Collection box and its usage
By using a sliding strip and hot-melt cutting material in the design of the pet toilet, the collection bag can be automatically closed and cut, solving the problem of garbage bags not being able to be closed in time in the pet toilet, improving the user experience and preventing the spread of odors.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- XIAOPEI NETWORK TECH (SHANGHAI) CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2023-10-26
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-29
AI Technical Summary
Existing pet toilets cannot seal the garbage bags in a timely manner, resulting in the spread of odors, a poor user experience, and incomplete sealing.
A collection bin incorporating a sliding strip and a hot-melt cutting material was designed. The sliding strip brings the collection bag into contact with the hot-melt cutting material, enabling automatic sealing and cutting, thus ensuring a reliable seal for the garbage bag.
It enables automatic sealing and cutting of garbage bags, avoiding direct contact between users and garbage bags, improving the user experience and effectively preventing the spread of odors.
Smart Images

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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application claims the priority of a Chinese patent application with an application date of March 31, 2023 and an application number of 202310334540.2, and all the contents of the said application are incorporated herein by reference.
[0002] This application relates to the technical field of pet toilets, for example, to collection boxes for feces and their usage methods.
Background Art
[0003] In related technologies, since the pet toilet is directly connected to the outside and pet feces cannot be removed in a timely manner, the odor will spread. In related technologies, after a pet uses the toilet, a vibrating device or a stirring device is used to separate the bedding material or cat litter mixed with pet feces and discharge it into a garbage bag, and then the garbage bag is closed to reduce the spread of the odor, providing a pet toilet that can timely process feces. However, for the device according to related technologies, every time a pet finishes using the toilet, the user has to face the garbage bag and manually seal it, resulting in a poor user experience during the usage process. Moreover, the closure of the garbage bag after manual sealing by the user is not sufficient, and still a small amount of odor leaks out.
Summary of the Invention
[0004] This application provides a collection box for feces and its usage method that can solve the problem in related pet toilets of not being able to timely seal the garbage bag.
[0005] The present invention provides a collection box for collecting pet feces, comprising a housing, a packaging assembly, and a collection bag, wherein the housing is provided with an opening, the packaging assembly comprises a first slide bar, a second slide bar, and a heat-melt cutting material, the first and second slide bars are set at a predetermined angle, the first and second slide bars are slidably mounted on the housing, the first and second slide bars can slide simultaneously toward the heat-melt cutting material or simultaneously away from the heat-melt cutting material, the heat-melt cutting material is fixedly connected to the housing, the collection bag passes through the opening and is connected to the housing, the collection bag can be brought into contact with the first slide bar, the second slide bar, and the heat-melt cutting material, and the heat-melt cutting material is arranged to seal and cut the collection bag.
[0006] The present invention further provides a method for using a waste collection box applicable to any of the above embodiments of a waste collection box, comprising driving the packaging assembly to a sealing position and heating a heat-melt cutting material to seal and cut the collection bag. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0007] [Figure 1] This is a side cross-sectional view of a waste collection box according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a packaging assembly in a standby state according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram of the sealed state of a packaging assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a waste collection box according to one embodiment of the present invention, where the casing is concealed and the sealing assembly is in an open state. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a sealed assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention in a closed state. [Figure 6] This is a side cross-sectional view of a sealed assembly according to one embodiment of the present application in a closed state. [Figure 7]This is a schematic diagram showing the structure of an open state of the sealing assembly of a waste collection box according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This is a cross-sectional view of section AA in Figure 7. [Figure 9] This is a cross-sectional view of the BB portion in Figure 7. [Figure 10] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a sealed assembly of a waste collection box according to one embodiment of the present invention in a closed state. [Figure 11] This is a cross-sectional view of the CC portion in Figure 10. [Figure 12] This is a flowchart illustrating the method of using a waste collection box according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] This is a flowchart illustrating the method of using a packaging assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] This is another flowchart showing the method of using a waste collection box according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0008] 11...Left side sealing section, 111...Left side drive block, 112...Left side rotating shaft, 113...Sealing strip, 114...First magnet, 12...Left side detection member, 21...Right side sealing section, 211...Right side drive block, 212...Right side rotating shaft, 22...Right side detection member, 31... Drive unit, 311... Drive gear shaft, 32... Intermediate gear, 33... Output shaft, 34... Third pulley, 41...Third synchronous belt, 42...Third guide support shaft, 51... Enclosure, 52... Collection box, 53... Negative pressure device, 6. Collection bag, 71...Open position sensor, 72...Closed position sensor, 73...Sealed position sensor, 74...Standby position sensor, 81...Packaging motor, 811...Motor box, 821...First pulley box, 822...First synchronous belt, 823...First guide support shaft, 831...Second pulley box, 832...Second synchronous belt, 833...Second guide support shaft, 84...First slide bar, 841...First drive block, 842...Second magnet, 85...Second slide bar, 851...Second drive block, 9. Heat-melt cutting material. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0009] Furthermore, in the description of this application, the directions or positional relationships indicated by terms such as "center," "up," "down," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inside," and "outside" are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings and are merely for the purpose of facilitating and simplifying the description of this application. They do not indicate or imply that such a device or element necessarily has a specific direction, or that it must be configured and operated in a specific direction, and therefore should not be understood as limiting this application. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. Of these, the terms "first position" and "second position" refer to two different positions, and furthermore, the fact that the first feature is "above," "above," and "on the top surface" of the second feature includes the first feature being directly above and diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the horizontal height of the first feature is higher than that of the second feature. The first feature being "below," "below," and "on the bottom surface" of the second feature includes the first feature being directly below and diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the horizontal height of the first feature is less than that of the second feature.
[0010] In this description, unless otherwise specified and limited, the terms "attach," "connect," and "connect" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to fixed connections, removable connections, integral connections, mechanical connections, electrical connections, direct connections, indirect connections via an intermediate medium, or internal communication between two elements. A person skilled in the art will be able to understand the specific meaning of these terms in this application depending on the specific circumstances.
[0011] The embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below. The examples of the embodiments are shown in the drawings, and the same or similar reference numerals represent the same or similar elements, or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the drawings are illustrative and are for interpretation purposes only, and should not be understood as limiting the present application.
[0012] In related technologies, pet toilets are directly connected to the outside, and pet feces cannot be removed in a timely manner, resulting in the spread of odor. Related technologies provide a pet toilet that can process feces in a timely manner by separating the bedding or cat litter mixed with pet feces using a vibrating or stirring device after the pet has finished using the toilet, discharging it into a garbage bag, and closing the garbage bag to reduce the spread of odor. However, with the devices related to related technologies, the user has to face the garbage bag and manually seal it each time the pet finishes using the toilet, resulting in a poor user experience during use, and the seal of the garbage bag after manual sealing by the user is not sufficient, so a small amount of odor still leaks out.
[0013] In contrast, this embodiment provides a waste collection box that allows the collection bag to be closed in a similar manner and simultaneously solves the above-mentioned problem.
[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, in the present application, there is provided a feces collection box provided to collect pet feces, the feces collection box including a housing 51, a packaging assembly, and a collection bag 6. An opening is provided in the housing 51. The packaging assembly includes a first slide bar 84, a second slide bar 85, and a heat melting cutting material 9. The first slide bar 84 and the second slide bar 85 are installed at an angle. The first slide bar 84 and the second slide bar 85 are each slidably provided on the housing 51. The first slide bar 84 and the second slide bar 85 can each slide simultaneously towards the heat melting cutting material 9 or away from the heat melting cutting material 9. The heat melting cutting material 9 is fixedly connected to the housing 51. The collection bag 6 passes through the opening and is connected to the housing 51. The collection bag 6 can be abutted by the first slide bar 84, the second slide bar 85, and the heat melting cutting material 9. The heat melting cutting material 9 is configured to be able to seal and cut the collection bag 6.
[0015] In one embodiment, in the process that the first slide bar 84 and the second slide bar 85 slide simultaneously towards the heat melting cutting material 9 until the collection bag 6 is pressed against the heat melting cutting material 9, the collection bag 6 is gradually contracted. The heat melting cutting material 9 heats the collection bag 6. Under the action of pressure, the collection bag 6 is heat melted to achieve sealing, avoiding the spread of strange smells at the same time. At the same time, the heat melting cutting material 9 cuts the collection bag 6 after sealing and separates it from the new collection bag 6. In this way, reliable sealing of the collection bag 6 is guaranteed. The user does not need to perform a sealing operation facing the garbage bag, improving the use experience and at the same time avoiding the problem of odor escape due to poor closing.
[0016] In one embodiment, the thermal fusion cutting material 9 includes a heating element and a cutting element. The heating element heats the collection bag 6 to achieve a thermal fusion seal on the collection bag 6 under the action of pressure. The cutting element cuts the collection bag 6 after the thermal fusion seal and drops the sealed collection bag 6. The heating element and the cutting element in this embodiment may be provided integrally. For example, the cutting element is provided along the longitudinal direction of the heating element, and the cutting element is provided at the middle position of the heating element. The cutting element is provided with a tip or a cutting edge. During the process of thermal fusion of the collection bag 6 by the heating element, stress concentrates on the tip or the cutting edge of the cutting element, and the collection bag 6 after being thermally fused is separated by the action of the cutting element.
[0017] In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 3, the packaging assembly further includes a packaging motor 81, a first pulley, a first synchronous belt 822, a second pulley, and a second synchronous belt 832. The packaging motor 81 is fixedly connected to the housing 51. The first pulley and the second pulley are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the motor shaft of the packaging motor 81 and are respectively fixedly connected to the motor shaft of the packaging motor 81. The first synchronous belt 822 is engaged with the first pulley, and the second synchronous belt 832 is engaged with the second pulley. The first synchronous belt 822 and the second synchronous belt 832 are installed at an angle. In this embodiment, the first synchronous belt 822 and the second synchronous belt 832 are perpendicular to each other. The first synchronous belt 822 is driven by the first pulley, and the second synchronous belt 832 is driven by the second pulley. One end of the first synchronous belt 822 and the second synchronous belt 832 away from the packaging motor 81 is similarly connected to the first pulley and the second pulley so that the first synchronous belt 822 and the second synchronous belt 832 can operate reliably. The first slide bar 84 and the second slide bar 85 are respectively传动连接 to the first synchronous belt 822 and the second synchronous belt 832.
[0018] In one embodiment, a first drive block 841 is provided on the first slide bar 84, and a second drive block 851 is provided on the second slide bar 85. The first drive block 841 is fixedly connected to the first synchronous belt 822, and the second drive block 851 is fixedly connected to the second synchronous belt 832. In one embodiment, the first drive block 841 engages with the first synchronous belt 822, and the second drive block 851 engages with the second synchronous belt 832.
[0019] In this embodiment, the fused-to-sheet material 9 is provided at one of the corners of the opening, and the packaging motor 81 is provided at the corner corresponding to the fused-to-sheet material 9 in the housing 51, and the packaging motor 81 is positioned along the vertical direction. Therefore, the first pulley and the second pulley are similarly positioned along the vertical direction, and the axial direction of the first pulley and the axial direction of the second pulley are horizontal, and the belt teeth of the corresponding first synchronous belt 822 and second synchronous belt 832 are provided along the horizontal direction. To ensure that the first slide bar 84 and the second slide bar 85 can move simultaneously toward and away from the fused-to-sheet material 9, in this embodiment, the first drive block 841 of the first slide bar 84 is fixedly connected to the side of the first synchronous belt 822 closer to the collection bag 6, and the second drive block 851 of the second slide bar 85 is fixedly connected to the side of the second synchronous belt 832 further away from the collection bag 6. Using the viewpoint in Figure 2 as an example, the packaging motor 81 rotates clockwise, in conjunction with the first and second pulleys to rotate clockwise, and further in conjunction with the first synchronous belt 822 and the second synchronous belt 832 to rotate clockwise. The side of the first synchronous belt 822 closer to the collection bag 6 moves toward the heat-melt cutting material 9, and the side of the second synchronous belt 832 further away from the collection bag 6 moves toward the heat-melt cutting material 9. As a result, the first slide bar 84 and the second slide bar 85 can move toward the heat-melt cutting material 9 simultaneously. From the viewpoint in Figure 2, the packaging motor 81 can rotate counterclockwise, which allows the first slide bar 84 and the second slide bar 85 to move toward the heat-melt cutting material 9 simultaneously. In other embodiments, the first drive block 841 of the first slide bar 84 is fixedly connected to the side of the first synchronous belt 822 away from the collection bag 6, and the second drive block 851 of the second slide bar 85 is fixedly connected to the side of the second synchronous belt 832 closer to the collection bag 6. Furthermore, the rotation direction of the packaging motor 81 can be adjusted accordingly, thereby enabling the first slide bar 84 and the second slide bar 85 to move simultaneously toward and away from the heat-melt-cut material 9. The relevant implementation principles have already been explained in detail in the preceding paragraph, and since the principles of the two are the same, they will not be explained again here.
[0020] In one embodiment, the packaging assembly further comprises a motor box 811, a first pulley box 821, and a second pulley box 831. The packaging motor 81, and the first and second pulleys fixed to the motor shaft, are each housed within the motor box 811, and the first ends of the first synchronous belt 822 and the first ends of the second synchronous belt 832 pass through the motor box 811. The first pulley at the second end of the first synchronous belt 822 is housed within the first pulley box 821, and the second end of the first synchronous belt 822 passes through the first pulley box 821. The second pulley at the second end of the second synchronous belt 832 is housed within the second pulley box 831, and the second end of the second synchronous belt 832 passes through the second pulley box 831. To ensure the motion accuracy of the first slide bar 84 and the second slide bar 85, a first guide support shaft 823 is fixedly connected between the motor box 811 and the first pulley box 821, and a second guide support shaft 833 is fixedly connected between the motor box 811 and the second pulley box 831. The first drive block 841 is fitted onto the first guide support shaft 823 and slidably connected to the first guide support shaft 823, and the second drive block 851 is fitted onto the second guide support shaft 833 and slidably connected to the second guide support shaft 833. The first guide support shaft 823 is parallel to the direction of motion of the first drive block 841, and the second guide support shaft 833 is parallel to the direction of motion of the second drive block 851.
[0021] In one embodiment, to ensure transmission accuracy, the first slide bar 84 and the second slide bar 85 are mounted perpendicular to each other. The first synchronous belt 822 and the first slide bar 84 are mounted perpendicular to each other, and the second synchronous belt 832 and the second slide bar 85 are mounted perpendicular to each other. The first drive block 841 is mounted at the first end of the first slide bar 84 and slidably connected to the first guide support shaft 823, and the second drive block 851 is mounted at the first end of the second slide bar 85 and slidably connected to the second guide support shaft 833. Since the first guide support shaft 823 already adequately supports the first drive block 841 and the first slide bar 84, the second end of the first slide bar 84 that is not mounted on the first drive block 841 may be suspended in mid-air, or it may be slidably connected to the housing 51 to further enhance support, and those skilled in the art can choose as needed, and the specific structure is not limited here. Since the second guide support shaft 833 already sufficiently supports the second drive block 851 and the second slide bar 85, the second end of the second slide bar 85 that is not connected to the second drive block 851 may be suspended in mid-air, or it may be slidably connected to the housing 51 to further strengthen the support, and the specific structure is not limited here.
[0022] In one embodiment, when the first slide bar 84 and the second slide bar 85 move simultaneously toward and away from the heat-melt-cut material 9, the first slide bar 84 and the second slide bar 85 are driven by the first pulley and the second pulley, respectively, and the rotational speeds of the first pulley and the second pulley are the same. Considering the problem that the stroke lengths of the first slide bar 84 and the second slide bar 85 do not match, and in order to ensure that the first slide bar 84 and the second slide bar 85 can simultaneously contact the heat-melt-cut material 9, the number of teeth of the first pulley and the second pulley can be determined according to the strokes of the first slide bar 84 and the second slide bar 85. For ease of understanding, specific numerical values are introduced in this embodiment for analysis, but these specific numerical values should not be considered as limitations. If the stroke of the second slide bar 85 is twice the stroke of the first slide bar 84, and the stroke of the first slide bar 84 is a, then the stroke of the second slide bar 85 is 2a. Since the first pulley and the second pulley are fixedly connected to the motor shaft, their rotational speeds are equal. The gear teeth of the first pulley mesh with the first synchronous belt 822, and the gear teeth of the second pulley mesh with the second synchronous belt 832. Therefore, the number of teeth on the second pulley is twice the number of teeth on the first pulley. Thus, assuming that the number of teeth on the first synchronous belt 822 and the second synchronous belt 832 are the same, it is possible to rotate the motor shaft by a preset angle and achieve a travel distance of twice that of the first synchronous belt 822. This ensures that the first slide bar 84 and the second slide bar 85 can simultaneously contact the heat-melt cutting material 9 even if they have different strokes.
[0023] In one embodiment, the waste collection box further comprises a collection box 52 located below the housing 51 and detachably connected to the housing 51. The inner wall of the collection box 52, the bottom wall of the housing 51, and the outer bottom wall of the collection bag 6 all form a negative pressure space. A negative pressure device 53 is fixedly connected to the collection box 52 and is configured to apply negative pressure to the negative pressure space. After the heat-melt cutting material 9 performs heat-melt cutting on the collection bag 6, the collection bag 6 is heat-melted and closed at the position of the heat-melt cutting material 9. After cutting, a portion of the heat-melted and closed collection bag 6 falls off as a result of the cutting, and the other portion of the heat-melted and closed collection bag 6 becomes the bottom of a new collection bag 6. After the negative pressure device 53 applies negative pressure, the new collection bag 6 expands toward the inner wall of the collection box 52 due to the action of atmospheric pressure, thereby completing the placement of the new collection bag 6. In this embodiment, the negative pressure device 53 is a fan, and the direction of airflow from the fan is directed outwards from the collection box 52.
[0024] In one embodiment, the housing 51 is provided with a sealing position sensor 73 and a standby position sensor 74. The packaging assembly has a sealed state and a standby state. When the packaging assembly is in the sealed state, the collection bag 6 is in contact with the first slide bar 84, the second slide bar 85 and the heat-melt cutting material 9, and at least a portion of the first slide bar 84 overlaps with the sealing position sensor 73. When the packaging assembly is in the standby state, at least a portion of the first slide bar 84 overlaps with the standby position sensor 74.
[0025] In one embodiment, the sealing position sensor 73 and the standby position sensor 74 in this embodiment may be a Hall sensor, a proximity switch, or an infrared sensor, respectively. In this embodiment, the sealing position sensor 73 and the standby position sensor 74 are Hall position sensors. In other embodiments, the open position sensor 71 and the closed position sensor 72 may be set to different types of sensors, for example, the open position sensor 71 may be set to a Hall sensor and the closed position sensor 72 to a proximity switch, and specific permutations will not be comprehensively listed here. In this embodiment, in order to further improve the sensitivity of the sealing position Hall sensor and the standby position Hall sensor, a second magnet 842 is provided on the first slide bar 84. When the packaging assembly is in the sealed state, the second magnet 842 is located above the sealing position Hall sensor. When the packaging assembly is in the standby state, the second magnet 842 is located above the standby position Hall sensor. The sealing position Hall sensor and the standby position Hall sensor are each communicateable to a processor, which is fixedly connected to the housing 51.
[0026] In one embodiment, the collection box 52 may further be provided with a detection sensor and a display device, the detection sensor being communicatively connected to a processor. After the cut collection bag 6 falls into the collection box 52, the detection sensor detects that the collection bag 6 has fallen. If the cut collection bag 6 is not removed from the collection box 52, the new collection bag 6 may not be able to be deployed, or the deployment effect may not be desirable. The detection sensor may be used to determine whether or not there is a collection bag 6 that has not been removed from the collection box 52, and after confirming that there is no collection bag 6 that has not been removed from the collection box 52, the negative pressure device 53 may be turned on to deploy the new collection bag 6. The detection sensor may be any type of sensor with a detection function, such as an infrared sensor, proximity switch, acceleration sensor, or weight sensor. The detection sensor may be installed at any position in the collection box 52 according to its function and detection principle, and at the same time, multiple detection sensors may be installed according to the actual needs to enhance the accuracy of detection. For example, if weight sensors are used, multiple weight sensors may be equally spaced at the bottom of the collection box 52. If one or more of these weight sensors detect that the range of weight change has reached a preset value, it indicates that the collection bag 6 has already fallen into the collection box 52. At this time, the processor controls a display device, which is connected to it, to prompt the user to remove the collection bag 6 in a timely manner. The user may remove the collection box 52, take out the packaged collection bag 6 from the collection box 52, and then reconnect the collection box 52 to the housing 51. To facilitate operation, a fastener may be used between the collection box 52 and the housing 51 to create a removable connection. The display device may consist of a warning light and / or a horn, and the processor can be used to control the display device, which will not be described again here. After the detection sensor detects that the collection bag 6 has been removed, the processor controls the fan to exhaust air, and a new collection bag 6 is drawn in and unfolded by the force of atmospheric pressure.
[0027] In this embodiment, the processor may be a centralized or distributed controller. For example, the processor may be a single microcontroller or may consist of multiple distributed microcontrollers. By running a control program on the microcontrollers, multiple components can be controlled to realize a function.
[0028] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 4 to 11, the collection box further comprises a sealing assembly and a detection unit, the sealing assembly comprising a left sealing portion 11 and a right sealing portion 21, at least one of the left sealing portion 11 and the right sealing portion 21 being slidable relative to the housing 51, the left sealing portion 11 being configured to close with the right sealing portion 21, the collection bag 6 being connected to the housing 51, the outer wall of the collection bag 6 being able to be contacted by the sealing assembly, the detection unit being rotatably mounted on at least one of the left sealing portion 11 and the right sealing portion 21, the detection unit being rotatable toward the bottom wall of the collection bag 6, and when the collection bag 6 is full, the detection unit being able to contact the pet feces. After the left sealing section 11 contacts the right sealing section 21, the collection bag 6 is sealed by the sealing assembly, preventing the spread of odors. During the sealing process of the collection bag 6 by the sealing assembly, the detection unit can determine whether or not it is full. If it is not full, the detection unit can rotate normally toward the bottom wall of the collection bag 6 until it is sealed. When it is full, the detection unit is unable to rotate toward the bottom wall of the collection bag 6 or its rotation is inhibited, allowing the user to replace the collection bag 6. This saves collection bags 6, reduces the frequency of cleaning by the user, and prevents the spread of odors. After it is detected that the collection bag 6 is full, the packaging assembly heat-seals and cuts the full collection bag 6, unfolding a new collection bag 6 and reducing user operation.
[0029] In one embodiment, the left sealing portion 11 and the right sealing portion 21 can be moved closer or further apart relative to each other. The detection unit is rotatably mounted on at least one of the left sealing portion 11 and the right sealing portion 21, and in this embodiment, the detection unit is rotatably mounted on each of the left sealing portion 11 and the right sealing portion 21. The detection unit comprises a left rotating shaft 112, a left detection member 12, a right rotating shaft 212, and a right detection member 22. The left detection member 12 is rotatably connected to the left sealing portion 11 via the left rotating shaft 112, and the right detection member 22 is rotatably connected to the right sealing portion 21 via the right rotating shaft 212. In the process of the left sealing portion 11 and the right sealing portion 21 moving closer to each other, the left detection member 12 and the right detection member 22 slide against the housing 51 and their lengths extending from the housing 51 increase. As the left sealing portion 11 and the right sealing portion 21 move apart relative to each other, the left detection member 12 and the right detection member 22 slide against the housing 51 and the length extending from the housing 51 decreases. Position regulating members are provided on the left sealing portion 11 and the right sealing portion 21 to prevent them from exceeding the closed position during the process of moving closer together. In other embodiments, position regulating members may be provided to restrict the position of parts according to the actual process, and the specific structure is not specifically limited here.
[0030] In one embodiment, when the left sealing portion 11 and the right sealing portion 21 are relatively close together, the left detection member 12 and the right detection member 22 can each rotate toward the bottom wall of the collection bag 6. When the left sealing portion 11 and the right sealing portion 21 are relatively close together, the length of the left detection member 12 and the right detection member 22 extending from the housing 51 increases, so the left detection member 12 and the right detection member 22 may rotate toward the bottom wall of the collection bag 6 due to their own gravitational action or the addition of a torsional spring on the axis of rotation. When the left sealing portion 11 and the right sealing portion 21 are relatively far apart, the length of the left detection member 12 and the right detection member 22 extending from the housing 51 decreases, and the left detection member 12 and the right detection member 22 rotate toward the opposite direction from the bottom wall of the collection bag 6 due to the reaction force of the housing 51.
[0031] In one embodiment, when the collection box is not full, the left detection member 12 and the right detection member 22 can rotate normally toward the bottom wall of the collection bag 6, the left sealing part 11 and the right sealing part 21 can close normally, and the closed position is located at an intermediate position between the two. In actual use, when the collection box is full, the accumulation height of pet feces at different positions in the collection bag 6 is uneven, so the rotation of one of the left detection member 12 and the right detection member 22 toward the bottom wall of the collection bag 6 may be hindered, while the other may be able to rotate normally. In this case, one of the left sealing part 11 and the right sealing part 21 may be unable to move any further or its movement speed may be slowed, while the other may be able to move normally. By setting the position regulating members in the left sealing part 11 and the right sealing part 21, it is possible to ensure that when the above situation occurs, the left sealing part 11 or the right sealing part 21 will reach the closed position first and then stop without exceeding the closed position. This makes it easier to determine when the container is full, and at the same time, it helps avoid sealing problems and prevents the spread of unpleasant odors.
[0032] In one embodiment, when collection is performed using collection bags 6 of different specifications, there is a certain difference in the height of the excrement that can be contained inside the collection bag 6. In order to effectively detect whether or not the bag is full, the left detection member 12 and the right detection member 22 may be set to different lengths. If the height of the excrement that can be contained inside the collection bag 6 is high, the lengths of the left detection member 12 and the right detection member 22 may be reduced in order to maximize the use of the space inside the collection bag 6. Conversely, if the height of the excrement that can be contained inside the collection bag 6 is low, the lengths of the left detection member 12 and the right detection member 22 may be increased in order to avoid the collection bag 6 not being able to be properly sealed and packaged.
[0033] In one embodiment, the left-side sealing section 11 and the right-side sealing section 21 are driven by a drive transmission assembly. The drive transmission assembly is fixedly mounted on the housing 51. The drive transmission assembly comprises a drive unit 31, an intermediate gear 32, and a transmission unit. The drive unit 31 is fixedly connected to the housing 51 and may be a servo motor or a stepping motor; in other embodiments, it may be a servo motor. The drive unit 31 is provided with a drive gear shaft 311, which meshes with the intermediate gear 32, and the intermediate gear 32 is fitted onto an output shaft 33. In one embodiment, the connection between the intermediate gear 32 and the output shaft 33 is a key connection, and the output shaft 33 is rotatably connected to the housing 51. A transmission unit is transmitted to at least one end of the output shaft 33.
[0034] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the transmission unit comprises a third pulley 34 and a third synchronous belt 41, the third pulley 34 being fitted onto an output shaft 33. In one embodiment, the connection between the third pulley 34 and the output shaft 33 is a key connection. The third synchronous belt 41 meshes with the third pulley 34. A left drive block 111 is provided at the end of the left sealing portion 11, and a right drive block 211 is provided at the end of the right sealing portion 21. The left drive block 111 and the right drive block 211 are fixedly connected to the third synchronous belt 41. In order to allow the left sealing portion 11 and the right sealing portion 21 to be relatively close or relatively far apart, in this embodiment, the left drive block 111 is fixedly connected above the third synchronous belt 41, and at the same time, the right drive block 211 is fixedly connected below the third synchronous belt 41. As the third synchronous belt 41 rotates clockwise, the left drive block 111 and the right drive block 211 move closer together or further apart, causing the left sealing section 11 and the right sealing section 21 to move closer together or further apart. As the third synchronous belt 41 rotates counterclockwise, the left drive block 111 and the right drive block 211 move further apart or closer together, causing the left sealing section 11 and the right sealing section 21 to move further apart or closer together.
[0035] In other embodiments of the present invention, the left drive block 111 may be fixedly connected below the third synchronous belt 41, and the right drive block 211 may be fixedly connected above the third synchronous belt 41. Similarly, it is possible for the left drive block 111 and the right drive block 211 to be relatively close or relatively far apart. The specific implementation principles have been explained in relatively detail in the preceding paragraph and will not be explained again here.
[0036] In one embodiment, in order to achieve a better connection effect, the left drive block 111 and the right drive block 211 are each provided with an occlusal portion and a position regulating portion, and the occlusal portion and the position regulating portion are fixedly connected. The occlusal portion is provided with occlusal teeth, which occlude with the belt teeth of the third synchronous belt 41, and the occlusal portion is guided to move by the belt teeth of the third synchronous belt 41. The position regulating portion is provided on the outside of the third synchronous belt 41 and is configured to prevent jumping during the transmission process of the third synchronous belt 41. By setting the position regulating portion, the problem of the belt teeth and the occlusal portion separating due to jumping during the transmission process of the third synchronous belt 41 and leading to transmission failure is avoided.
[0037] In one embodiment, in order to avoid relative displacement between the left drive block 111 and the right drive block 211 during the process of moving closer to or further apart from each other, the transmission unit further includes a third guide support shaft 42 fixed to the housing 51. The third guide support shaft 42 is provided parallel to the direction of movement of the left drive block 111 or the right drive block 211, and the left drive block 111 and the right drive block 211 are fitted onto and slidably connected to the third guide support shaft 42, respectively.
[0038] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, two transmission units are provided in this embodiment to ensure that the load on the left sealing section 11 and the right sealing section 21 is uniform, and the two transmission units are each connected to both ends of the output shaft 33. Correspondingly, there are two left drive blocks 111 and two right drive blocks 211. The two left drive blocks 111 are located at both ends of the left sealing section 11, and the two right drive blocks 211 are located at both ends of the right sealing section 21. In this embodiment, the connection relationship between the output shaft 33 and the transmission units, the configuration of the transmission units, and the connection relationship between the transmission units and the left drive blocks 111 and the right drive blocks 211 have already been explained in detail, and it has already been specifically analyzed that it is possible to make the left drive blocks 111 and the right drive blocks 211 relatively close or relatively far apart, so the above content will not be explained again here. The configuration of the output shaft 33, the third pulley 34, and the third synchronous belt 41 ensures the synchronization of motion at both ends of the output shaft 33, and further ensures the reliability of motion during the process in which the left sealing portion 11 and the right sealing portion 21 move closer to or further apart relative to each other.
[0039] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, a sealing strip 113 is fixedly provided on either the left sealing portion 11 or the right sealing portion 21 to enhance the sealing effect of the sealing assembly on the collection bag 6. In this embodiment, the sealing strip 113 is provided on the side of the left sealing portion 11 facing the right sealing portion 21. In other embodiments, the sealing strip 113 may be provided on the side of the right sealing portion 21 facing the left sealing portion 11. When the left sealing portion 11 and the right sealing portion 21 come into contact, the sealing strip 113 comes into contact with the outer wall of the collection bag 6. Creep occurs in the sealing strip 113 when the left sealing portion 11 and the right sealing portion 21 come into contact, thereby ensuring the sealing effect of the sealing assembly on the collection bag 6. The enhancement of the sealing effect of the sealing assembly on the collection bag 6 may be achieved in other forms. For example, a protrusion may be provided on one of the left sealing portion 11 and the right sealing portion 21 on the side facing the other. Correspondingly, a groove may be provided on the other of the left sealing portion 11 and the right sealing portion 21 to engage with the protrusion. When the left sealing portion 11 and the right sealing portion 21 come into contact, the protrusions fit into the recessed grooves, and the sealing effect on the collection bag 6 is enhanced by utilizing the principle of a labyrinth seal.
[0040] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the housing 51 is further provided with an open position sensor 71 and a closed position sensor 72 so that the user can conveniently know whether the collection box is full or not, and the sealing assembly has an open state and a closed state. When the sealing assembly is in the open state, at least a part of the sealing assembly overlaps with the open position sensor 71. When the sealing assembly is in the closed state, the left sealing part 11 abuts against the right sealing part 21, and at least a part of the sealing assembly overlaps with the closed position sensor 72. When the collection box is full, the volume of pet waste in the collection bag 6 is large, so in the process of sealing the collection bag 6 by the sealing assembly, the left detection member 12 and the right detection member 22 are affected by the pet waste and can no longer rotate toward the bottom wall of the collection bag 6, and as a result the sealing assembly can no longer seal the collection bag 6, that is, at least a part of the sealing assembly can no longer overlap with the closed position sensor 72. In one embodiment, due to the specific nature of the usage scenario, under certain conditions, the collection bag 6 may already be full, preventing at least one of the left detection member 12 and the right detection member 22 from rotating toward the bottom wall of the collection bag 6. In this case, the drive unit 31 still drives the sealing assembly, and the driving force allows at least one of the left detection member 12 and the right detection member 22 to press against the feces and continue to rotate toward the bottom wall of the collection bag 6. In other words, the sealing assembly can be closed by the driving force, but it is understood that the time required for the sealing assembly to be closed in such usage cases is also longer. Therefore, by pre-setting the closing time, it is possible to determine whether or not the bag is full. If the sealing assembly does not become closed within a first pre-set time, it can be proven that the bag is full, thereby facilitating subsequent operations.
[0041] In this embodiment, the open position sensor 71 and the closed position sensor 72 may be Hall sensors, proximity switches, or infrared sensors. In this embodiment, the open position sensor 71 and the closed position sensor 72 are Hall position sensors. In other embodiments, the open position sensor 71 and the closed position sensor 72 may be set to different types of sensors, for example, the open position sensor 71 may be set to a Hall sensor and the closed position sensor 72 to a proximity switch, and specific permutations will not be comprehensively listed here. In this embodiment, in order to further improve the sensitivity of the open position Hall sensor and the closed position Hall sensor, a first magnet 114 is provided in the left sealing part 11 or the right sealing part 21. When the sealing assembly is in the open state, the first magnet 114 is located above the open position Hall sensor. When the sealing assembly is in the closed state, the first magnet 114 is located above the closed position Hall sensor. The open position Hall sensor and the closed position Hall sensor are communicatively connected to a processor, which is fixedly connected to the housing 51.
[0042] In one embodiment, during the sealing process of the collection bag 6 by the sealing assembly, the drive unit 31 is driven in the forward direction, the drive gear shaft 311 is meshed with the intermediate gear 32, the intermediate gear 32 is driven to rotate the output shaft 33, the output shaft 33 is driven to rotate the third pulleys 34 provided at both ends of the output shaft 33, and the third pulleys 34 are driven to transmit the third synchronous belt 41. The left drive block 111 and the right drive block 211 are meshed below and above the third synchronous belt 41, respectively, and are driven to bring the left sealing section 11 and the right sealing section 21 relatively close to each other. At this time, if the collection bag 6 is not full, the left detection member 12 and the right detection member 22 can rotate toward the bottom wall of the collection bag 6, and the left sealing section 11 can close with the right sealing section 21. At this point, if the collection bag 6 is full, the rotation of the left detection member 12 and the right detection member 22 toward the bottom wall of the collection bag 6 is prevented, and the left sealing part 11 can no longer close with the right sealing part 21, at which point the collection bag 6 is already full. The processor controls the packaging motor 81 to operate, driving the first slide bar 84 and the second slide bar 85 toward the molten metal cutting material 9. When the first slide bar 84 and the second slide bar 85 each come into contact with the molten metal cutting material 9, the second magnet 842 on the first slide bar 84 is positioned above the sealing position Hall sensor. The molten metal cutting material 9 performs a molten seal on the collection bag 6, and during this process, the packaging motor 81 continuously outputs power to the outside, thereby ensuring that the first slide bar 84, the second slide bar 85 and the molten metal cutting material 9 are always in contact with the collection bag 6 during the molten seal process, and thus ensuring the effectiveness of the molten seal. After reaching a second preset time, the heat-melt cutting material 9 stops heating, and simultaneously the packaging motor 81 drives the first slide bar 84 and the second slide bar 85 to move away from the heat-melt cutting material 9. When the second magnet 842 on the first slide bar 84 is positioned above the standby position Hall sensor, the packaging motor 81 stops and controls a presentation device, which is communicated with it by the processor, to prompt the user to remove the collection bag 6 in a timely manner. The presentation device may be a warning light and / or a horn.The process of using the processor to control the presentation device to make presentations will not be explained again here. After the detection sensor detects that the collection bag 6 has been removed, the processor controls the fan to exhaust air, and a new collection bag 6 is drawn in and unfolded by the action of atmospheric pressure.
[0043] In this embodiment, the processor may be a centralized or distributed controller. For example, the processor may be a single microcontroller, or it may consist of multiple distributed microcontrollers. By running a control program on the microcontrollers, multiple components may be controlled to realize a function.
[0044] As shown in Figure 14, this embodiment provides a method for using a waste collection box to which the waste collection box according to the embodiment of the present application is applied.
[0045] As shown in Figure 12, the detection method for when the container is full is: The drive unit 31 is driven in the forward direction, and the first magnet 114 in at least a portion of the sealed assembly is pulled away from above the open position Hall sensor, and the processor receives the pull signal and drives the sealed assembly to move for a first preset time S1, If the first magnet 114 in at least a portion of the sealed assembly reaches above the closed position Hall sensor within the first preset time, and the processor receives the arrival signal within the first preset time, the waste collection box will not be filled to capacity, the processor controls the drive unit 31 to stop, and the sealed assembly will be in the closed state S2. S3 includes the case where, if the sealed assembly does not reach above the closed position Hall sensor at the closed position sensor 72 within a first preset time, and the processor does not receive an arrival signal within the first preset time, the collection box is filled to capacity.
[0046] In one embodiment, after the collection box is full, the processor controls the drive unit 31 to drive in the reverse direction, thereby returning the sealing assembly to the open state, and then the packaging sealing operation is performed. As shown in Figure 13, the method of the packaging sealing operation is as follows: The processor controls the packaging motor 81 to rotate in the forward direction, and the packaging motor 81 drives the first slide bar 84 and the second slide bar 85 toward the heat-melt cutting material 9 in S31. The first slide bar 84 and the second slide bar 85 arrive at their predetermined positions, the second magnet 842 reaches above the sealing position Hall sensor, the sealing position Hall sensor collects a signal and transmits it to the processor, the processor starts timing, the processor controls the heat-melt cutting material 9 to heat-melt seal and cut the collection bag 6, and in this process the packaging motor 81 continuously outputs power to the outside in S32, S33, when the collection bag 6 falls into the collection box 52 and the processor's timer reaches a second preset time, the processor controls the packaging motor 81 to reverse, the packaging motor 81 drives the first slide bar 84 and the second slide bar 85 away from the heat-melt cutting material 9, the second magnet 842 reaches above the standby position Hall sensor, the standby position Hall sensor acquires a signal and transmits it to the processor, the processor controls the packaging motor 81 to stop, The detection sensor detects whether or not the collection bag 6 has been removed from the collection box 52. If the collection bag 6 has not been removed, the display device is activated to prompt the user to remove the collection bag 6 in a timely manner. If the collection bag 6 has been removed, the negative pressure device 53 is activated to pull out and unfold a new collection bag 6. S34 includes this operation.
Claims
1. A collection box provided for collecting pet feces, It comprises a housing (51), a packaging assembly, and a collection bag (6), The housing (51) is provided with an opening, The packaging assembly comprises a first slide bar (84), a second slide bar (85), a fused-to-sheet material (9), and a packaging motor (81), wherein the packaging motor (81) is fixedly connected to the housing (51), the first slide bar (84) and the second slide bar (85) are set at a preset angle, the first slide bar (84) and the second slide bar (85) are each slidably mounted on the housing (51), and the first slide bar (84) and the second slide bar (85) can simultaneously slide toward the fused-to-sheet material (9) or simultaneously slide away from the fused-to-sheet material (9) by interlocking control of the packaging motor (81), and the fused-to-sheet material (9) is fixedly connected to the housing (51). The collection bag (6) passes through the opening and is connected to the housing (51), and the collection bag (6) can be brought into contact with the first slide bar (84), the second slide bar (85), and the heat-melt cutting material (9), and the heat-melt cutting material (9) is configured to seal and cut the collection bag (6). The aforementioned packaging assembly is The system further comprises a first synchronous belt (822) and two first pulleys, and a second synchronous belt (832) and two second pulleys. The two first pulleys are each provided at both ends of the first synchronous belt (822) and mesh with the first synchronous belt (822), one of which the first pulley is fixedly connected to the motor shaft of the packaging motor (81), and the other first pulley is fixedly provided to the housing (51), and the first slide bar (84) is fixedly connected to the first synchronous belt (822). The two second pulleys are each provided at both ends of the second synchronous belt (832) and mesh with the second synchronous belt (832), one of which is fixedly connected to the motor shaft of the packaging motor (81), and the other second pulley is fixedly provided to the housing (51), and the second slide bar (85) is fixedly connected to the second synchronous belt (832). Collection box.
2. The first slide bar (84) is provided with a first drive block (841), and the second slide bar (85) is provided with a second drive block (851), wherein the first drive block (841) is fixedly connected to the side of the first synchronous belt (822) closer to the collection bag (6), and the second drive block (851) is fixedly connected to the side of the second synchronous belt (832) further away from the collection bag (6), or the first drive block (841) is fixedly connected to the side of the first synchronous belt (822) further away from the collection bag (6), and the second drive block (851) is fixedly connected to the side of the second synchronous belt (832) closer to the collection bag (6). The waste collection box according to claim 1.
3. The packaging assembly further comprises a first guide support shaft (823) and a second guide support shaft (833), wherein the first drive block (841) is slidably connected to the first guide support shaft (823), the second drive block (851) is slidably connected to the second guide support shaft (833), the first guide support shaft (823) is parallel to the direction of motion of the first drive block (841), and the second guide support shaft (833) is parallel to the direction of motion of the second drive block (851). The waste collection box according to claim 2.
4. The first slide bar (84) and the second slide bar (85) are provided perpendicular to each other, the first synchronous belt (822) and the first slide bar (84) are provided perpendicular to each other, and the second synchronous belt (832) and the second slide bar (85) are provided perpendicular to each other. The waste collection box according to claim 1.
5. The system further comprises a collection box (52), the collection box (52) being located below the housing (51) and removably connected to the housing (51), the inner wall of the collection box (52), the bottom wall of the housing (51), and the bottom wall of the collection bag (6) all forming a negative pressure space, a negative pressure device (53) being fixedly connected to the collection box (52), and the negative pressure device (53) being configured to apply negative pressure to the negative pressure space. The waste collection box according to claim 1.
6. The housing (51) is provided with a sealing position sensor (73) and a standby position sensor (74), and the packaging assembly has a sealed state and a standby state, the sealing position sensor (73) is configured to detect whether the packaging assembly is in the sealed state, and the standby position sensor (74) is configured to detect whether the packaging assembly is in the standby state, and when the packaging assembly is in the sealed state, the collection bag (6) is brought into contact with the first slide bar (84), the second slide bar (85) and the heat-melt cutting material (9). The waste collection box according to claim 1.
7. The device further comprises a sealing assembly and a detection unit, the sealing assembly comprising a left sealing portion (11) and a right sealing portion (21), the left sealing portion (11) and the right sealing portion (21) being slidable relative to the housing (51), the left sealing portion (11) being configured to close with the right sealing portion (21), the collection bag (6) being able to be contacted by the sealing assembly, the detection unit being rotatably mounted on the left sealing portion (11) and the right sealing portion (21), and the detection unit being able to contact the pet feces such that when the collection bag (6) is full, the detection unit's rotation toward the bottom wall of the collection bag (6) is prevented. The waste collection box according to claim 1.
8. A method of using a waste collection box applicable to any one of claims 1 to 7, The packaging assembly is driven to the sealing position, This includes heating the heat-melt cutting material (9) to seal and cut the collection bag (6), Instructions for using the waste collection box.
9. The collection box is further provided with a detection sensor and a display device, the detection sensor is configured to detect whether or not the collection bag (6) has been removed after being cut, and the method of using the collection box is as follows: The system further includes determining whether the cut collection bag (6) has been removed, unfolding a new collection bag (6) based on the determination that the cut collection bag (6) has been removed, and turning on the display device and presenting it to the user based on the determination that the cut collection bag (6) has not been removed. A method for using the waste collection box described in claim 8.