Insect Cage Cleaning System with Automated Liquid Drainage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current insect breeding devices lack efficient methods for cleaning insect cages, which is labor-intensive and hampers the scaling up of insect breeding to an industrial scale, leading to sub-optimal egg collection and increased risk of disease and microbial growth.
Innovation Solution
An insect breeding device with a bin for holding cleaning liquid, pipes for delivering and draining the liquid, and a nozzle for efficient cleaning, along with a gas drying apparatus and liquid recycling system, reduces labor and ensures thorough cage cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual cleaning methods are used for insect cages, then cleaning can be performed with simple equipment, but cleaning efficiency is low and labor intensity is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a high-pressure water jet system with a pump and nozzle to deliver cleaning liquid into the insect cage. The hydraulic mechanism enables automated, high-efficiency cleaning by forcing liquid through the cage interior at high velocity, removing debris without manual labor while maintaining a relatively simple overall system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning system is designed to clean the insect cage autonomously without requiring human operators inside the cage. The automated liquid delivery and drainage system performs the cleaning function independently, reducing labor intensity while improving productivity.
2Ease of operation
If cleaning liquid is used to clean insect cages, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but proper drainage and disposal of contaminated liquid becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the contaminated cleaning liquid from the cage interior through a dedicated drainage system. The drain pipe and collection container are positioned to receive and remove liquid and debris from the cage, separating the cleaning function from the disposal function and simplifying the overall liquid management system.
3Productivity
If insect cages are not thoroughly cleaned, then labor time is reduced, but egg harvesting efficiency decreases and disease risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning system enables continuous operation by rapidly cleaning cages between breeding cycles. The high-pressure liquid delivery and efficient drainage work continuously to clean multiple cages in sequence, minimizing downtime and ensuring cages are ready for the next cycle without compromising cleaning thoroughness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical parameters of cleaning by using high-pressure liquid flow instead of manual methods. This parameter change (increasing liquid pressure and flow velocity) dramatically reduces cleaning time while maintaining or improving cleaning effectiveness, thereby increasing egg harvesting productivity.
4Ease of operation
If multiple openings are added to insect cages for cleaning purposes, then cleaning access is improved, but cage structural integrity and insect containment may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing openings specifically at strategic locations needed for cleaning operations (liquid inlet and drain outlets) while maintaining the overall integrity of the cage structure. The openings are positioned and sized to enable cleaning access without compromising the cage's ability to contain insects during breeding cycles.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device enables efficient and automated cleaning of multiple insect cages, reducing labor and the risk of disease, while maintaining a clean environment for egg harvesting and colony health.
Implementation Method 1
a nozzle, coupled to the first pipe, positioned inside the at least one insect cage configured to deliver the cleaning liquid to the interior of the at least one insect cage
Implementation Method 2
a gas drying apparatus comprising a ventilator for generating a gas flow, a heater for heating the generated gas flow
Implementation Method 3
a ventilator for generating a gas flow... transporting the heated gas flow inside the at least one insect cage
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an insect breeding device. The insect breeding device comprising at least one insect cage; a bin for holding a cleaning liquid; a first pipe connected to the bin for receiving the cleaning liquid, wherein the pipe is entering the at least one insect cage through a first opening; a nozzle, coupled to the first pipe, positioned inside the at least one insect cage configured to deliver the cleaning liquid to the interior of the at least one insect cage; and a second pipe, coupled to a second opening, different from the first opening, in the at least one insect cage, configured to drain the cleaning liquid and the debris from the at least one insect cage.