Pet exercise device with motivational mechanism

Abstract

The application relates to the pet feeding technical field, in particular to pet exercise equipment. The application discloses a pet exercise device with an exciting mechanism, which adopts a running wheel as a pet exercise and playing appliance. The running wheel is installed on a base, when a pet runs on the running wheel, the running wheel is driven to rotate, and the purpose of exercise and playing is achieved. Since a feeding mechanism is linked with the running wheel, after the running wheel rotates, the feeding mechanism can control the feeding mechanism to feed food according to the running wheel rotating state, and the pet can obtain corresponding amount of food, so that an exciting effect on the pet is generated, and the pet likes the exercise more. The pet exercise device has the advantages of simple structure and low cost. The technical scheme of the application can stimulate the interest of the pet in playing by controlling the type and amount of food fed to the pet, and can encourage the pet to improve the exercise amount and the interest in persisting in exercise. The pet exercise device is particularly suitable for cats, mice and other pets as toys or exercise appliances.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of pet care technology, and particularly to pet exercise equipment, specifically, to a pet exercise device with an incentive mechanism. Background Technology

[0002] With pet ownership becoming increasingly common, various pet-related industries and services have emerged, such as pet food, pet toys, and various pet exercise equipment.

[0003] Among pet exercise devices, the most common is the pet running wheel. This device combines pet toys and exercise equipment, making it ideal for pets to play and engage in physical training.

[0004] Chinese Patent Publication No. CN212993775U (publication date: April 20, 2021) discloses a pet running wheel that can display exercise data. The technical solution involves installing a digital counter on a traditional pet running wheel and using sensors to collect the number of rotations and rotation time of the wheel, thereby obtaining the pet's exercise data.

[0005] The advantage of this patent is that the running wheel has a simple structure and rotates smoothly. The main problem is that after playing or exercising for a period of time, pets are prone to getting bored and losing interest in continuing to play.

[0006] Chinese Patent Publication No. CN119769435A (publication date: April 8, 2025) discloses a pet toy that combines pet toys with food feeding. It increases the pet's interest in playing by rewarding it with food and further stimulates the pet's interest in playing by randomly changing the food feeding button.

[0007] The technical solution of this patent application uses a button-driven feeding mechanism to control the type and quantity of food. Pets obtain food by pressing buttons in different positions. This way of providing pets with play by pressing buttons is not very interesting and does not provide enough exercise. Furthermore, the feeding mechanism becomes complicated by randomly changing the button positions through the mechanical structure, which in turn complicates the mechanical structure of the entire toy. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The main purpose of this application is to provide a pet exercise device with an incentive mechanism that stimulates pets' interest in playing through food rewards and reduces the complexity of the device.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, according to one aspect of a specific embodiment of this application, a pet exercise device with an incentive mechanism is provided, comprising a running wheel for pet running practice and a feeding mechanism for feeding food, wherein the running wheel is mounted on a base, characterized in that the feeding mechanism is linked to the running wheel, and the feeding mechanism controls the quantity and / or type of food fed according to the rotation state of the running wheel.

[0010] Specifically, the running wheel rotation state refers to the running wheel rotation speed.

[0011] Specifically, the running wheel rotation state refers to the running wheel rotation time.

[0012] Furthermore, the feeding mechanism is linked to the running wheel via a mechanical structure.

[0013] Specifically, the mechanical structure includes a transmission belt and a transmission wheel, the transmission wheel being linked to the running wheel and controlling the feeding mechanism through the transmission belt.

[0014] Furthermore, the feeding mechanism is linked to the running wheel via an electronic control mechanism.

[0015] Specifically, the electronic control mechanism includes a sensor, a microprocessor, and an electromagnetic actuator. The sensor transmits the rotation status of the running wheel to the microprocessor, and the microprocessor controls the electromagnetic actuator to turn on or off based on the rotation status of the running wheel.

[0016] Specifically, the sensor is a Hall sensor.

[0017] Specifically, the microprocessor is a single-chip microcomputer.

[0018] Specifically, the microprocessor is a DSP or an FPGA.

[0019] According to the technical solution of this application and the technical solution further improved therein in some exemplary embodiments, this application has the following beneficial effects:

[0020] The pet exercise device of this application has the advantages of simple structure and low cost. The technical solution of this application motivates pets to play by controlling the type and amount of food fed to them, thus encouraging them to increase their exercise volume and maintain their interest in exercise. This pet exercise device is particularly suitable as a toy or exercise equipment for pets such as cats and mice.

[0021] The present application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. Additional aspects and advantages of the present application will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the present application. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of this application. The detailed embodiments, illustrative examples, and descriptions thereof are used to explain this application and do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the pet exercise device with an incentive mechanism in Example 1;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the grain wheel structure in Example 1;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the grain wheel shaft in Example 1;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the paddle in Example 1;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the grain box structure in Example 1;

[0028] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the grain box lid in Example 1;

[0029] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the electronic control mechanism of the pet exercise device with an incentive mechanism in Example 2.

[0030] Among them, 1—frame; 2—running wheel; 3—feeding mechanism; 20—drive wheel; 21—drive belt; 30—grain box; 31—grain wheel; 32—paddle; 33—funnel; 34—grain box cover; 35—food storage trough; 36—step; 310—hexagonal hole; 301—separator; 311—leakage hole; 312—driven wheel; 313—drive shaft; 314—hexagonal shaft; 40—microprocessor; 41—sensor; 42—electromagnetic actuator. Detailed Implementation

[0031] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the specific embodiments, exemplary embodiments, and features thereof in this application can be combined with each other. This application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and the following description.

[0032] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the specific embodiments and exemplary embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described exemplary embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments. Based on the specific embodiments and exemplary embodiments of the present application, all other embodiments and implementations obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0033] This application presents a pet exercise device with an incentive mechanism, using a running wheel as a tool for pet exercise and play. The running wheel is mounted on a base, and when the pet runs on the running wheel, it rotates, achieving the purpose of exercise and play.

[0034] Because the feeding mechanism is linked to the running wheel, it can control the food delivery based on the wheel's rotation, ensuring the pet receives the appropriate amount of food. This motivates the pet and makes it enjoy the activity more. The type of food can also be controlled based on the wheel's rotation to suit different pets' preferences, or both the type and quantity of food can be controlled simultaneously.

[0035] The running wheel's rotation speed can be used to control the amount of food given. Incentives like food will encourage the pet to run faster, increasing the wheel's speed, in order to get more food. Alternatively, the amount of food can be controlled based on the running wheel's rotation time; the longer the wheel rotates, the more food is given, thus encouraging the pet to increase its exercise time.

[0036] Example 1

[0037] See Figure 1 This example illustrates a pet exercise device structure with an incentive mechanism, comprising a running wheel 2 for pet running practice and a feeding mechanism 3 for feeding food. The running wheel 2 is mounted on a base 1 and can rotate around a central axis. When the pet runs on the running wheel 2, it causes the running wheel 2 to rotate.

[0038] In this example, the feeding mechanism is linked to the running wheel via a mechanical structure, which includes a transmission belt 21 and a transmission wheel 20. The transmission wheel 20 is fixed to the running wheel 2 and linked to it, rotating synchronously with the running wheel 1. The transmission wheel 20 is connected to the transmission shaft 313 of the feeding mechanism 3 via the transmission belt, controlling the feeding mechanism 3 to dispense food. Figure 1 As shown.

[0039] The feeding mechanism in this example includes a food container 30, a food wheel 31, a feed tweezer 32, a funnel 33, a food container lid 34, a food storage trough 35, and a step 36. All these components are mounted on a base 1. The food wheel 31 has the following structure... Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the hexagonal hole in the center of the feed wheel 31 is connected to the hexagonal shaft at one end of the rotating shaft 313, and the driven wheel 312 at the other end of the drive shaft 313 is connected to the drive wheel 20 via the drive belt 21. The step 36 provides convenience for pets to get on and off the running wheel and facilitates pets' eating, which is especially practical for smaller pets.

[0040] When the pet runs on the running wheel 2, the running wheel 2 rotates, driving the transmission wheel 20 fixed on the running wheel 2 to rotate, which in turn drives the transmission shaft 313 to rotate via the transmission belt 21. By changing the diameter of the transmission wheel 20 and the driven wheel 312, the transmission ratio between the running wheel 2 and the food wheel 31 can be set to control the rotation angle of the food wheel 31. Combined with the position of the lever 32, it is possible to control which hole 311 on the food wheel 31 connects to a specific food bin on the food container 30, allowing the corresponding food to enter the food storage trough 35 through the funnel 33 for the pet to eat, thus enabling the selection of different foods. Adjusting the position of the lever 32 can also control how many holes 311 are open, thus controlling the amount of food. In this example, the rotation angle of the food wheel 31 can also be controlled by a reduction gear mechanism to further improve control precision.

[0041] The structures of the paddle 32 and the grain box 30 in this example are as follows: Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the position of the lever 32 on the grain wheel 31 can be manually set. In this example, the grain box 30 is divided into three grain compartments by the divider 301, allowing for the selection of three different foods. The grain box 30 has a lid 34 on top; after food is placed in the grain box 30, inserting the lid 34 prevents the food from being contaminated by the environment. Figure 6 As shown.

[0042] This mechanical control method, as described in this example, requires no external power source. Once the transmission ratio between the running wheel and the food wheel is determined and the shifter position is set, the pet can play independently. It boasts advantages such as low operating costs and ease of portability and placement.

[0043] Example 2

[0044] See Figure 7 This example features a pet exercise device with an incentive mechanism, employing electronic control technology. The feeding mechanism is linked to the running wheel via an electronic control system.

[0045] The electronic control mechanism includes a sensor 41, a microprocessor 40, and an electromagnetic actuator 42, such as Figure 7As shown. Sensor 41 transmits the rotation status of the running wheel 2 to the microprocessor 40. Based on the rotation status data of the running wheel 2 collected by sensor 41, the microprocessor 40 outputs a control signal to control the electromagnetic driver 42 to drive the feeding mechanism 3, thereby enabling the selection of the type and quantity of food to be fed.

[0046] In this example, sensor 41 uses a Hall sensor to collect the rotation data of the running wheel 2. The microprocessor calculates the rotation speed and rotation time of the running wheel 2 through its internal program, outputs corresponding control signals, and controls the electromagnetic actuator to achieve the purpose of feeding the pet according to the intensity of the pet's exercise (reflected in the rotation speed and rotation time of the running wheel), thereby stimulating the pet.

[0047] In this example, the microprocessor 40 can be implemented using a microcontroller, DSP (Digital Signal Processor), or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), etc., and its specific working principle will not be elaborated here. Similarly, the electromagnetic actuator in this example can also use a solenoid valve, a micro motor, etc., to perform control actions.

[0048] For the other structural details of the pet exercise device with incentive mechanism in this example, please refer to the description in Example 1. This example uses an electronic control mechanism, which simplifies the mechanical connection between the feeding mechanism and the running wheel, and features mature technology and convenient control.

Claims

1. A pet exercise device with an incentive mechanism, comprising a running wheel for pet running practice and a feeding mechanism for feeding food, wherein the running wheel is mounted on a base, characterized in that, The feeding mechanism is linked to the running wheel, and the feeding mechanism controls the quantity and / or type of food fed according to the rotation state of the running wheel.

2. The pet exercise device with an incentive mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotation state of the running wheel is the running wheel rotation speed.

3. The pet exercise device with an incentive mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotation state of the running wheel is the running wheel rotation time.

4. The pet exercise device with an incentive mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding mechanism is linked to the running wheel via a mechanical structure.

5. A pet exercise device with an incentive mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that, The mechanical structure includes a transmission belt and a transmission wheel, the transmission wheel being linked to the running wheel and controlling the feeding mechanism through the transmission belt.

6. A pet exercise device with an incentive mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding mechanism is linked to the running wheel via an electronic control system.

7. A pet exercise device with an incentive mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that, The electronic control mechanism includes a sensor, a microprocessor, and an electromagnetic driver. The sensor transmits the rotation status of the running wheel to the microprocessor, and the microprocessor controls the electromagnetic driver to drive the feeding mechanism based on the rotation status of the running wheel.

8. A pet exercise device with an incentive mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that, The sensor is a Hall sensor.

9. A pet exercise device with an incentive mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that, The microprocessor is a single-chip microcomputer.

10. A pet exercise device with an incentive mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that, The microprocessor is either a DSP or an FPGA.

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