Harvesting and flipping device for floating aquaculture cage

Abstract

A harvesting and flipping device for a floating aquaculture cage, comprising a ship bracket (1), a guide rail (2), a transmission mechanism (3), a sliding block (4), an aquaculture cage guiding mechanism (5), and a terminal mechanism (6) mating with an aquaculture cage (7), wherein these components can work in conjunction with each other. The ship bracket (1) is fixed to a ship side, the guide rail (2) is mounted on the ship bracket (1), the transmission mechanism (3) is arranged on the guide rail (2), the sliding block (4) is arranged on the guide rail (2) and driven by the transmission mechanism (3) to move along the guide rail (2), the aquaculture cage guiding mechanism (5) is mounted on the guide rail (2) and correspondingly guides the aquaculture cage (7), and the terminal mechanism (6) mating with the aquaculture cage (7) is mounted on the sliding block (4) and moves along the guide rail (2) together with the sliding block (4), so as to implement harvesting and flipping.

Description

Harvesting and turning equipment for floating aquaculture racks Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a turning device for aquaculture rack, in particular to a harvesting and turning device for a floating aquaculture rack. Background Art

[0002] Traditional shellfish farming is carried out in a "submerged zone" at or above the bottom of the water. This makes it easy for viruses from predators (such as snails) to infect the shellfish, causing them to die or increase mortality. Furthermore, barnacles and other growths can grow on the shellfish and the farming equipment, significantly increasing the workload and harvesting process.

[0003] Therefore, the development of floating aquaculture racks has addressed the aforementioned issues. For example, the applicant's prior application for a single-piece, multi-bag floating aquaculture rack for shellfish (2019106459184) contains multiple mesh bags that can be filled with shellfish, ensuring that shellfish can be cultivated just below or above the water surface. The mesh bags are positioned just below the water surface, creating an optimal flow zone that prevents nutrient-rich water and harmful insects and animals from reaching the shellfish. Furthermore, the rack is reversible, allowing the mesh bags to be completely exposed to the water. In this position, the shellfish surface dries out, killing any algae attached to the shellfish and reducing or eliminating any attached materials, thereby facilitating the production of high-quality shellfish products. Furthermore, when the shellfish mature, the mesh bags are removed from the rack and the mature shellfish are removed from the bags.

[0004] The existing method for rotating floating aquaculture racks is manual and extremely labor-intensive. Typically, several racks are attached to a single sea rope, leaving an area for boats to pass through. The boat must remain stationary for a period of time next to each rack, and it typically requires at least two people to flip the racks over. Improper operation often results in the racks becoming hung on the boat's railings, and the labor is intensive and laborious. In particular, rotating the racks from a "wet position" (where the bags are underwater) to a "dry position" (where the bags are completely above water) is extremely difficult.

[0005] Similarly, removing mature shellfish also requires manual operation, which is labor-intensive and arduous. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of the above problems in the prior art, the present invention aims to provide a harvesting and turning device for floating aquaculture racks that has a simple structure, is easy to use, realizes mechanized operation, and reduces intensive labor and injury risks.

[0007] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0008] A harvesting and turning device for a floating aquaculture rack comprises a ship frame, a guide rail, a transmission mechanism, a slider, a culture rack guide mechanism and a terminal mechanism that cooperates with the culture rack; wherein the ship frame is fixed on the edge of the ship, the guide rail is installed on the ship frame, the transmission mechanism is arranged on the guide rail, the slider is arranged on the guide rail and is driven by the transmission mechanism to move along the guide rail, the culture rack guide mechanism is installed on the guide rail and cooperates with the culture rack for guidance, and the terminal mechanism that cooperates with the culture rack is installed on the slider and moves along the guide rail with the slider to achieve harvesting and turning.

[0009] Furthermore, the terminal mechanism that cooperates with the breeding rack is a platform assembly, which is fixed on the slider. The breeding rack is placed on the platform assembly and driven by the transmission mechanism to move along the guide rail to a fixed work station. The breeding bags on the breeding rack are manually removed and new breeding bags are installed before being sent back to their original position.

[0010] Furthermore, the terminal mechanism cooperating with the breeding rack is a grab hook assembly, which includes a base and a grab hook that cooperate with each other; the base is fixed on the slider, and the grab hook is hinged on the base and can swing around the base.

[0011] Furthermore, the boat frame is a bent plate structure with an inclined edge on one side and a straight edge on the other side, and a hollow groove structure in the middle. The hollow groove structure is clamped on the edge of the boat and is fixed to the edge of the boat by adjusting locks between the inclined edge and the straight edge and the edge of the boat.

[0012] Furthermore, the guide rail is installed on the ship frame, and its installation structure is as follows: one end of the guide rail is hinged to the ship frame, and a mounting block is provided on the back of the guide rail, and a mounting hole is formed on the mounting block; a control block is provided on the ship frame at a position cooperating with the mounting block, and a accommodating cavity is formed in the control block, and a limiting groove is formed on the surface. The control rod is passed through the accommodating cavity, and the tail end extends out of the control block and cooperates with the mounting hole. A limiting boss is provided on the control rod and cooperates with the limiting groove. By pushing the head of the control rod, the limiting boss is ensured to be stuck in different limiting grooves so that the tail end of the control rod is extended into the mounting hole for positioning or disengagement.

[0013] Furthermore, the transmission mechanism is a synchronous belt structure, including a motor driving the belt to rotate, and a slider sleeved on the belt to move as the belt rotates.

[0014] Furthermore, the platform assembly includes a mesh plate with one end folded upward, a bracket formed at the bottom of the mesh plate, a card point is provided on the bracket, and a card slot is provided at a corresponding position on the slider. The card point extends into the card slot and slides downward to clamp and position it.

[0015] Furthermore, the base is a U-shaped folding plate, a slot is provided on the back of the U-shaped folding plate, and a corresponding position is provided on the slider, which extends into the slot and slides down to clamp and position; the grab hook is a two-side plate-mounted structure with a hook at the front end, and the tails of the two side plates are respectively hinged on both sides of the U-shaped folding plate.

[0016] By adopting the above technical solution, compared with the existing technology, the development of the equipment of the present invention can reduce labor-intensive operations, realize the automated operations of flipping and harvesting of breeding racks, and the equipment is ergonomic and convenient for users to use. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The present invention is described in detail below with accompanying drawings:

[0018] FIG1 is an exploded schematic diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of an assembly of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a gantry according to the present invention;

[0021] FIG4 is a second schematic diagram of the gantry of the present invention;

[0022] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the guide rail and transmission mechanism of the present invention;

[0023] FIG6 is a second schematic diagram of the guide rail and transmission mechanism of the present invention;

[0024] FIG7 is a third schematic diagram of the guide rail and transmission mechanism of the present invention;

[0025] FIG8 is a fourth schematic diagram of the guide rail and transmission mechanism of the present invention;

[0026] [Corrected 15.03.2024 in accordance with Rule 26][Deleted]

[0027] FIG9 is an exploded schematic diagram of a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of an operation of the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of the operation of the second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] [Corrected 15.03.2024 according to Rule 26] Figures 1-12 show an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] A harvesting and turning device for a floating aquaculture rack comprises a gantry 1, a guide rail 2, a transmission mechanism 3, a slider 4, a gantry guide mechanism 5 and a terminal mechanism 6 that cooperate with the gantry; wherein the gantry 1 is fixed on the edge of a ship, the guide rail 2 is mounted on the gantry 1, the transmission mechanism 3 is arranged on the guide rail 2, the slider 4 is arranged on the guide rail 2 and is driven by the transmission mechanism 3 to move along the guide rail 2, the gantry guide mechanism 5 is mounted on the guide rail 2 and cooperates with the gantry 7 for guidance, and the terminal mechanism 6 that cooperates with the gantry is mounted on the slider 4 and moves along the guide rail 2 with the slider 4 to achieve harvesting and turning.

[0033] Figures 1-7 illustrate the specific structure of the first embodiment of the present invention, while Figure 1-2 shows the overall structure. The terminal mechanism that interfaces with the breeding rack is a platform assembly 61, which is fixed to a slider 4. The breeding rack 7 is placed on the platform assembly 61 and driven by the transmission mechanism 3 along the guide rail 2 to a fixed position. The breeding bag on the breeding rack is manually removed, a new breeding bag is installed, and the rack is returned to its original position.

[0034] Furthermore, the platform assembly 61 includes a mesh plate 611 with one end folded upward, a bracket formed at the bottom of the mesh plate, a card slot 613 provided on the bracket, and a card point provided at a corresponding position on the slider, which extends into the card slot 613 and slides downward to lock and position.

[0035] As shown in Figure 3-4, the boat frame is a schematic diagram. The boat frame 1 is a bent plate structure with an inclined edge 11 formed on one side and a straight edge 12 formed on the other side. There is a hollow groove structure 13 in the middle. The hollow groove structure 13 is clamped on the edge of the boat and is locked and fixed on the edge of the boat by adjusting locks 14 between the inclined edge and the straight edge and the edge of the boat.

[0036] As shown in Figure 5-8, which is a schematic diagram of the guide rail and transmission mechanism, the guide rail 2 is installed on the gantry 1, and its installation structure is as follows: one end 21 of the guide rail 2 is hinged to the gantry 1, and a mounting block 22 is provided on the back of the guide rail 2, and a mounting hole 23 is formed on the mounting block; a control block 15 is provided at a position on the gantry 1 that cooperates with the mounting block, and a accommodating cavity is formed in the control block 15, and a limiting groove 151 is formed on the surface. The control rod 152 is passed through the accommodating cavity, and the tail end extends out of the control block 15 to cooperate with the mounting hole 23. A limiting boss 153 is provided on the control rod to cooperate with the limiting groove 151. By pushing the head of the control rod 152, the limiting boss 153 is ensured to be stuck in different limiting grooves, so that the tail end of the control rod is extended into the mounting hole 23 for positioning or disengagement.

[0037] The transmission mechanism 3 is a synchronous belt structure, including a motor 31 that drives a belt 32 to rotate, and a slider 4 that is sleeved on the belt 32 and moves as the belt rotates.

[0038] Figures 9-10 are schematic diagrams of embodiment 2 of the present invention. The overlapping parts of its structure with embodiment 1 will not be analyzed again. The difference is that the terminal mechanism that cooperates with the breeding rack is a grab hook assembly 62, and the grab hook assembly 62 includes a base 621 and a grab hook 622 that cooperate with each other; the base 621 is fixed on the slider 6, and the grab hook 622 is hinged on the base 621 and can swing around the base 621.

[0039] Furthermore, the base 621 is a U-shaped folding plate, and a slot 623 is provided on the back of the U-shaped folding plate. A corresponding position is provided on the slider 4, and the slot is extended into the slot 623 and slides downward to clamp and position it; the grab hook 622 is a two-side plate structure with a hook at the front end, and the tails of the two side plates are respectively hinged to the two sides of the U-shaped folding plate.

[0040] When installing the platform assembly of Example 1 of the present invention, the gantry is hung on the side of the vessel and secured to the edge of the vessel using an adjustment lock. A guide rail is hinged to the gantry at one end in a horizontal position. The guide rail is swung to a vertical position and locked to the gantry using a locking mechanism. The slider is then mounted on the belt of the transmission mechanism and secured. The platform assembly is then mounted on the slider and secured.

[0041] When working, as shown in Figure 11, taking the single shellfish multi-bag floating aquaculture rack previously applied for by the applicant as an example,

[0042] Move the boat to the breeding rack, adjust the platform assembly to a position that matches the breeding rack, so that the breeding rack is above the platform assembly, and the transmission mechanism drives the slider and the breeding rack to rise to a fixed position, take out the net bag and replace it with a new one, and then the transmission mechanism drives the slider and the breeding rack to move down together to put the breeding rack back to the water surface, and the boat moves to the next breeding rack and repeats the above actions to complete the action of taking out the net bag in the breeding rack and replacing it with a new one.

[0043] To install the grab hook assembly of Example 2 of the present invention, the gantry is hung on the side of the boat and secured to the edge of the boat using an adjustment lock. A guide rail is hinged to the gantry at one end in a horizontal position. The guide rail is swung to a vertical position and locked to the gantry using a locking mechanism. The slider is then mounted on the belt of the transmission mechanism and secured. The grab hook assembly is then mounted on the slider and secured.

[0044] During operation, as shown in Figure 12, move the boat to the breeding rack, adjust the grab hook assembly to a position that matches the breeding rack, and place the breeding rack below the grab hook assembly. The transmission mechanism drives the slider and the grab hook assembly to descend so that the grab hook is hooked onto the floating part of the breeding rack. Continue to move the slider downward. When the slider moves downward, the breeding rack will flip over. After flipping over, the breeding rack will automatically slide out from the grab hook. The grab hook returns to the upright position and the slider is raised and lowered to the next breeding rack position and the above action is repeated.

[0045] The development of the equipment of the present invention can reduce labor-intensive operations, realize the automated operations of turning over and harvesting the breeding racks, and the equipment is ergonomic and convenient for users to use.

[0046] The foregoing description shows and describes preferred embodiments of the present invention. As previously mentioned, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the form disclosed herein and should not be construed as excluding other embodiments. Instead, the present invention can be used in various other combinations, modifications, and environments and can be modified within the scope of the inventive concept described herein by the teachings above or by techniques or knowledge in the relevant art. Modifications and variations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention are intended to be within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A harvesting and turning device for a floating aquaculture rack, characterized by: It includes a ship frame, guide rails, a transmission mechanism, a slider, a breeding rack guide mechanism and a terminal mechanism that cooperates with the breeding rack; wherein, the ship frame is fixed on the edge of the ship, the guide rails are installed on the ship frame, the transmission mechanism is arranged on the guide rails, the slider is arranged on the guide rails and is driven by the transmission mechanism to move along the guide rails, the breeding rack guide mechanism is installed on the guide rails and cooperates with the breeding rack for guidance, and the terminal mechanism that cooperates with the breeding rack is installed on the slider and moves along the guide rails with the slider to achieve harvesting and flipping.

2. The harvesting and turning device for a floating aquaculture rack according to claim 1, characterized in that: The terminal mechanism that cooperates with the breeding rack is a platform assembly, which is fixed on the slider. The breeding rack is placed on the platform assembly and driven by the transmission mechanism to move along the guide rail to a fixed workstation. The breeding bags on the breeding rack are manually removed and new breeding bags are installed before being sent back to their original position.

3. The harvesting and turning device for a floating aquaculture rack according to claim 1, characterized in that: The terminal mechanism that cooperates with the breeding rack is a grab hook assembly, which includes a base and a grab hook that cooperate with each other; the base is fixed on the slider, and the grab hook is hinged on the base and can swing around the base.

4. A harvesting and turning device for a floating aquaculture rack according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that: The boat frame is a bent plate structure with an inclined edge on one side and a straight edge on the other side, and a hollow groove structure in the middle. The hollow groove structure is clamped on the edge of the boat and is fixed to the edge of the boat by adjusting locks between the inclined edge and the straight edge and the edge of the boat.

5. The harvesting and turning device for a floating aquaculture rack according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that: The guide rail is installed on the ship frame, and its installation structure is as follows: one end of the guide rail is hinged to the ship frame, and a mounting block is provided on the back of the guide rail, and a mounting hole is formed on the mounting block; a control block is provided on the ship frame at a position cooperating with the mounting block, and a accommodating cavity is formed in the control block, and a limiting groove is formed on the surface. The control rod is passed through the accommodating cavity, and the tail end extends out of the control block and cooperates with the mounting hole. A limiting boss is provided on the control rod and cooperates with the limiting groove. By pushing the head of the control rod to ensure that the limiting boss is inserted into different limiting grooves, the tail end of the control rod is extended into the mounting hole for positioning or disengagement.

6. A harvesting and turning device for a floating aquaculture rack according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that: The transmission mechanism is a synchronous belt structure, including a motor driving the belt to rotate, and a slider sleeved on the belt to move as the belt rotates.

7. The harvesting and turning device for a floating aquaculture rack according to claim 2, characterized in that: The platform assembly includes a mesh plate with one end folded upward, a bracket formed at the bottom of the mesh plate, a card point provided on the bracket, a card slot provided at a corresponding position on the slider, and the card point extends into the card slot and slides downward to clamp and position.

8. The harvesting and turning device for a floating aquaculture rack according to claim 3, characterized in that: The base is a U-shaped folding plate with a slot on the back of the U-shaped folding plate and a corresponding position on the slider. The slot is inserted into the slot and slides down to lock it into position. The grab hook is a two-side plate-mounted structure with a hook at the front end, and the tails of the two side plates are hinged to the two sides of the U-shaped folding plate respectively.

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