An automatic water supply device for laboratory animals in a low-pressure environment

Abstract

This invention provides an automatic water supply device for laboratory animals in low-pressure environments, comprising a water tank, a level sensor, a water distributor, multiple sealing components, and at least one outlet pipe. The level sensor detects whether the water level in the tank is at a preset height. The water distributor is connected to the tank and has multiple outlet holes. Each sealing component corresponds to one outlet hole and is used to seal the corresponding outlet hole. The outlet pipe is installed inside the outlet hole and allows the sealing component to open the outlet hole; a second solenoid valve is installed on the outlet pipe. This water supply device eliminates the need for manual entry into the low-pressure experimental environment to replenish water and control drinking time, reducing the impact of personnel entering the low-pressure environment on the experimental environment, thus making the animal experimental results more realistic and accurate. By designing the water distributor and multiple sealing components, it can meet the drinking requirements of different experimental environments, improving its applicability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of animal experimental drinking water devices, specifically to an automatic water supply device for experimental animals in a low-pressure environment. Background Technology

[0002] In high-altitude medicine research, using animals in low-pressure environments at high altitudes to study the pathogenesis of altitude sickness is a common experimental method. Currently, the water provided to experimental animals during long-term decompression in low-pressure environments is generally provided by filling plastic water bottles with water and inserting a drinking spout. When the water leaks or runs out, the animals must be lowered from the experimentally set altitude to an altitude suitable for human adaptation to artificially replenish water. This artificial water replenishment method easily leads to repeated altitude changes, making it impossible to accurately establish the experimental model of low-pressure hypoxia and thus affecting the accuracy of experimental results. Furthermore, existing experimental water supply devices are generally designed with only one outlet pipe, which cannot meet the drinking water requirements of different experimental environments. Utility Model Content

[0003] In view of the deficiencies in the prior art, the purpose of this utility model is to provide an automatic water supply device for laboratory animals in a low-pressure environment, so as to solve or at least alleviate one or more of the above-mentioned technical problems or other problems existing in the prior art.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides an automatic water supply device for laboratory animals in a low-pressure environment, comprising a water storage tank with an inlet pipe and a first solenoid valve on the inlet pipe; a level sensor disposed on the water storage tank for detecting whether the water level in the water storage tank is at a preset height; a water distributor connected to the water storage tank and having multiple water outlets; multiple sealing components, each corresponding to one water outlet for sealing the corresponding water outlet; and at least one water outlet pipe installed in the water outlet, which allows the sealing components to open the water outlet, and a second solenoid valve is disposed on the water outlet pipe.

[0005] Preferably, the sealing assembly includes a mounting base, a valve stem, a valve block, and an elastic element; the mounting base is disposed inside the water distributor, the valve stem is movably disposed on the mounting base, the valve block is connected to the valve stem, and the valve block can block or open the water outlet; the elastic element is used to apply elastic force to the valve stem so that the valve block remains in the state of blocking the water outlet; a pin is provided in the port of the water outlet pipe near the water distributor, the pin extends out of the port of the water outlet pipe, and the pin can push open the valve block.

[0006] Preferably, the mounting base has a receiving cavity, the valve stem passes through the receiving cavity, and the valve stem has a flange on its body located in the receiving cavity; the elastic element is a spring, which passes through the valve stem and is located in the receiving cavity, with its two ends abutting against the cavity wall of the receiving cavity and the side of the flange away from the valve block, respectively.

[0007] Preferably, the pin is coaxially arranged inside the port of the water outlet pipe, and the pin is connected to the inner wall of the water outlet pipe through multiple support arms.

[0008] Preferably, the water outlet pipe is threadedly connected to the water outlet hole.

[0009] Preferably, one end of the water outlet pipe is provided with a drinking water pipe, and a ball bearing is provided in the water outlet of the drinking water pipe.

[0010] Preferably, the bottom of the water storage tank is provided with a connecting pipe, and the bottom end of the connecting pipe is connected to the water distributor.

[0011] Preferably, the liquid level sensor is provided with a sensing element, which is attached to the outer wall of the water storage tank.

[0012] Preferably, the sensing element is adhered to the outer wall of the water storage tank.

[0013] Preferably, the sensing element is attached to the outer wall of the water storage tank by cable ties.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0015] This utility model discloses an automatic water supply device for experimental animals in a low-pressure environment. By designing a first solenoid valve, a liquid level sensor, and a second solenoid valve, it can automatically replenish the water tank and control the drinking time of the animals. It eliminates the need for manual entry into the low-pressure experimental environment to replenish water and control the drinking time, reducing the impact on the experimental environment caused by staff entering the low-pressure environment, thereby making the results of animal experiments more realistic and accurate.

[0016] Meanwhile, by designing a water distributor and multiple sealing components within the distributor, the sealing components can block the corresponding water outlet holes, while the water outlet pipes can open the corresponding sealing components to open the water outlet holes. In this way, depending on the experimental needs, several water outlet pipes can be selected for installation to meet the drinking water requirements of different experimental environments, thus improving the applicability. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of this utility model or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. In all the drawings, similar elements or parts are generally identified by similar reference numerals. In the drawings, the elements or parts are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of an automatic water supply device for experimental animals in a low-pressure environment provided in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the water distributor.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the water distributor;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the valve stem and valve block.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the water outlet pipe.

[0023] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the pin structure;

[0024] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of the valve block opened by the pin.

[0025] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the sensor sheet adhered to the water storage tank.

[0026] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the sensor being fixed to the water storage tank by cable ties.

[0027] Figure label:

[0028] 10. Water storage tank; 11. Inlet pipe; 12. First solenoid valve; 13. Connecting pipe; 20. Liquid level sensor; 21. Sensing element; 30. Water distributor; 31. Outlet hole; 40. Sealing assembly; 41. Mounting base; 42. Valve stem; 421. Flange; 43. Valve block; 44. Elastic element; 50. Outlet pipe; 51. Second solenoid valve; 52. Pin; 53. Support arm; 54. Drinking water pipe; 60. Cable tie. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are merely illustrative of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0030] It should be noted that, unless otherwise stated, the technical or scientific terms used in this application shall have the ordinary meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this utility model pertains.

[0031] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model.

[0032] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. In the description of this utility model, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly defined.

[0033] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0034] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature can mean that the first feature is 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" the second feature can mean that the first feature is 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] like Figure 1-9 As shown, in one embodiment of this utility model, an automatic water supply device for laboratory animals in a low-pressure environment is provided, including a water storage tank 10, a liquid level sensor 20, a water distributor 30, multiple sealing components 40, and at least one water outlet pipe 50. See also... Figure 1The top of the water storage tank 10 is equipped with an air vent and a water inlet pipe 11. The air vent is used to balance the pressure inside the water storage tank 10. The water inlet pipe 11 is connected to an external water source (not shown in the attached diagram), and a first solenoid valve 12 is installed on the water inlet pipe 11. A liquid level sensor 20 is fixed on the water storage tank 10 and is used to detect whether the water level in the water storage tank 10 is at a preset height. A water distributor 30 is located below the water storage tank 10 and is connected to the water storage tank 10. The water distributor 30 is equipped with multiple water outlets 31.

[0036] The number of sealing components 40 corresponds to the number of water outlet holes 31, with each sealing component 40 corresponding to one water outlet hole 31. The sealing component 40 is used to seal the corresponding water outlet hole 31. A water outlet pipe 50 is installed inside the water outlet hole 31, allowing the sealing component 40 to open the water outlet hole 31. A second solenoid valve 51 is installed on the water outlet pipe 50. The first solenoid valve 12, the liquid level sensor 20, and the second solenoid valve 51 are respectively connected to a controller (not shown in the attached diagram), which can be a PLC control module. The structure and working principle of the first solenoid valve 12, the liquid level sensor 20, the second solenoid valve 51, and the controller are existing technologies and will not be described further in this embodiment.

[0037] When the level sensor 20 detects that the water level in the water storage tank 10 is lower than the preset height, the level sensor 20 will send a signal to the controller. Subsequently, the controller will control the first solenoid valve 12 to open and supply water to the water storage tank 10 through the water inlet pipe 11 to achieve automatic water replenishment.

[0038] After the water outlet pipe 50 is installed into the water outlet hole 31, the water outlet pipe 50 will cause the corresponding sealing component 40 to open the water outlet hole 31, so that water in the water distributor 30 will flow into the water outlet pipe 50, making it available for the animals to drink. When the controller closes the second solenoid valve 51, the water supply to the outlet end of the water outlet pipe 50 will stop, thus solving the problem of water leakage in the water outlet pipe 50 and also solving the problem of animals drinking water at any time.

[0039] This embodiment discloses an automatic water supply device for experimental animals in a low-pressure environment. By designing a first solenoid valve 12, a liquid level sensor 20, and a second solenoid valve 51, it can automatically replenish water to the water storage tank 10 and control the drinking time of the animals. It eliminates the need for manual entry into the low-pressure experimental environment to replenish water and control the drinking time, reducing the impact on the experimental environment caused by staff entering the low-pressure environment, thereby making the results of animal experiments more realistic and accurate.

[0040] Meanwhile, by designing a water distributor 30 and multiple sealing components 40 within the water distributor 30, the sealing components 40 can block the corresponding water outlet 31, while the water outlet pipe 50 can open the corresponding sealing component 40 water outlet 31. Thus, according to experimental needs, several water outlet pipes 50 can be selected for installation to meet the drinking water requirements of different experimental environments, thereby improving the applicability.

[0041] In one embodiment, the sealing assembly 40 includes a mounting base 41, a valve stem 42, a valve block 43, and an elastic element 44. The mounting base 41 is fixed inside the distributor 30, the valve stem 42 is movably mounted on the mounting base 41, and the valve block 43 is connected to the valve stem 42, which can block or open the outlet hole 31. The elastic element 44 is used to apply elastic force to the valve stem 42 so that the valve block 43 remains in the state of blocking the outlet hole 31. A pin 52 is provided in the port of the outlet pipe 50 near the distributor 30, the pin 52 extends out of the port of the outlet pipe 50, and the pin 52 can push open the valve block 43.

[0042] Specifically, the outlet pipe 50 is threadedly connected to the outlet hole 31, and the pin 52 is coaxially arranged inside the port of the outlet pipe 50. The pin 52 is connected to the inner wall of the outlet pipe 50 through multiple supports 53. The mounting base 41 has a receiving cavity, through which the valve stem 42 passes. The valve stem 42 has a flange 421 on its body inside the receiving cavity. The elastic element 44 is a compression spring, which passes through the valve stem 42 and is located inside the receiving cavity. The two ends of the elastic element 44 abut against the cavity wall and the side of the flange 421 opposite to the valve block 43, respectively.

[0043] During the process of screwing the outlet pipe 50 into the outlet hole 31, the pin 52 gradually pushes against the valve block 43, which in turn gradually opens the outlet hole 31, allowing water in the distributor 30 to flow into the outlet pipe 50 through the gap between the valve block 43 and the outlet hole 31. As the valve block 43 moves, it drives the valve stem 42, and the flange 421 on the valve stem 42 further compresses the elastic element 44. After the experiment, during the process of screwing the outlet pipe 50 out of the outlet hole 31, the elastic element 44 gradually pushes the flange 421, causing the valve stem 42 to drive the valve block 43 to re-seal the outlet hole 31.

[0044] The structural design of the sealing assembly 40 is not only convenient to operate, but also simple in structure and low in cost. Of course, in order to improve the sealing effect of the valve block 43 on the outlet hole 31, a sealing gasket can be installed on the side of the valve block 43 facing the outlet hole 31. At the same time, since the outlet pipe 50 is connected to the outlet hole 31 by threads, in order to improve the sealing effect, PTFE tape can be wrapped around the threaded part of the outlet pipe 50.

[0045] Furthermore, water will not flow out of any outlet hole 31 unless the outlet pipe 50 is installed. If a solenoid valve is used to control the opening and closing of the outlet holes 31, a solenoid valve needs to be installed in each outlet hole 31, which increases the cost of the entire device. However, this water supply device only installs the second solenoid valve 51 on the outlet pipe 50, and the outlet pipe 50 needs to be used according to specific experiments, so it is not necessary to manufacture multiple outlet pipes 50 at once. Moreover, the sealing component 40 can effectively block the outlet holes 31, and the overall structure of the sealing component 40 is relatively simple and the cost is low. Therefore, this water supply device uses multiple sealing components 40 to block the outlet holes 31.

[0046] In one embodiment, to make the water supply device suitable for rodents to drink, one end of the water outlet pipe 50 is provided with a drinking pipe 54 (stainless steel pipe), and the outlet of the drinking pipe 54 is provided with a ball bearing (stainless steel ball).

[0047] In one embodiment, the bottom of the water storage tank 10 is provided with a connecting pipe 13, and the bottom end of the connecting pipe 13 is connected to the water distributor 30. By reasonably designing the length of the connecting pipe 13, the height positions of the water distributor 30 and the outlet pipe 50 can be reasonably arranged.

[0048] In one embodiment, the level sensor 20 includes a sensing element 21, which is attached to the outer wall of the water storage tank 10. The level sensor 20 is a non-contact type, which is low-cost, easy to install, and does not affect the water inside the water storage tank 10. Naturally, since the level sensor 20 is non-contact, the water storage tank 10 can be made of non-metallic materials, preferably plastic.

[0049] The sensing element 21 is arranged on the outer wall of the water storage tank 10, allowing the level sensor 20 to detect the preset minimum water level of the tank 10 without contacting the water inside. The sensor then feeds the signal back to the controller, which in turn controls the first solenoid valve 12 to open, supplying water to the tank 10 through the inlet pipe 11, thus achieving automatic water replenishment. The level sensor 20 is existing technology and will not be described further in this embodiment.

[0050] In one embodiment, the sensor 21 is adhered to the outer wall of the water tank 10 by adhesive or tape.

[0051] In one embodiment, the sensor 21 is attached to the outer wall of the water tank 10 by cable ties 60.

[0052] Numerous specific details are set forth in this specification. However, it will be understood that embodiments of this invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures, and techniques have not been shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this specification.

[0053] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this utility model, and not to limit it. Although the utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, and they should all be covered within the scope of the claims and specification of this utility model.

Claims

1. An automatic water supply device for experimental animals in a low-pressure environment, characterized in that, include: A water storage tank (10) is provided with a water inlet pipe (11), and a first solenoid valve (12) is provided on the water inlet pipe (11); A liquid level sensor (20) is installed on the water storage tank (10). The liquid level sensor (20) is used to detect whether the water level in the water storage tank (10) is at a preset height. The water distributor (30) is connected to the water storage tank (10), and the water distributor (30) is provided with multiple water outlets (31); Multiple sealing components (40), each sealing component (40) corresponding to one water outlet (31), the sealing component (40) being used to block the corresponding water outlet (31); as well as At least one water outlet pipe (50) is installed in the water outlet hole (31). The water outlet pipe (50) can enable the sealing assembly (40) to open the water outlet hole (31). A second solenoid valve (51) is provided on the water outlet pipe (50).

2. The automatic water supply device for low-pressure environment experimental animals according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sealing assembly (40) includes a mounting base (41), a valve stem (42), a valve block (43), and an elastic element (44); The mounting base (41) is located inside the water distributor (30), the valve stem (42) is movably mounted on the mounting base (41), the valve block (43) is connected to the valve stem (42), and the valve block (43) can block or open the water outlet (31); the elastic element (44) is used to apply elastic force to the valve stem (42) so that the valve block (43) remains in the state of blocking the water outlet (31); A pin (52) is provided in the port of the water outlet pipe (50) near the water distributor (30). The pin (52) extends out of the port of the water outlet pipe (50) and can push open the valve block (43).

3. The automatic water supply device for low-pressure environment experimental animals according to claim 2, characterized in that, The mounting base (41) has a receiving cavity, the valve stem (42) passes through the receiving cavity, and the valve stem (42) has a flange (421) on the rod body located in the receiving cavity; The elastic element (44) is a spring. The elastic element (44) passes through the valve stem (42) and is located in the receiving cavity. The two ends of the elastic element (44) abut against the cavity wall of the receiving cavity and the side of the flange (421) away from the valve block (43), respectively.

4. The automatic water supply device for low-pressure environment experimental animals according to claim 2, characterized in that, The pin (52) is coaxially arranged inside the port of the water outlet pipe (50), and the pin (52) is connected to the inner wall of the water outlet pipe (50) through multiple support arms (53).

5. The automatic water supply device for low-pressure environment experimental animals according to any one of claims 1, 2, or 4, characterized in that, The water outlet pipe (50) is threadedly connected to the water outlet hole (31).

6. The automatic water supply device for low-pressure environment experimental animals according to claim 1, characterized in that, One end of the water outlet pipe (50) is provided with a drinking water pipe (54), and a ball bearing is provided in the water outlet of the drinking water pipe (54).

7. The automatic water supply device for low-pressure environment experimental animals according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the water storage tank (10) is provided with a connecting pipe (13), and the bottom end of the connecting pipe (13) is connected to the water distributor (30).

8. The automatic water supply device for low-pressure environment experimental animals according to claim 1, characterized in that, The liquid level sensor (20) is provided with a sensing element (21), which is attached to the outer wall of the water storage tank (10).

9. The automatic water supply device for experimental animals in a low-pressure environment according to claim 8, characterized in that, The sensor (21) is adhered to the outer wall of the water storage tank (10).

10. The automatic water supply device for experimental animals in a low-pressure environment according to claim 8, characterized in that, The sensor (21) is attached to the outer wall of the water tank (10) by a cable tie (60).

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