WO2022197643A1 - Dispositif d'alimentation d'installation aquatique automatique - Google Patents

Dispositif d'alimentation d'installation aquatique automatique Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2022197643A1
WO2022197643A1 PCT/US2022/020291 US2022020291W WO2022197643A1 WO 2022197643 A1 WO2022197643 A1 WO 2022197643A1 US 2022020291 W US2022020291 W US 2022020291W WO 2022197643 A1 WO2022197643 A1 WO 2022197643A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
food
water
fish
fish food
pump
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2022/020291
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Merlin LANGE
Loic ROYER
Ahmet Can SOLAK
Hirofumi Kobayashi
Original Assignee
Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, Inc. filed Critical Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, Inc.
Publication of WO2022197643A1 publication Critical patent/WO2022197643A1/fr

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01K—ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
    • A01K61/00—Culture of aquatic animals
    • A01K61/80—Feeding devices
    • A01K61/85—Feeding devices for use with aquaria
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01K—ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
    • A01K61/00—Culture of aquatic animals
    • A01K61/10—Culture of aquatic animals of fish
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01K—ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
    • A01K63/00—Receptacles for live fish, e.g. aquaria; Terraria

Definitions

  • the present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods of automatically feeding fish.
  • Aquatic model organisms such as zebrafish, medaka, and danionella translucida are getting more and more popular in research.
  • zebrafish are a very popular “model organism” for biomedical research, including studies of biological processes and human diseases, widely used across the world.
  • zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a well-established animal model in biology, with increasing use in different fields, including developmental biology, neuroscience, and genetics. Among their advantages, zebrafish are vertebrates and have excellent optical properties as well as accessible genetics. Another essential feature of zebrafish is their low maintenance and husbandry cost. The development of commercial systems for zebrafish culture has helped advance zebrafish research. However, implementing a zebrafish facility remains a challenge for many small to medium sized laboratories due to cost and infrastructure issues. The most important aspect of zebrafish husbandry is the feeding, usually done manually at least two times a day by dedicated staff, using dry or living food like Artemia naup!ii.
  • this feeding is usually done manually by dedicated staff at least two times a day, all year long, with no exceptions for weekends, holidays, bad weather, or other reasons that individuals may not be able to come in to the laboratory to feed the fish.
  • manual feeding is not sufficiently accurate and can be time and resource prohibitive for labs without dedicated staff (Le., for labs with smaller research teams).
  • the colony requires a dedicated room with specific characteristics (e.g. temperature, water source, drain access, etc.) and regular monitoring by committed staff.
  • specific characteristics e.g. temperature, water source, drain access, etc.
  • the present disclosure provides a fully automatic system for daily fish feeding that can operate without human supervision, 7 days a week all year long, only requiring regular dry-food reloading as well as tube replacement as needed.
  • the system for daily fish feeding provided by the present disclosure provides a standardized amount of food to each tank (in some cases, individualized tank-by-tank) in a cost-efficient manner.
  • the system allows for the precise control of food distribution as a function of fish density per tank, and has a user-friendly interface.
  • fish feeding system provided herein, there is no need for a research team to hire a dedicated staff to come to a laboratory multiple times a day to feed fish that are to be used for research.
  • fish may be fed from a stock of fish food using a tubing system that distributes water containing the fish food to any number of fish tanks using pumps and valves.
  • the fish feeding system includes three main modules: (i) electronics, (ii) tubing and pumps, and (ill) food preparation.
  • the electronics module is comprised of a credit card-sized computer augmented with an extension board ("servo hat”) that sends signals to various motor controllers to trigger pumping and valve opening.
  • the computer is connected to a touch screen and keyboard for easy user interfacing with the command-line interface.
  • Several feeding programs can be added, modified and deleted.
  • the amount of food delivered is constant across all tanks and can be modified by adjusting the food container opening as well as the degree of servo rotation.
  • the tubing and pumps module is the central element in the food distribution system. The pumps mix food and water and distribute the mixture to the tanks.
  • an air pump is used to stir and mix the food and water.
  • a splitter panel directs the liquid flow through the tubes leading to the individual tanks.
  • a valve downstream of the water-in pump may prevent overflow or water leaks in the device.
  • a servo motor rotates a food canister to dispense food into a container directly filled with water.
  • This food-water mixture is then distributed to the tanks using pumps and a manifold tubing system.
  • a 200 ml plastic lab flask equipped with a funnel may be used as a mixing flask.
  • the food preparation container may be placed in a water containment box.
  • a water sensor connected to a safety pump when activated, may remove any spilled water from this containment box.
  • the systems provided herein are highly modular and scalable: the number of tanks can be easily increased to meet the needs of larger aquatic facilities. For example, a system initially designed for a cerfain number of tanks but may be scaled up by adding extra pumps and by extending the splitter panels.
  • This system may be controlled using control software that includes a graphical user interface through which users may provide input including settings for the timing of feeding and amount of food to be provided to each tank.
  • control software that includes a graphical user interface through which users may provide input including settings for the timing of feeding and amount of food to be provided to each tank.
  • the system can operate autonomously for multiple runs based on the provided user settings and/or preferences.
  • the system provided herein is modular and is generally compatible with existing commercially available or custom made aquatic facilities, because the tubing may be easily fitted to provide food to tanks in various configurations and scaled to meet different user needs. That is, there is no need for research teams to reconfigure their existing tanks, or purchase new tanks, or a new stand for the tanks, etc., in order to use the fish feeding system provided herein.
  • the system provided herein ensures that a consistent amount of fish food is delivered each time the fish are fed. This is beneficial in research settings in particular, because varying the amount of food the fish are fed at each feeding could introduce an unintended additional variable to a research experiment or affect the water quality and/or the health of the fish.
  • the present disclosure provides a system, comprising: a dispenser configured to dispense fish food into a food preparation container; and a pump configured to pump a mixture of the water and the fish food from the food preparation container to each of the plurality of aquarium tanks configured to house fish via a tubing system that receives the mixture of the water and the fish food from the food preparation container at an input opening and is split into a plurality of tubes that deposit the mixture of the water and the fish food into each respective aquarium tank via respective output openings of each of the tubes of the tubing system.
  • the present disclosure provides a method, comprising: dispensing fish food into a food preparation container by an automatic dispenser; and pumping a mixture of the water and the fish food from the food preparation container to each of a plurality of aquarium tanks via a tubing system that receives the mixture of the water and the fish food from the container at an input opening and is split into a plurality of tubes that deposit the mixture of the water and the fish food into each respective aquarium tank via respective output openings of each of the tubes of the tubing system.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates an example system for automatically feeding fish, in accordance with some embodiments.
  • FIG. 2 illustrates an example water splitter (also called “water separator”) tubing panel, as may be used in the system shown at FIG. 1 , in accordance with some embodiments.
  • water splitter also called “water separator”
  • FIG. 3 illustrates an example system for automatically feeding fish, in accordance with some embodiments.
  • FIGS. 4A-4C illustrate several views of example frames, as may be used in the system shown at FIG. 1 , in accordance with some embodiments.
  • FIG. 5A-5C illustrate several views of example frames, as may be used in the system shown at FIG. 3, in accordance with some embodiments.
  • FIGS. 6A-6E illustrate several additional views of example components of the frames shown at FIGS. 4 and 5.
  • FIGS. 7A-7D illustrate several views of an example servo and food container, as may be used in the systems shown at FIGS. 1 and 3, in accordance with some embodiments.
  • FIG. 8 illustrates an example pump and valve installation, as may be used in the system shown at FIG. 1 , in accordance with some embodiments.
  • FIGS. 9A-9C illustrate several additional views of example components of the exemplary pump and valve installation as shown at FIG. 8.
  • FIG. 10 illustrates an example pump and valve installation, as may be used in the system shown at FIG. 3, in accordance with some embodiments.
  • FIGS. 11 A- 11 D illustrate several additional views of example components of the exemplary pump and valve installation as shown at FIG. 10.
  • FIGS. 12A and 12B illustrate an example food container, as may be used in the systems shown at FIGS. 1 and 3, in accordance with some embodiments.
  • FIGS. 12C, 12D, 12E, and 12F illustrate locations where magnets may be glued to the frame of FIGS. 4 or 5 in order to support a water container, in accordance with some embodiments.
  • FIG. 13A illustrates an example water sensor, as may be used in the systems shown at FIGS. 1 and 3, in accordance with some embodiments.
  • FIG. 13B illustrates an example submersible safety pump, as may be used in the systems shown at FIGS. 1 and 3, in accordance with some embodiments.
  • FIG. 13C illustrates an example pump in a water container, as may be used in the systems shown at FIGS. 1 and 3, in accordance with some embodiments.
  • FIG. 14A illustrates an example electronic control system for controlling the pumps, valves, and servo motor of the fish feeding system of FIG. 1 , in accordance with some embodiments.
  • FIG. 14B illustrates an example motor driver, as may be used in the electronic control system shown at FIG. 14A, in accordance with some embodiments.
  • FIG. 14C illustrates an example servo hat board, as may be used in the electronic control system shown at FIG. 14A, in accordance with some embodiments.
  • FIG. 15A illustrates an example electronic control system for controlling the pumps, valves, and servo motor of the fish feeding system of FIG. 3, in accordance with some embodiments.
  • FIG. 15B illustrates an example microcontroller, as may be used in the electronic control system shown at FIG. 15A, in accordance with some embodiments.
  • FIG. 15C illustrates example module relays, as may be used in the electronic control system shown at FIG. 15A, in accordance with some embodiments.
  • FIG. 16 illustrates an example user interface display, as may be used in the systems shown at FIGS. 1 and 3, in accordance with some embodiments.
  • FIG. 17 illustrates a flowchart of an example method for automatically feeding fish, as may be used in the systems shown at FIGS. 1 and 3, in accordance with some embodiments.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates an example system 100 for automatically feeding fish, in accordance with some embodiments.
  • the system 100 includes a food preparation container 102, a food dispenser 104 for dispensing fish food into the food preparation container 102, a water tank 106, a pump 108 for pumping water from the water tank 106 into the food preparation container 102 via tubing 109, and a valve 110 for controlling the flow of water from the water tank 106 into the food preparation container 102.
  • the system 100 further includes one or more pumps 112 for pumping the mixture of fish food and water in the food preparation container 102, via tubing 109, into respective water splitter tubing panels 114.
  • FIG. 2 illustrates a closer view of an example water splitter tubing panel 114 (also called a “water separator tubing panel”).
  • each water splitter tubing panel 114 may split the tubing 109 from a pump 112 to a plurality of respective aquarium tanks 116, via additional tubing 117, so that the mixture of fish food and water from the food preparation container 102 is ultimately distributed to each of the respective aquarium tanks 116.
  • tubing 109 and tubing 117 may be different kinds of tubing (e.g., the tubing 109 may have a wider diameter than the tubing 117), while in other examples, the tubing 109 and the tubing 117 may be the same type of tubing.
  • the system 100 may additionally include an air pump 118 configured to add air to the food preparation container 102 to mix the food and water, via tubing 109, as needed. Additionally, in some examples, the system 100 may further include additional valves (not shown) for controlling the flow of the mixture of fish food and water, e.g., from the food preparation container 102 to the water splitter tubing panels 114, and/or from the water splitter tubing panels 114 to each of the various tanks 116.
  • the system 100 may further include a computing device 120 (or, in some examples, multiple computing devices 120).
  • the computing device(s) 120 may include a user interface 122 for presenting information to users and/or receiving input from users for controlling the system 100, a controller 124 for controlling, e.g., each of the pumps and valves, as well as the food dispenser 104, one or more processors 126, and a memory 128.
  • the one or more processors 126 may interact with the memory 128 to obtain, for example, computer-readable instructions stored in the memory 128.
  • the computer-readable instructions stored in the memory 128 may cause the one or more processors 126 to receive user input via the user interface 122, and to control the food dispenser 104, the pump 108, the valve 110, the pumps 112, and/or the pump 118, e.g., based on the received user input, to control which tanks 116 receive food, the timing, rate, and/or frequency of feeding, as well as the amount of food being delivered to each tank 116, in some cases on a tank-by-tank basis, i.e., such that each tank 116 may receive a different amount of food, or may receive food on a different schedule, than other tanks.
  • FIG. 3 illustrates an example system 300 for automatically feeding fish, in accordance with some embodiments.
  • the system 300 may include a food preparation container 302, a food dispenser 304 for dispensing fish food into the food preparation container 302, a water tank (not shown), a pump 308 for pumping water from the water tank into the food preparation container 302 via tubing 309.
  • the system 300 further includes a pump 312 for pumping the mixture of fish food and water from the food preparation container 302, via tubing 309, through a tubing reducer 310 into one or more tubing manifolds 314, via tubing 311.
  • the tubing 309 and the tubing 311 may be different kinds of tubing (e.g., the tubing 309 may have a wider diameter than the tubing 311), while in other examples the tubing 309 and the tubing 311 may be the same kinds of tubing.
  • the tubing manifolds 314 may each distribute the mixture of fish food and water into a plurality of tubes 311 , with each tube 311 distributing the mixture of fish food and water to a particular one of a plurality of aquarium tanks 316.
  • the system 300 may further include respective valves 318 for each of the plurality of aquarium tanks 316, for controlling the flow of the mixture of fish food and water that is distributed from the manifold 314 to each respective tank 316.
  • the system 300 may include a computing device 320 (or, in some examples, multiple computing devices 320).
  • the computing device(s) 320 may include a user interface 322 for presenting information to users and/or receiving input from users for controlling the system 300, a controller 324 for controlling, e.g., each of the pumps and valves, as well as the food dispenser 304, one or more processors 326, and a memory 328.
  • the one or more processors 326 may interact with the memory 328 to obtain, for example, computer-readable instructions stored in the memory 328.
  • the computer-readable instructions stored in the memory 328 may cause the one or more processors 326 to receive user input via the user interface 322, and to control the food dispenser 304, the pump 308, the pump 112, and/or the valves 318, e.g., based on the received user input, to control which tanks 116 receive food, the timing, rate, and/or frequency of feeding, as well as the amount of food being delivered to each tank 316, in some cases on a tank-by-tank basis, i.e., such that each tank 116 may receive a different amount of food, or may receive food on a different schedule, than other tanks.
  • FIGS. 4A-4C illustrate several views of an example frame 400, as may be used in the system shown at FIG. 1 , in accordance with some embodiments.
  • the dimensions shown in FIG. 4A are dimensions for an example frame 400, but these dimensions may be adjusted adjust depending on various factors including the number of pumps needed.
  • the frame 400 includes an area 402 for the electronics, where the user interface device, controller, processor, and memory may be supported, as well as an area 404 for the pumps, valves, and tubing, and food preparation area 406 that can may include a water container, servo and food container support.
  • FIG. 4C illustrates an additional view of the frame 400.
  • FIGS. 5A-5C illustrate several views of an example frame 500, as may be used in the system shown at FIG. 3, in accordance with some embodiments.
  • the dimensions shown in FIG. 5A are dimensions for an example frame 500, but these dimensions may be adjusted adjust depending on various factors including the number of pumps needed.
  • the frame 500 may be divided into individual components, that may be attached together, representing the different functional modules of the automatic fish feeder.
  • the frame 500 may include an area 502 for a user interface device, an area 504 for other electronics, such as a controller, processor, and memory, an area 506 for the pumps, valves, and tubing, and a food preparation area 508.
  • FIG. 5C illustrates an additional view of the frame 500.
  • FIGS. 6A-6E illustrate several additional views of example components of the frames shown at FIGS. 4A-4C and FIGS. 5A-5C.
  • steel brackets e.g., Makerbeam
  • FIG. 6A-6E steel brackets (e.g., Makerbeam) may be used to fortify the structure and provide a customized support frame for the electronics.
  • FIG. 6A illustrates a corner of a frame with a corner cube
  • FIGS. 6B and 6C illustrate examples of how steel brackets may be used to reinforce the structure.
  • FIG. 6D illustrates how corner steel brackets and a small bar to may be used to create a support for the electronics component
  • FIG. 6E illustrates an example spacer used to hold motor drivers.
  • FIGS. 7A-7D illustrate several views of an example servo motor and food container, as may be used in the systems shown at FIGS. 1 and 3, in accordance with some embodiments.
  • the food container may include an adjustable slider.
  • the food container may be attached to the servo motor using magnets.
  • magnets allow users to easily remove the food container to add food to the container as needed.
  • the servo motor may be controlled to rotate in order to distribute food into the food preparation container to be mixed with water.
  • the number of rotations of the servo, and the degree to which the slider is opened, may be controlled by the user via the user interface, so as to adjust these parameters in order to provide the desired amount of food to the fish in the aquarium tanks. For instance, if each fish needs 15mg of food per day, a user may select between several options via a user interface, e.g., as shown at FIG. 20, “small” for 2 to 4 fish (approximately 60mg of food delivery), “medium” for 5 to 8 fish (approximately 120mg of food delivery), “large” for 9 to 14 fish (approximately 220mg of food delivery), “extra-large” for 15 to 20 fish (approximately 315mg of food delivery), etc. In some examples, users may select customized amounts of food, or customized numbers of fish to be fed via the user interface (e.g., beyond the small, medium, large, extra-large options shown at FIG. 20).
  • FIG. 8 illustrates an example pump and valve installation, as may be used in the system shown at FIG. 1 , in accordance with some embodiments.
  • a frame 800 such as the frame 400 or the frame 500 may be fitted with a pump 808 (e.g., the pump 108) for pumping water into a food preparation container, a valve 810 (e.g., the valve 110) for controlling the flow of water into the food preparation container, a pump 818 (e.g., the pump 118) for pumping air into the food preparation container for mixing the water with the food, and pumps 812 (e.g., the pumps 112) for pumping the mixture of food and water from the food preparation container into the tubing splitting tubing panels or tubing manifolds to eventually be distributed in the various aquarium tanks.
  • a pump 808 e.g., the pump 108
  • a valve 810 e.g., the valve 110
  • a pump 818 e.g., the pump 118
  • pumps 812 e.g., the
  • pumps 812 there may be any number of pumps 812 based on the number of aquarium tanks. For example, if each pump 812 distributes the food and water mixture to eight aquarium tanks, the number of pumps 812 may be added to the frame as needed based on the number of aquarium tanks where fish need to be fed.
  • FIGS. 9A-9C illustrate several additional views of example components of the exemplary pump and valve installation as shown at FIG. 8.
  • FIG. 9A illustrates an example micro gears pump used, including an in and out pipe
  • FIG. 9B illustrates a view of three top pumps attached to the frame 800 with a nylon cable tie
  • FIG. 9C illustrates the bottom pump and valve.
  • FIG. 10 illustrates an example pump and valve installation, as may be used in the system shown at FIG. 3, in accordance with some embodiments.
  • a frame 1000 such as the frame 400 or the frame 500 may be fitted with a pump 1008 (e.g., the pump 308) for pumping water from the water tank into a food preparation area or container, a pump 1012 (e.g., the pump 312) for pumping water from the food preparation area or container into various aquarium tanks, and valves 1018 (e.g., valves 318) for controlling the flow of water from the food preparation area or container into the various aquarium tanks.
  • the valves 1018 may be controlled via the user interface to be opened to specific tanks to control feeding quantity, frequency, etc. to each tank.
  • 30 valves 1018 are shown at FIG. 10, there may be any number of valves in various examples based on the number of aquarium tanks.
  • FIGS. 11 A- 11 D illustrate several additional views of example components of the exemplary pump and valve installation as shown at FIG. 10.
  • FIGS. 11A and 11 B illustrate the mounting of pumps 1008 and 1012 on the frame 1000
  • FIG. 11 C illustrates the valves 1018 mounted on the frame 1000 in groups of five.
  • FIG. 11 D illustrates the mounting of an individual valve 1018 on the frame 1000.
  • FIGS. 12A and 12B illustrate an example food preparation container (e.g., food preparation container 102 or 302), as may be used in the systems shown at FIGS. 1 and 3, in accordance with some embodiments.
  • FIG. 12A illustrates a hole in the food preparation container where a funnel may be inserted
  • FIG. 12B illustrates the food preparation container with the funnel inserted.
  • the food preparation container may be placed in a water containment tank, and magnet anchors may be used to correctly maintain the water container within the frame (e.g., in section 406 of the frame 400, or section 508 of the frame 500).
  • FIGS. 12C, 12D, 12E, and 12F illustrate locations where magnets may be glued to the frame for this purpose.
  • FIG. 13A illustrates an example water sensor
  • FIG. 13B illustrates an example submersible safety pump
  • FIG. 13C illustrates the pump in the water containment tank.
  • the pump may be anchored to the water containment tank using magnets, and the water sensor may be attached to the water containment tank using a tube holder suction cup.
  • the water sensor detects water in the water containment tank, and the water submersible pump is coupled to the water sensor and is activated to remove water from the water containment tank in the case of a leak.
  • wireless cameras and/or wireless water rope sensors may also be utilized to detect possible leaks, and may communicate with the submersible safety pump to pump water out of the water containment tank when leaks are detected.
  • FIGS. 14A-14C illustrate an example electronic control system 1400 for controlling the pumps, valves, and servo motor of the fish feeding system of FIG. 1 , in accordance with some embodiments.
  • the system 1400 may include a Raspberry Pi computer 1401 , configured to communicate with the user interface 1402 and a servo hat board 1403, to control the pulse width modulation (PWM) outputs of the servo motor 1404, pumps including, e.g., the safety pump 1405 discussed above with respect to FIGS.
  • PWM pulse width modulation
  • pump 1408 e.g., the pump 108 for pumping water into a food preparation container
  • a pump 1418 e.g., the pump 118
  • one or more pumps 1412 e.g., the pumps 112 for pumping the mixture of food and water from the food preparation container into the tubing splitting tubing panels or tubing manifolds to eventually be distributed in the various aquarium tanks
  • valves including, e.g., the valve 1410 (e.g., the valve 110) for controlling the flow of water through the system
  • the water sensor 1419 e.g., the water sensor 1419.
  • the system 1400 may further include motor controllers 1420, which communicate with the Raspberry Pi computer 1401 and servo hat board 1403 to control the DC motors of the pumps and valve. All the pumps and valves may be connected to the motor drivers 1420, which are plugged on a 12V, 10 amps, power supply converter 1421. To help stabilize the voltage and reduce voltage ripples due to the motors turning on and off, 1000uF capacitors 1422 may be connected in parallel between the 12V power supply and the motor controllers.
  • the Raspberry Pi computer 1401 , the servo hat board 1403, and all the electronics connected to the servo hat may run with 5V through the Raspberry Pi 1401 power.
  • FIG. 14B illustrates a closer view of an example motor controller or motor driver 1420, as may be used in the electronic control system 1400 shown at FIG. 14A, in accordance with some embodiments.
  • the motor drivers use standard H-bridges to control the voltage polarity at the output connectors.
  • the servo hat board 1403 controls the motors drivers 1420 via 5V TTL lines and can modulate these using Pulse Width Modulation (PWM), allowing for precise control over the voltage of the pumps and valves.
  • PWM Pulse Width Modulation
  • one motor driver 1420 can be connected to two output devices, and each motor driver can be controlled by the servo hat board 1403.
  • Each motor driver is connected to a shared DC 12V 10 Amps power supply 1421 , with a I OOOUF capacitor 1422 in parallel for each driver.
  • one motor driver 1420 may be connected to the safety pump 1405 and air pump 1418, another motor driver 1420 may be connected to the solenoid valve 1410 and the water-in pump 1408, and another motor driver 1420 may be connected to the water out pumps 1412 that distribute the mixture of food and water to the tanks.
  • FIG. 14C illustrates a closer view of the servo hat board 1403, as may be used in the electronic control system 1400 shown at FIG. 14A, in accordance with some embodiments.
  • This board is called a 'hat' because it is attached on top of the Raspberry Pi 1401 , and communicates with the Raspberry Pi 1401 through the GPIO connectors.
  • the servo hat board 1403 sends PWM signals to the motor controllers for control of the various pumps and valves.
  • Other devices such as the servo 1404 or safety pumps 1405 can be directly controlled with 5V TTL lines directly from the servo hat 1403.
  • FIG. 15A illustrates an example electronic control system 1500 for controlling the pumps, valves, and servo motor of the fish feeding system of FIG. 3, in accordance with some embodiments.
  • the system 1500 includes a Raspberry Pi computer 1501 for running the software and controlling the electronics, two (Mega chicken 2560 R3) microcontrollers 1524 for controlling digital devices; several motor controllers 1420 for controlling the safety pump 1505, pump 1508 (e.g., pump 308) for pumping water into the food preparation container, and pump 1512 (e.g., pump 312) for pumping water from the food preparation area or container into various aquarium tanks; and a 16 module relay interface board 1526 to drive current and control the valves 1518 (e.g., valves 318) in order to control the flow of the mixture of fish food and water that is distributed from the manifolds to each respective tank.
  • a Raspberry Pi computer 1501 for running the software and controlling the electronics
  • two (Mega chicken 2560 R3) microcontrollers 1524 for controlling digital devices
  • motor controllers 1420 for controlling the
  • the Raspberry Pi computer 1501 is connected directly to a microcontroller 1524 using a USB cable.
  • the two microcontrollers 1524 are serially connected and, through PWM signals, control the motor controllers 1520.
  • FIG. 15B illustrates a closer view of the (Mega chicken) microcontrollers 1524.
  • the microcontrollers 1524 control the opening of each individual valve 1518 through the 16 module relays 1526.
  • FIG. 15C illustrates a closer view of the module relays 1526.
  • the module relays 1526 are 12V interface boards which are used to control the opening of the valves 1518, and are directly controlled by the microcontrollers 1524. Although two 16-channel relays 1526 are shown at FIG.
  • module relays 1526 there may be any number of module relays 1526 based on the number of aquarium tanks, and valves 1518 that must be controlled to provide food to each tank.
  • a 12 V power supply 1521 provides power to the electronics, expect the Raspberry Pi 1502 and the microcontrollers 1524.
  • FIG. 16 illustrates an example user interface display 1600, as may be used in the systems shown at FIGS. 1 and 3, in accordance with some embodiments.
  • the user interface display 2000 may be displayed via the user interface 122 shown at FIG. 1 , the user interface 322 shown at FIG. 3, the touch screen 1402 shown at FIG. 14A, and/or the touch screen 1502 shown at FIG. 15A.
  • a user may enter input via the user interface display 1600, e.g., to indicate whether feeding or washing/cleaning functionality of the fish feeding system should be turned on or off, and to indicate the dates and the times at which the fish should be fed, as well as how much food should be delivered to each tank.
  • the respective pumps, valves, and servo may be activated in order to provide food to each tank based on the input from the user.
  • FIG. 17 illustrates a flowchart of an example method 1700 for automatically feeding fish, as may be used in the systems shown at FIGS. 1 and 3, in accordance with some embodiments.
  • user input indicating settings or preferences for feeding fish in aquarium tanks may be received (block 1702).
  • the system may include default settings for feeding fish, and may not require user input.
  • Fish food may be dispensed (block 1704) into a food preparation container by an automatic dispenser, e.g., based on the user input indicating the settings or preferences for feeding fish, or based on the default settings for feeding fish.
  • the fish food may be dry fish food.
  • a water pump may pump water into the food preparation container, again based on the user input indicating the settings or preferences for feeding fish, or based on the default settings for feeding fish.
  • the mixture of fish food and water from the food preparation container may be pumped (block 1706) into a tubing system.
  • the mixture of fish food and water may then be deposited (block 1708) into various aquarium tanks via the tubing system.
  • a pump may be configured to pump a mixture of the water and the fish food from the food preparation container to each of the plurality of aquarium tanks configured to house fish via a tubing system that receives the mixture of the water and the fish food from the food preparation container at an input opening and is split into a plurality of tubes that deposit the mixture of the water and the fish food into each respective aquarium tank via respective output openings of each of the tubes of the tubing system.
  • the method 1700 may include controlling one or more of a rate, a frequency, or a start time or stop time, of operation of the pump by a pump controller. Additionally, in some examples, the method 1700 may include controlling an opening or closing of one or more of: an input valve associated with the input opening of the tubing system, or one or more output valves associated with the respective output openings of each of the tubes of the tubing system, by a valve controller.
  • the method 1700 may include receiving input from a user via a user interface device communicatively connected to the pump controller, or a valve controller configured to control an input valve associated with the input opening of the tubing system, or one or more output valves associated with the respective output openings of each of the tubes of the tubing system.
  • controlling the pump, input valve, and/or one or more output valves may include controlling one or more of a rate, a frequency, a start time, or a stop time with which each of the plurality of aquarium tanks receive the mixture of the water and the fish food, based on input from the user.
  • the user may provide input indicating that settings for one or more of the aquarium tanks may be different than settings for one or more of the other aquarium tanks, i.e., indicating a different rate, frequency, start time, and/or stop time with which different of the aquarium tanks should receive the mixture of the water and the fish food.
  • the method 1700 may include communicating, by the user interface device, with a controller for the dispenser to control a rate, a frequency, a start time, or a stop time to control the dispensing of the fish food into the food preparation container, based on input from the user. [0064] In some examples, the method 1700 may also include a step of priming the system prior to use, and/or a step of cleaning the system after use.
  • the method 1700 may include controlling the pump, by the pump controller, to remove any air in the pump and flood the suction line before each program run.
  • the method 1700 may include controlling the pump, by the pump controller, to flush water (Le., without food) and then air through the tubing to rinse the system (i.e. tubes, pumps, and valves), e.g., as needed in order to restrain algal and bacterial growth in the system.
  • the timing, frequency, or specific fubing/tanks that are cleaned in this step may be based on input from the user.
  • a system comprising: a dispenser configured to dispense fish food into a food preparation container; and a pump configured to pump a mixture of the water and the fish food from the food preparation container to each of the plurality of aquarium tanks configured to house fish via a tubing system that receives the mixture of the water and the fish food from the food preparation container at an input opening and is split into a plurality of tubes that deposit the mixture of the water and the fish food into each respective aquarium tank via respective output openings of each of the tubes of the tubing system.
  • Aspect 2 The system of aspect 1 , further comprising a pump controller configured to control one or more of a rate, a frequency, or a start time or stop time, of operation of the pump.
  • Aspect 3 The system of any of aspects 1 or 2, further comprising one or more of: an input valve associated with the input opening of the tubing system, or one or more output valves associated with the respective output openings of each of the tubes of the tubing system.
  • Aspect 4 The system of aspect 3, further comprising a valve controller configured to control an opening or closing of one or more of the input valve or one or more output valves.
  • Aspect 5 The system of any one of aspects 1 -4, further comprising a user interface device configured to receive input from a user and display information to the user, the user interface device being communicatively connected to one or more of: a pump controller configured to control the pump, or a valve controller configured to control an input valve associated with the input opening of the tubing system, or one or more output valves associated with the respective output openings of each of the tubes of the tubing system.
  • a pump controller configured to control the pump
  • a valve controller configured to control an input valve associated with the input opening of the tubing system, or one or more output valves associated with the respective output openings of each of the tubes of the tubing system.
  • Aspect 6 The system of aspect 5, wherein the user interface device is configured to communicate with one or more of the pump controller or the valve controller to control one or more of a rate, a frequency, a start time, or a stop time with which each of the plurality of aquarium tanks receive the mixture of the water and the fish food based on input from the user.
  • Aspect 7 The system of aspect 6, wherein one or more of a first frequency, a first start time, or a first stop time with which a first one of the plurality of aquarium tanks receives the mixture of the water and the fish food is different from one or more of a second rate, a second frequency, a second start time, or a second stop time with which a second one of the plurality of aquarium tanks receives the mixture of the water and the fish food, based on input from the user.
  • Aspect 8 The system of any one of aspects 5-7, wherein the user interface device is communicatively connected to a controller for the dispenser and is configured to modify a rate, a frequency, a start time, or a stop time to control the dispensing of the fish food into the food preparation container based on input from the user.
  • Aspect 9 The system of any one of aspects 1-8, wherein the fish food includes dry fish food.
  • Aspect 10 The system of any one of aspects 1-9, wherein the fish food includes live fish food.
  • a method comprising: dispensing fish food into a food preparation container by an automatic dispenser; and pumping a mixture of the water and the fish food from the food preparation container to each of a plurality of aquarium tanks via a tubing system that receives the mixture of the water and the fish food from the container at an input opening and is split into a plurality of tubes that deposit the mixture of the water and the fish food into each respective aquarium tank via respective output openings of each of the tubes of the tubing system.
  • Aspect 12 The method of aspect 11 , further comprising controlling one or more of a rate, a frequency, or a start time or stop time, of operation of the pump by a pump controller.
  • Aspect 13 The method of any of aspects 11 or 12, further comprising controlling an opening or closing of one or more of: an input valve associated with the input opening of the tubing system, or one or more output valves associated with the respective output openings of each of the tubes of the tubing system, by a valve controller.
  • Aspect 14 The method of any one of aspects 11-13, further comprising receiving input from a user via a user interface device communicatively connected to one or more of: a pump controller configured to control the pump, or a valve controller configured to control an input valve associated with the input opening of the tubing system, or one or more output valves associated with the respective output openings of each of the tubes of the tubing system.
  • Aspect 15 The method of aspect 14, further comprising displaying information to the user via the user interface device.
  • Aspect 16 The method of any of aspects 14 or 15, further comprising communicating, by the user interface device, with one or more of the pump controller or the valve controller to control one or more of a rate, a frequency, a start time, or a stop time with which each of the plurality of aquarium tanks receive the mixture of the water and the fish food, based on input from the user.
  • Aspect 17 The method of aspect 16, wherein one or more of a first frequency, a first start time, or a first stop time with which a first one of the plurality of aquarium tanks receives the mixture of the water and the fish food is different from one or more of a second rate, a second frequency, a second start time, or a second stop time with which a second one of the plurality of aquarium tanks receives the mixture of the water and the fish food, based on input from the user.
  • Aspect 18 The method of any one of aspects 14-17, further comprising communicating, by the user interface device, with a controller for the dispenser to control a rate, a frequency, a start time, or a stop time to control the dispensing of the fish food into the food preparation container, based on input from the user.
  • Aspect 19 The method of any one of aspects 11-18, wherein the fish food includes dry fish food.
  • Aspect 20 The method of any one of aspects 11-19, wherein the fish food includes live fish food.

Landscapes

  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Environmental Sciences (AREA)
  • Marine Sciences & Fisheries (AREA)
  • Animal Husbandry (AREA)
  • Biodiversity & Conservation Biology (AREA)
  • Zoology (AREA)
  • Devices For Dispensing Beverages (AREA)

Abstract

Système d'alimentation automatique de poissons, comprenant : un distributeur conçu pour distribuer un aliment pour poissons dans un récipient de préparation d'aliment ; et une pompe conçue pour pomper un mélange d'eau et de l'aliment pour poissons du récipient de préparation d'aliment vers chacun de la pluralité de réservoirs d'aquarium conçus pour recevoir des poissons par l'intermédiaire d'un système de tubes qui reçoit le mélange d'eau et de l'aliment pour poissons provenant du récipient de préparation d'aliment au niveau d'une ouverture d'entrée et qui est divisé en une pluralité de tubes qui déposent le mélange d'eau et de l'aliment pour poissons dans chaque réservoir d'aquarium respectif par l'intermédiaire d'ouvertures de sortie respectives de chacun des tubes du système de tubes. Le système peut comprendre une ou plusieurs vannes pour réguler la quantité, la fréquence ou l'horaire de l'aliment pour poissons fourni à chaque réservoir d'aquarium.
PCT/US2022/020291 2021-03-17 2022-03-15 Dispositif d'alimentation d'installation aquatique automatique WO2022197643A1 (fr)

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US63/162,299 2021-03-17

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Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2099274A (en) * 1981-05-22 1982-12-08 Molaug Ole Automatic feeder
US6261590B1 (en) * 1998-01-21 2001-07-17 University Of Maryland Biotechnology Institute Methods for the enrichment of live feed with nutrients essential for fish larvae
US20150208619A1 (en) * 2014-01-27 2015-07-30 Joshua Devon Noble Temperature Regulated Automatic Aquarium Feeder

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2099274A (en) * 1981-05-22 1982-12-08 Molaug Ole Automatic feeder
US6261590B1 (en) * 1998-01-21 2001-07-17 University Of Maryland Biotechnology Institute Methods for the enrichment of live feed with nutrients essential for fish larvae
US20150208619A1 (en) * 2014-01-27 2015-07-30 Joshua Devon Noble Temperature Regulated Automatic Aquarium Feeder

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