Patent Application
20210144960
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The present invention is in the technical field of automated pet food dispensers. More particularly, the present invention is in the technical field of dispensing of wet food to household pets. There have been a number of inventions in automated and timed dispensing of pet food for pets like dogs and cats, as often pet owners need to leave their homes for work or for a weekend and need their pets fed when they are gone.
“Wet” food for dogs and cats typically refers to wet or moist food from pet food cans or could be a home-prepared high moisture meal by a pet owner. Such food is termed “wet” to distinguish it from commercially available “dry” pet food sold in sealed bags. Such wet food is susceptible to spoilage due to bacteria growth when left open at room temperature. In comparison, dry food has very low moisture content and will not decay for extended periods without refrigeration.
Most inventions on the market work well only for dispensing dry pet food. However, a significant percent of pet owners prefer wet food since dry food contains very little moisture, which can lead to dehydration in pets, which can possibly lead to various health issues. Further, a significant percent of pets prefer wet or moist food versus dry food.
Almost all current inventions on the market that dispense wet or moist canned food, require the pet owner to place an ice pack inside the dispensing unit to keep the food cold to preserve the freshness. However, such ice packs lose effectiveness in 24 hours or less as they warm up to the room temperature in a few hours.
In comparison, this invention has an electrically powered cooler similar to a refrigerator in order to preserve the wet food from decaying prior to dispensing and the use of ice packs is not required. Both wet food and dry food can be served with this invention, however, due to the advantage of the cooler built-in, a typical user of this device will primarily use this device to dispense wet food to their pet(s).
Prior Art Limitations: None of the prior arts provide electrically powered cooling of wet food prior to dispensing in order to preserve the freshness of wet pet food over 24 hours, except one. This only exception is WO2000074474 A1 by Springett, which requires a cutting blade, which can get contaminated with bacteria after its first use unless the machine cleans the blade or the blade itself is maintained at a sufficiently cold temperature. Unfortunately, this does not appear to be the case in this invention.
The present invention relates to an automatic pet food dispenser, which consists of an insulated base, an insulated cover, both of which form an enclosure. Inside this enclosure is a rotatable serving tray with multiple food compartments. The user (owner) of the device can fill these compartments with food of their choice for their pet(s). The insulated cover has an opening, which exposes one of these food compartments and thus allows pets such as dogs or cats to eat food from the exposed food compartment. The compartmentalized serving tray is connected to a motor that rotates the serving tray as needed to expose different food compartments under the opening of the cover that allows for serving of food at preconfigured times to a pet.
Further, there is a thermoelectric cooling (TEC) peltier device with a cooling finned plate also known as a heat sink, and a fan mounted inside the enclosure or on this finned plate formed by the insulated cover and insulated base. The fan circulates the air within the unit and forces the air to flow over the finned surface cooled by thermoelectric cooling peltier device, which then cools the air. This cool air, in turn, cools down the food as the air flows over the compartments containing the food. By keeping wet food cold, this invention preserves the freshness of the food and prevents the food from going bad due to bacterial growth over an extended period just like a refrigerator. This invention therefore allows the pet to be fed with controlled portions of wet food without human intervention over longer time periods than would be possible otherwise due to bacterial food spoilage.
ICT Insulated Cover
INS Insulation layer
INC Inside Cover layer
ICO Insulated Cover Opening
IBB Insulated Base
CC Condensation Collector
CST Compartmentalized Serving Tray
FC Food Compartment (7 Compartments shown in CST)
EFC Exposed Food Compartment
TECS1 Thermoelectric Cooler #1 (also referred or just a thermoelectric cooler in case only one such cooler is installed).
TECS2 Thermoelectric Cooler #2
TECS3 Thermoelectric Cooler #3
TECFIN1 Thermoelectric Cooler Finned Plate #1
TECFIN2 Thermoelectric Cooler Finned Plate #2
TECFIN3 Thermoelectric Cooler Finned Plate #3
TEC1 Thermoelectric Cooler [Peltier] device #1 (also referred to as thermoelectric cooler device; also just referred to as thermoelectric cooler peltier device)
TEC2 Thermoelectric Cooler [Peltier] device #2
TEC3 Thermoelectric Cooler [Peltier] device #3
TECC Thermoelectric Cooler [Peltier] device (as an alternate cooling source of Food compartment(s)). (Optional)
TECH Thermoelectric Cooler [Peltier] device (in reversed orientation for heating of served food from under Exposed Food Compartment). (Optional)
TECF1 Thermoelectric Cooler Fan #1
TECF2 Thermoelectric Cooling Fan #2
TECF3 Thermoelectric Cooling Fan #3
HEFIN Heat Exchanger Finned Plate
HEXF1 Heat Exchanger Fan #1
HEXF2 Heat Exchanger Fan #2
HEXF3 Heat Exchanger Fan #3
PCB PCB with microcontroller and WiFi adapter
LCD LCD screen display interface
INP Input interface
MOT Motor to rotate serving tray
MOTG Motor gear assembly
VENT Vents to allow release heat
PWR 12V Power Adapter
RHOU Rear Housing
RADIATOR Liquid cooled radiator
TUBING1 Tubing from TANK to RADIATOR
TUBING2 Tubing from RADIATOR to PUMP
TUBING3 Tubing from PUMP to TANK
PUMP Liquid pump to force circulation for cooling via RADIATOR
TANK Tank liquid container which allows liquid to absorb heat
Referring now to the invention in more detail, in
Typically, the owner (user) of the device will first open the cover. Then the user will load predetermined wet (canned or moist) or dry processed food portions into various compartments, program the unit via the interface to dispense food at various times, and close the cover such that only the exposed food compartment EFC is accessible to a pet. A pet can start eating food from this EFC compartment right away. At the next pet feeding time programmed by the user, the CST tray will rotate as explained further below so that the next food compartment is exposed for a pet to eat food from. This cycle of exposing further food compartments to a pet repeats as programmed by the owner (user) of the device.
Further, in
Also seen in the above figures is a power supply PWR, which provides sufficient power in terms of voltage and current to operate the device. This power supply is optimally a 12V, 15 amp power supply, however, this device can be easily fitted with high power tolerances and could operate at as low as 5V, 4 amp and as high as 24V, 20 amps and all other configurations in between. Lower voltages below 12V will generate lower amounts of cooling and higher voltages above 12V will generate more cooling, but such higher voltages will also reduce the life of the thermoelectric cooler. Therefore, we have selected the optimal 12V, 15 amp power supply for now.
When the thermoelectric cooler operates, it removes heat from the inside of the pet feeder's insulated enclosure and radiates the heat outside from the rear of the unit where the multiple vents (VENT) are located. See
The optional rear housing RHOU encapsulates the thermoelectric cooler(s) in order to protect the fans from external objects and to protect external objects including the user and pets from the heat exchanger's fans. Rear housing RHOU also adds aesthetics to the invention. The LCD & INP user interface could be integrated into the insulated base IBB component if RHOU is removed from this design.
Further, the LCD & INP user interface itself is optional as the PCB is optionally equipped with a WiFi adapter so the user can use a remote device such as a computer or a smartphone as the user interface to view status and input food compartment dispense times.
Referring now to
Referring again to
Now referring to
Now referring to
On the cold side of the mentioned thermoelectric cooler peltier device such as TEC1, TEC2, TEC3, we use a similar setup as discussed above in order to optimize the cooling effects. The various optional thermoelectric cooling finned plates such as TECFIN1, TECFIN2, TECFIN3 are mechanically or chemically glued to the thermoelectric cooler peltier devices (TEC1, TEC2, TEC3) to allow faster transfer of cold temperature to the fins mentioned. These fins increase the surface area from which cold temperature can be radiated, making the distribution of cold temperature more efficient. Further, we chemically or mechanically bond cooling fans TECF1, TECF2, TECF3 on the thermoelectric cooling finned plates TECFIN1, TECFIN2, TECFIN3. These fans force circulation of the air within the enclosure of the current pet feeder invention and also force the air to pass over the thermoelectric cooling finned plates TECFIN1, TECFIN2, TECFIN3 thereby cooling down the air inside the pet feeder even faster and more efficiently. This cold air, in turn, will cool down the pet food, which helps preserve the freshness of the pet food, much like a refrigerator. All food compartments except for the one which is exposed, are insulated inside the pet feeder and cold temperature is maintained around the food which is not dispensed yet. The exposed food compartment in which the food is served to the pet is not enclosed and therefore starts to warm up to room temperature when the food bowl is exposed to room temperature air, outside this pet feeder enclosure.
In normal operation, ice can form on thermoelectric cooling finned plates TECFIN1, TECFIN2, TECFIN3 as well as the cold side of the thermoelectric cooling devices TEC1, TEC2, TEC3. Please note that thermoelectric cooling devices TEC1, TEC2, TEC3 cold side temperature can range between 40 F to −10 F degrees. Since this surface is cooler than the ambient air temperature, some of the moisture in the air will condense on the surface of the cooling finned plates. In scenarios where the cooling finned plate temperature is below freezing, the condensation will turn into ice. After some time, when the air temperature inside this pet feeder reaches sufficiently cold temperatures, similar to a refrigerator, e.g. 40 degrees Fahrenheit, an optional thermostat could signal to the microcontroller to turn off the power to the thermoelectric cooling devices TEC1, TEC2, TEC3. As these thermoelectric cooling finned plates attached to the thermoelectric cooling devices warm up to above-freezing temperature, the ice on the finned plates will start to melt and corresponding water drips into the below-located condensation collector CC. This condensation collector CC can be in shape of an indented tray or an absorbent sponge where such water can be captured instead of dripping inside on to the insulated base IBB, thereby dripping into food compartments changing the composition of the water content in the pet food. Such condensed water could also leak to outside of the unit on to the floor. Many pets and pet owners might find such leakages undesirable. A small optional outlet can help this drain this water out from inside of the insulated pet feeder area, and to another tray-like area, but at warmer, room temperature, where it will evaporate over time. Alternatively, the user of the device can clean out this collected condensation using a towel at a convenient time such as when refilling food compartments.
An alternate method of cooling down pet food is via conduction where one or more thermoelectric cooler peltier devices e.g. TECC as shown in
Further, when a new food bowl is exposed to a pet for feeding, some pets and users prefer that the food be brought to room temperature quicker. Therefore an optional thermoelectric cooler peltier device TECH reversed, i.e., with the hot side up and cold side down can be installed under the exposed food compartment EFC. When food is served, this thermoelectric cooler peltier device with hot side touching the food compartment can be supplied power via a relay controlled by a signal from the microprocessor. This thermoelectric cooler peltier device will then start to warm up the served food in exposed food compartment EFC quicker than what could be achieved by just plain exposure of cold food to room air.
The dimensions of this unit can typically vary depending on various insignificant alterations in the design such as the position of thermoelectric cooler assembly, selected number of thermoelectric coolers, aesthetics of various parts, volume of air gaps, and the desired size of food compartments which can also change the amount of food fed to a pet. Such a unit would approximately have length×breadth range from [12-inch×12-inch] to [24-inch×24 inch] and does not necessarily have to square-shaped. The height of the unit can typically be 2-inches to 10-inches and further, the unit may not be of uniform height all throughout. Height is determined on the lowest end by the desired height of the exposed food compartment EFC so a pet can easily access the food. On the t end of the unit, height is determined by the orientation and height of the heat exchanger fans selected which also determines the height of the optional rear housing.
While most custom-made parts of this invention, including rear cover, insulated base, insulated cover and compartmentalized serving tray would likely be plastic injection molded, it is possible to make these in other materials such as various metal alloys. The insulation layer INS, as shown in
Some pet owners prefer their pets to eat of metal bowls made from materials such as stainless steel instead of injection-molded plastic. Usually, such preference is driven by the fact that the plastic food compartments can harbor microscopic bacteria, which is difficult to get rid of even after thoroughly washing the plastic compartmentalized serving tray. Further, eating out of such infected plastic materials sometimes results in an infectious chin disease in cats since their chins repeatedly touch the plastic compartment during feedings. To prevent this problem, custom-made stainless steel inserts could be placed inside the food compartments. Such inserts would be sold as part of the invention. Stainless steel inserts clean much better and thereby prevent such health issues.
As seen in
While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above-described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention.
