow directly into the scoop for storage, preventing overflow into the surrounding environment. When animals drink, they can drink directly from the stored water in the scoop. Furthermore, if the water in the scoop is consumed to a certain level, the water supply pipe will continue to slowly replenish the water, ensuring that the animals always have water to drink. This design not only avoids water waste but also keeps the breeding environment clean and dry.
[0034] Through these two innovative designs, both the ball bearing water dispenser and the water ladle can effectively prevent water from overflowing when not in drinking water mode, providing a more convenient, efficient and environmentally friendly solution for water management in animal husbandry.
[0035] Although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This way of describing the specification is only for clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.
[0036] Therefore, the above description is only a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of this application; that is, all equivalent modifications made in accordance with the scope of the claims of this application shall be within the protection scope of the claims of this application.
Claims
1. An automatic water supply system for animals with sucrose preference, comprising a cage, the cage including a base (1), and baffles (2) installed around the perimeter of the base to form a protective cage, characterized in that: A height-adjustable water supply device is installed on the end plate at one end of the protective cage. The water supply pipe (9) of the water supply device is made of metal. The end plate at the other end of the protective cage has a plug-in structure. A metal fence mesh (14) is laid inside the bottom of the cage. A pull-out receiving plate (4) is set below the metal fence mesh (14). The metal fence mesh (14) is connected to the grounding terminal through a wire and serves as a reference potential reference for the detection circuit. The water supply pipe (9) at the end of the water supply device is connected to the input terminal of the current detection module through a signal line. The output terminal of the current detection module is electrically connected to the ADC pin of the controller (6).
2. The automatic water supply system for animal sugar water preference according to claim 1, characterized in that: The protective cage has a limiting groove (7) on its inner wall. A lifting block (8) is movably sleeved inside the limiting groove (7). A water supply pipe (9) is fixedly sleeved on the lifting block (8). The top end of the water supply pipe (9) is connected to the water pump through a hose (10). The lifting of the lifting block (8) is driven by an adjustment mechanism (11).
3. The automatic water supply system for animal sugar water preference according to claim 2, characterized in that: The water pump is a motor push rod or a peristaltic pump (5).
4. The automatic water supply system for animal sugar water preference according to claim 2, characterized in that: The adjustment mechanism (11) includes a rotary motor (111), which is fixedly installed on the top of the protective cage. A threaded rod (112) is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the rotary motor (111), and a lifting block (8) is guided and installed on the threaded rod (112).
5. The automatic water supply system for animal sugar water preference according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper end face of the base (1) is provided with guide rails (3) on both sides, and the upper end face of the guide rails (3) is provided with spaced universal balls (13). The bottom end face of the receiving plate (4) is provided with guide grooves (12) that cooperate with the guide rails.
6. The automatic water supply system for animal sugar water preference according to claim 1, characterized in that: The end of the water supply pipe (9) is connected to a ball bearing water head (15), or the bottom of the water supply pipe (9) is connected to a water receiving ladle (16) via the water supply pipe.
7. The automatic water supply system for animal sucrose preference according to claim 6, characterized in that: The ball bearing water head (15) includes a metal tube shell (151), the top inlet of the metal tube shell (151) is connected to the water supply pipe (9), the bottom outlet of the metal tube shell (151) is equipped with a detachable outlet cap (152), the metal tube shell (151) is provided with automatically rolling balls (153), and a gap is formed between the balls (153) and the inner wall of the metal tube shell (151). The inner side of the outlet cap (152) is provided with an annular flange to restrict the balls (153) from falling off, and the inner side of the annular flange is provided with an annular sealing groove. A silicone sealing ring (154) is embedded in the annular sealing groove to prevent leakage.