Feeding System

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a feeding system including a housing that generally forms an exterior of the feeding system, an arm configured to rotate clockwise and counterclockwise to a plurality of positions and to support a can within the housing, a can opener in a first position of the plurality of positions, and an opening in the housing in a second position of the plurality of positions.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 804,366, filed February 12, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0002] Typical feeding systems have various shortcomings, such as only being able to provide dry food or only being able to open a single container of wet food. Many feeding systems do not allow one or more unopened cans of food, including wet food, to be opened over time, so animals only have access to the most recently opened can of food for feeding. Also, many feeding systems do not allow opened food to be contained in a dedicated area to minimize drying and bacterial growth. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] Thus, there is a need for a system and method for feeding several unopened food cans to various animals over time.Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods that address the above and other problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] The present disclosure relates to a feeding system configured to deliver canned food.

[0005] The present disclosure also relates to a feeding system including a housing generally forming an exterior of the feeding system, the housing having an internal arm configured to rotate clockwise and counterclockwise to a plurality of positions and configured to support a can, a can opener in a first of the plurality of positions, and an opening in the housing in a second of the plurality of positions. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] The present disclosure will be better understood with reference to the following drawings.

[0007] A detailed description of all the drawings is given below.

[0008] [Figure 1A-1C] 1A-1C are top and front views of a feeding system according to an embodiment. [Figures 2A-2D] 2A-2D are a top view, a left side view, a right side view, and a front view of an embodiment of a feeding system during operation. [Fig. 2E-2I] 2E-2I are a top view, a left side view, a right side view, and a front view of a feeding system according to an embodiment during operation. [Figure 3A-3C] 3A-3C are side and top views of an embodiment of a feeding system during operation. [Figure 3D] FIG. 3D is a side view of an embodiment of a feeding system during operation. [Figure 4A] FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a feeding system according to another embodiment. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is a perspective view of a feeding system according to another embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a feeding system according to an embodiment. [Figure 6A] FIG. 6A is a diagram showing the configuration of the feeding system and the can chute. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a diagram showing the configuration of the feeding system and the can chute. [Figure 6C] FIG. 6C is a diagram showing the configuration of the feeding system and the can chute. [Figure 6D] FIG. 6D is a diagram showing the configuration of the feeding system and can chute. [Figure 6E] FIG. 6E is a diagram showing the configuration of the feeding system and the can chute. [Figure 6F] FIG. 6F is a diagram showing the configuration of the feeding system and can chute. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 shows various can positions. [Figure 8A] FIG. 8A is a perspective view of the support arm. [Figure 8B] FIG. 8B is a perspective view of the support arm. [Figure 8C] FIG. 8C is a perspective view of the support arm. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the end detector. [Figure 10A] FIG. 10A is a perspective view of a can opener. [Figure 10B] FIG. 10B is a perspective view of the can opener. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a bottom view of the opening cover. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the lid closing arm. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] The present application will now be described in more detail by reference to the following description and drawings accompanying the present application. It should be noted that the drawings in the present application are provided for illustrative purposes only, and that such drawings are not drawn to scale. It should also be noted that corresponding elements are referred to by similar reference numerals.

[0010] In the following description, numerous specific details are given, such as specific structures, components, materials, dimensions, processing steps, and techniques, to provide an understanding of various embodiments of the present application. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various embodiments of the present application may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures or processing steps have not been described in detail to avoid obscuring the present application.

[0011] When an element, such as a layer, region, or substrate, is referred to as being on or over another element, it will be understood that it may be directly on the other element, or through intervening elements. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being directly on or directly over another element, there are no intervening elements present. Also, when an element is referred to as being beneath or under another element, it will be understood that it may be beneath or under the other element, or there may be intervening elements present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being directly beneath or directly under another element, there are no intervening elements present.

[0012] In the description and claims of this specification, the term "about" indicates that the recited value may vary slightly without causing non-compliance of the process or structure to the described embodiment. For example, for some elements, the term "about" may refer to a variation of ±0.1%, while for other elements, the term "about" may refer to a change of ±1% or ±10%, or any point therein.

[0013] As used herein, the terms "substantially" or "substantial" are equally applicable when used in the negative sense to refer to a complete or nearly complete lack of an action, feature, characteristic, state, structure, item, or result. For example, a surface that is substantially flat refers to being completely flat, or to being so nearly flat that the effect would be the same as if it were completely flat.

[0014] As used herein, terms such as "a," "an," and "the" are not intended to refer to the singular only, but include generic units of specific examples that may be used for illustration.

[0015] As used herein, terms defined in the singular are intended to include terms defined in the plural and vice versa.

[0016] As used herein, any numerical range explicitly includes each numerical value (including fractional and integer numbers) contained within the range. For example, as used herein, a numerical range of "at least 50" or "at least about 50" includes integers such as 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, and decimals such as 50.1, 50.2, 50.3, 50.4, 50.5, 50.6, 50.7, 50.8, 50.9, and the like. As a further example, as used herein, a numerical range of "less than 50" or "less than about 50" includes integers such as 49, 48, 47, 46, 45, 44, 43, 42, 41, 40, and the like, and decimals such as 49.9, 49.8, 49.7, 49.6, 49.5, 49.4, 49.3, 49.2, 49.1, and the like. As another example, the numerical range "5 to 10" includes the integers 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, as well as decimals such as 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 5.7, 5.8, and 5.9.

[0017] As used herein, the term "canned food" or "can" refers to any metal or metal-containing container (as well as plastic containers with film covers) that holds food items and / or medicines. FIG. 1A is a top view of the lower tray 10 of an embodiment of a feeding system 1, with elements vertically above the lower tray removed for illustrative purposes. The rear portion 12 of the lower tray is configured to contain various electrical elements (e.g., wiring, fuses, electrical receiving elements, transformers, etc.), various computing elements (e.g., processors, memory, wireless transmitters, etc.), one or more motors, and optionally one or more batteries.

[0018] The front section 14 has a panel 16 configured to slide in the direction of the arrow 15. The panel 16 can be slid by being biased by a pole or other part that can contact and move the panel 16. In one example of this mechanism, the panel 16 contacts two poles, with one movable panel 16 sliding in a first direction, which is the direction of the arrow 15, and the other movable panel 16 sliding in a second direction, which is the opposite direction to the arrow 15. Alternatively, the panel 16 can be slid in each direction of the arrow 15 by rotating a screw portion.

[0019] A number of bumpers 18 are operatively connected to the panel. In this embodiment, three bumpers are shown, but other embodiments may have two, four or more bumpers. The number of bumpers 18 are configured to move from or toward the center of the panel to contact the exterior surface of the cans 20. The number of bumpers 18 can vary in size and shape and can be moved to accommodate cans of various sizes.

[0020] In this embodiment, the bumpers 18 are rotating cylinders with central pressing portions extending vertically from the panel 16 and connected to a gear (not shown) located underneath the panel 16. As the gear rotates, the central pressing portions of each bumper 18 move toward or away from each other depending on the direction the gear rotates. Each bumper 18 may include a sensor (not shown) configured to sense pressure between each bumper 18 and the can 20. Based on the known position of each bumper 18 and the pressures measured by the sensors, the feeding system 1 can determine the size of the can on the panel 16.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1A, panel 16 is in a first position, while in Figure 1B, panel 16 is in a second position. In this second position, can 20 can be accessed from outside the feeding system, for example by a dog or cat. Typically, a cover (not shown) is vertically above the second position, and is opened when panel 16 is moved from the first position to the second position. Alternatively, panel 16 may extend to the exterior of the system, such that panel 16 protrudes from the exterior to present the contents of the can.

[0022] The cover may be opened in any suitable manner, such as by receiving a signal based on a processor, an application, a proximity sensor, a cloud-based program, a facial recognition program, or a schedule, so that it can be opened or closed at specific times of day. In other embodiments, the cover may be opened manually by a user, and the cover may be moved by touching a portion of the cover.

[0023] 1C is a side view of the lower tray 10. In this view, the panel 16 and multiple bumpers 18 are shown (without the cans). Vertically below the panel 16 while the panel 16 is in the first position is a lid receiver 24 configured to receive multiple lids 22. When the lids 22 are removed from the cans while the cans are in the first position, the lids 22 are held in the second position until the panel 16 moves to a second position (shown in FIG. 1B), as described below. The lids 22 are then released and dropped vertically into the lid receiver.

[0024] 2A is another view of this embodiment showing mid-tray 40 with a cover 48 as described above on front portion 44. Front portion 44 also includes a can opener 46, which will be further described below. Rear portion 42 has a full can receiving portion 50 and an opened can receiving portion 52. Mid-tray 40 and its operation are described more fully below.

[0025] Figure 2B is a front view showing lower tray 10 and middle tray 40. As shown in Figure 2B, can opener 46 is positioned vertically above panel 16 (in a first position of panel 16) and is positioned to interact with a can lid (not shown) to remove the can lid.

[0026] Once the lid is removed by the can opener 46, the can opener 46 is configured to hold the lid for a period of time, at least until the panel is moved from the first position (FIG. 2B) to the second position (FIG. 2C). The can lid can be held in a particular position relative to the can opener in any suitable manner, such as using suction and / or magnetic forces, or any other suitable mechanical means, such as a puncture, gripping arms, clamps, etc. Once the panel 16 is in the second position of FIG. 2C, the lid is removed from the can opener 46 and drops vertically into the lid receiving portion 24.

[0027] 2D is a left side view of the feeding system 1. As can be seen, the full can receiver 50 includes one or more full cans 53 (e.g., seven cans in this embodiment). In this application, a "full can" refers to any suitable can of any suitable size with a lid that can be removed with a can opener.

[0028] Optionally, the sides of the can housing 50 may have movable bumpers that move under tension to aid in refilling the cans by slowing the rate at which the cans fall into the can housing. Additionally, these bumpers may be used to sense the size of the cans and communicate this size information to the processor of the feeding system 1. Alternatively, the full can housing 50 and the open can housing 52 may open sideways to allow cans to be stacked and removed manually instead of being inserted and removed from the top and / or bottom.

[0029] As shown in Figure 2D, the full can 53 is moved from the full can receiver 50 onto the panel 16 by a motor (not shown) pushing (or pulling) the full can 53 in the direction of arrow 54. The bumper 18 then moves into contact with the can, the can opener 46 removes the lid, and the panel 16 moves to a second position where the lid is ejected from the can opener 46 into the lid receiver 24.

[0030] 2E, a right side view of the feeding system 1, shows the panel in a second position, in which the lid 48 is movable to allow access to the opened can 55 from outside the feeding system 1. In this application, an "opened can" refers to what was previously a full can with the lid removed, regardless of the amount of content in the opened can.

[0031] In Figure 2E, at the top of the opened can housing 52 is a handle 61. The handle 61 can be fixed or it may be foldable.

[0032] A user-operable button 63 is provided inside the handle 61 (or on or adjacent to the handle). The button 63 is operably connected to a number of one-way valves 60, which will be described below. When the button 63 is pressed, each one-way valve 60 rotates upwards, downwards, sideways or backwards to release a can from the opened can receiver 52.

[0033] Additionally, the opened can receptacle 52 is connected to the feeding system 1 by a screw-and-thread interaction between the bottom of the opened can receptacle 52 and the feeding system 1. The opened can receptacle 52 can be removed from the feeding system 1 by grasping the handle 61 and twisting it in a counterclockwise direction relative to the feeding system 1. Alternatively, the opened can receptacle 52 can be connected to the feeding system 1 by means of a locking mechanism that can be released when one or more buttons and / or levers are pulled or pushed.

[0034] After a certain time has elapsed (or a time range programmed into the feeding system 1, or by manual control via an application connected to the feeding system 1 via the internet, or by a physical button on the feeding system 1), the lid 48 is closed and the opened can 55 is moved in the direction of the arrow 56 and placed into the opened can housing 52. Once in the opened can housing 52, the opened can 55 is moved vertically upwards by the piston 58 which extends and contacts the bottom surface of the opened can 55, as shown in FIG. 2F, passing one of the one-way valves 60. The piston 58 then retracts, and the opened can 55 is held vertically above the one-way valve 60, as shown in FIG. 2G. Each one-way valve 60 is configured to be positioned in a suitable location within the opened can housing 52, and is made of a suitable material. Also, the number of one-way valves 60 shown in the figures is merely exemplary, and the feeding system 1 may include more or fewer one-way valves 60.

[0035] When another opened can 59 is ready to be placed in the opened can housing 52, the next opened can 59 moves in the direction of arrow 56, the piston 58 extends, and the next opened can 59 moves vertically upward and contacts both the bottom of the first opened can 55 and the one-way valve 60. This causes the first opened can 55 to move upward and be held by the next one-way valve 60 (or by the next opened can 59), holding the next opened can 59 in a position above the first one-way valve 60. As shown in FIG. 2I, the piston 58 retracts and both the first opened can 55 and the next opened can 59 are held within the opened can housing 52. This process can be repeated as long as the opened can housing 52 has space to accommodate it.

[0036] 3A-3D are diagrams showing in more detail the next movement of an opened can according to this embodiment. In each of Figs. 3A-3D, the upper diagram is a right side view of feeding system 1, and the lower diagram is a top view of intermediate tray 40 of feeding system 1.

[0037] In FIG. 3A, an opened can 55 is already inside the opened can storage 52. After a certain time, the next opened can 59 moves into the opened can storage 52. To accomplish this, an arm 62 rotates clockwise from the intermediate tray 40. The arm 62 can be of any suitable size and shape, and can have one or more joints or no joints. As can be seen in the top view of FIG. 3A, the arm 62 is configured to pass vertically above the bumper 18, but still in contact with the next opened can 59. In other embodiments, a barb element (not shown) can be actuated to hook around the opened can 55 and pull it into the opened can storage 52. The barb element can be located either above or below the can 55.

[0038] FIG. 3B shows the arm 62 approximately halfway through its clockwise rotation as the next opened can 59 moves from its original location on the panel 16 to the opened can receiver 52.

[0039] Figure 3C shows the arm 62 at the end of its travel as the next opened can 59 moves over the bumper 18 toward the opened can receiver 52. At this point, the tab 64 extends vertically above the next opened can 59 and the arm 62 can rotate counterclockwise to the position shown in Figure 3A. Referring again to Figure 3C, the tab 64 contacts the side of the next opened can 59 and moves toward the opened can receiver 52.

[0040] In Figure 3D, the tab 64 extends its travel to allow the next opened can 59 to enter the opened can receptacle 52, guided by one or more optional guides 66. The tab can then return to the position shown in Figure 3A.

[0041] Although not shown in the figures, the feeding system 1 may include several other elements that may be incorporated within or adjacent to the feeding system 1 in any suitable manner. Some examples of these additional elements include a display screen and manual and / or touch screen buttons for control of various elements of the feeding system 1. In other embodiments, the feeding system 1 may include a camera and an internet connection (wired or wireless) that allows a user to remotely view images or footage of the feeding system 1 and its surroundings, including the animals. The camera may be activated via an application or program and may capture images and / or video in response to a specified time or trigger (e.g., motion detection). The feeding system 1 may establish a link to activate the camera for live viewing with or without the animals present.

[0042] In addition to the camera, the feeding system 1 may include one or more speakers, one or more microphones to allow for the capture of sound, and a sound transmitter from the user to the feeding system 1. The addition of voice and voice recording allows the user to set messages for the pet.

[0043] Through a wired or wireless internet connection, the feeding system 1 can update the user when feedings have occurred and provide additional data collected by sensors. The type of data collected and sent to the user can vary depending on the software and user settings. Such information may be sent via a specific application developed for the feeding system, by text, email, other social media, or communication settings that the user can set. Such data may also be accessible through a display physically provided on the feeding system, or through a website portal, cloud.

[0044] Although the feeding system 1 described above is configured to open cans of food, the feeding system 1 may include additional accessible containers that provide a variety of dry foods, snacks, can extension chutes, and / or water.

[0045] Various sensors within the feeding system 1 may be optionally configured to collect data such as humidity levels inside and outside the feeding system 1, the temperature of the feeding system 1, the feeding patterns of the animal, e.g. amount eaten / wasted, preferred food smell, how many times the animal has eaten, what time exactly the feeding took place, etc.

[0046] 4A shows another embodiment of a feeding system 100. As can be seen, the feeding system 100 is generally circular (but may include any suitable shaped housing and any suitable shaped internal components) and may include several components. The feeding system 100 includes a suitable housing 110 made of any suitable material (e.g., plastic, metal, glass, ceramic, rubber, carbon-based materials, and combinations thereof) and a base 120. The housing 110 may be formed of a single material of suitable shape or several materials that may be joined together in any suitable manner. The housing 110 may include a housing opening 300 through which a canister may be exposed, as described below. The base 120 is configured to mount to and support the housing 110 and to support other components within the housing 110.

[0047] Figure 4B shows the feeding system 100 with the housing 110 removed. As can be seen, several components are supported by the base 120 within the space enclosed by the housing 110, and a chute housing 141 with a can chute (described in more detail below) is shown. Other individual components shown in Figure 4B are described in more detail below.

[0048] Figure 5 is an expanded view of several components within the feeding system 100. One of the components is the can chute 130, which is supported on the base 120 via a can chute support 140, shown in Figure 6A, and which may be at least partially or completely surrounded by a chute housing 141. The chute housing 141 may support various other components, such as a controller 160, described below. The can chute 130 may be formed from any suitable material (e.g., plastic, metal, glass, ceramic, rubber, carbon-based materials, and combinations thereof) and is capable of being rinsed and / or washed by a user and / or dishwashing equipment.

[0049] FIG. 6A illustrates only the can chute 130, removed from the chute housing 141 and the feeding system 100. The can chute 130 includes an unopened can barrel 132 and a used can barrel 134. The unopened can barrel 132 and the used can barrel 134 each have a diameter sized to accommodate any suitable size can. Additionally, if the diameter of the can is smaller than the diameter of one or both of the unopened can barrel 132 and the used can barrel 134, one or both of the unopened can barrel 132 and the used can barrel 134 may contain a spacer (not shown) that may extend around the diameter of the can. In some embodiments, one or both of the unopened can barrel 132 and the used can barrel 134 may be tapered such that its diameter is smaller at one end than at the other end. In other embodiments, the sides of the unopened can barrel 132 and the used can barrel 134 may be constructed of multiple panels that can expand and contract to accommodate cans of any size together, including multiple different size cans.

[0050] The unopened can barrel 132 and the used can barrel 134 each have a length dimensioned to contain any suitable size can. For example, the unopened can barrel 132 and the used can barrel 134 can each be dimensioned to contain 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 or more cans stacked vertically. Two non-limiting examples of suitable cans include 5.5 ounce cans and 3 ounce cans.

[0051] An example of the use of the can chute 130 is shown below. In this example, the can chute 130 is completely empty. As a first step, the can chute 130 is removed from the feeding system 100. The feeding system 100 may have a lid (shown in Figures 6B, 6C) attached to the housing 110 that generally covers the can chute 130. A user can then pull a portion of the can chute 130 up and down and out of the feeding system 100, and place an unopened can (not shown) into the unopened can barrel 132 in the direction of arrow 136. The unopened can is allowed to fall vertically until it contacts the unopened can catch 138. A more detailed view of the unopened can barrel 132 is shown in Figure 6D.

[0052] 6B is a bottom view of the lid 139 in a closed state in contact with the housing 110. A portion of the lid latch 143 contacts a catch on the housing 110, thereby allowing the lid latch 143 to maintain the lid 139 in contact with the housing 110. A user can slide the lid latch 143 in the direction of arrow 145 to remove a portion of the lid latch 143 from the catch on the housing 110. The lid 139 can further be placed in an open state as shown in FIG. 6C. By placing the lid in the open state as shown in FIG. 6C, a user can access the can chute 130.

[0053] In some embodiments, the unopened can catch 138 can include a shock absorbing element and a curve designed into the element that can be configured to absorb at least a portion of the shock of adding a can in the direction of arrow 136. The unopened can catch 138 is shown separately in Figure 6E.

[0054] Another example of the use of the can chute 130 is also provided. In this example, a used can barrel 134 receives one or more cans in the direction of arrow 142 and loads them into a used can catch 144 (which will be described in more detail below). A more detailed view of the used can barrel 134 is shown in Figure 6F.

[0055] As a first step, the can chute 130 is removed from the feeding system 100 by the user. The user can open the lid 139 and pull out the can chute 130 by the handle 137. The can chute 130 may then be held over a food waste receptacle, and the user presses the can release button 147. When the can release button 147 is pressed, the release lever 149 moves vertically downward and contacts the used can catch 144. This causes the used can catch 144 to move horizontally out of the interior of the used can barrel 134, causing one or more used cans in the used can barrel 134 to fall vertically and be released out of the used can barrel 134. Once all the used cans have been released, the used can barrel 134 no longer contains used cans or lids. The user can load new unopened cans into the empty unopened can barrel 132, and the can chute 130 can be returned to the feeding system 100. The can chute 130 slides into the can chute housing 141. The can chute housing 141 may be straight or may be tapered at the bottom to easily guide the can chute 130.

[0056] Referring again to Figure 5, referring to the can chute 130, the exterior of each of the unopened can barrels 132 and used can barrels 134 are visible below the can chute housing 141. When the support arm 180 is in a first position, the bottom of the unopened can barrel 132 is placed (in the direction of arrow 148 in Figure 6A) onto the support arm 180 (discussed in more detail below) such that the can enters the interior of the feeding system 100.

[0057] FIG. 7 is a graph, not to scale, generally showing five positions that the support arm 180 may rotate to and hold for illustrative purposes and to aid in understanding. For clarity, all positions may be before or after other positions, and while only five positions are shown here, there may be more or fewer positions as needed. FIG. 7 is a top view showing the feeding system 100 including the positions shown above, which is not meant to be drawn to scale or to limit the actual positions of the support arm 180. Typically, the can (not shown) moves from position A to position B to position C to position D to position E, as described below.

[0058] The first position A is a position vertically below the lower opening of the unopened can barrel 132.

[0059] The second position B is generally a position where at least a portion of the lid of an unopened can is removed.

[0060] The third position C is generally where the contents of the canister, with at least a portion of its lid removed, are exposed to the exterior of the feeding system 100. Typically, an animal can access these exposed contents at this position C.

[0061] The fourth position D is generally where the canister, having had at least a portion of its lid removed and been exposed for a period of time outside the feeding system 100, is at least partially capped by the capping arm 250 (described below).

[0062] The fifth location E is vertically below the lower opening of the used can barrel 134.

[0063] Referring again to Figure 5, as described above, the support arm 180 can move the can through the positions shown in Figure 7. At a first position A, vertically below the lower opening of the unopened can barrel 132, the unopened can is released and supported by the support arm 180. Prior to releasing the can, the support arm 180 can lift and weigh all of the cans in the unopened can barrel 132 to determine how many unopened cans remain in the unopened can barrel 132. The support arm 180 includes a weight measuring device to obtain this data, such as a load cell, as described below. Alternatively, a sensor in or near the unopened can barrel 132 provides this data. A more detailed view of the support arm 180 in a vertical position and beginning to support the unopened can is shown in Figure 8.

[0064] As can be seen in FIG. 8A, the support arm 180 includes a lift arm 182 and a support pad 184. The lift arm 182 is operatively connected to a lift screw 185 and configured to pivot about a pivot within a support arm frame 186. The lift screw 185 is rotatable by a lift motor (lift motor 187 supported by the can chute support 140 shown in FIG. 5). The movement of the lift screw is, by way of example, clockwise or counterclockwise as described below. In other embodiments, the direction of rotation can be reversed by utilizing a differently threaded lift screw 185 to achieve the same movement of the support arm 180.

[0065] Clockwise rotation of the lift screw 185 by the lift motor causes the lift arm to move vertically downward toward the base 120 of the feeding system 100 to the position shown in Figure 8B. The lift motor stops rotating and the lift arm 182 can be at any suitable height until the height sensor 189 detects the presence of the arm protrusion 179.

[0066] Counterclockwise rotation of the lift screw 185 by the lift motor causes the lift arm 182 to move vertically upward from the base 120 of the feeding system 100 to the position shown in Figure 8A. The lift motor stops rotating and the lift arm 182 reaches a height stop position 183 and stops at the top of the lift screw 185, allowing the lift motor to stop rotating and the lift arm 182 to be at any suitable height.

[0067] Support pad 184 is configured to support unopened and used cans and includes an electronic weight sensing device, such as a load cell, that is configured to send and / or receive signals from controller 160, which is described in more detail below. From the signals received from support pad 184, controller 160 can determine how much food remains in a can from which at least a portion of the lid has been removed.

[0068] From the signals received from the support pads 184, the controller 160 can also determine the weight of all cans in the unopened can barrel 132 or used can barrel 134, using support pads located under each barrel and lifted vertically upward by lift screws 185 to support the weight of all cans in each barrel. As an example, from the signals received from the support pads 184, the controller 160 can determine how many unopened cans are in the unopened can barrel 132 by measuring the total weight of all cans present, and then dividing that total weight by a predetermined average unopened can weight.

[0069] Alternatively, sensors (not shown) may be located within or adjacent to one or both of the unopened can barrel 132 and the used can barrel 134 to optically or mechanically determine the height of the cans within the can barrel, thereby determining how many cans are in each barrel. The optical sensors may be located at the top, bottom, or periphery of the unopened can barrel 132 and / or the used can barrel 134 to determine how many cans are in the can barrel, and the unopened can barrel 132 and the used can barrel 134 may or may not have a notch that allows this type of sensor to operate even if mounted on the outside of the can barrel. Alternatively, one or more mechanical sensors may be located inside the unopened can barrel 132 and / or the used can barrel 134 that can determine how many cans are in the barrel. These sensors may be indented, lifted, pressed, or otherwise manipulated with the presence or absence of cans to determine the fullness of each can barrel.

[0070] The support arm frame 186 interacts via appropriate gears with a rotary motor 181 which rotates the support arm frame 186 (including the support arm 180) clockwise and counterclockwise between the positions shown in FIG.

[0071] Both the rotation motor 181 and the lift motor 187 are AC or DC motors that are appropriately sized to rotate the support arm frame 186 (including one or more unopened or used cans supported by the support pads 184) and vertically lift 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 or more unopened cans stacked vertically within the unopened can barrel 132 and the used can barrel 134.

[0072] In a first position A vertically below the lower opening of the unopened can barrel 132 as shown in Figure 7, the unopened can is removed and supported by the support arm 180. When in the first position, the rotation motor 181 causes the support arm frame 186 and the support arm 180 to rotate vertically below the lower opening of the unopened can barrel 132. To help control the unopened can exiting the unopened can barrel 132, the lift motor can extend the support arm 180 vertically upward to the position shown in Figure 8A.

[0073] In this position, the unopened can is released from the unopened can barrel 132 as the unopened can catch 138 moves and the unopened can falls. The unopened can then lands on the support pad 184. The support arm 180 (or another suitable portion of the feeding system 100, such as within the unopened can barrel 132 or adjacent thereto, B as shown in FIG. 7) may include a scanner (not shown). This scanner may be any suitable scanner, including optical and laser scanners capable of decoding data recorded in a bar code, QR code, or any equivalent scannable and detectable coding option used on the can for tracing purposes. This data may be received by the controller 160 and will be described in more detail below.

[0074] The support arm 180 (or another suitable portion of the feeding system 100, such as within the unopened can barrel 132 or adjacent thereto, B, as shown in FIG. 7) may optionally include a second scanner (not shown). This second scanner may be any suitable scanner or device (integral with the controller 160) capable of determining whether the unopened can is in the correct orientation (upward, or with the rolled lip and lid of the can vertically farther from the feeding system base 120 than the bottom of the can).

[0075] Alternatively, during dispensing, the support pad 184 may capture the unopened can from the opening at the bottom of the unopened can barrel 132. As shown in Figure 9, the support pad 184 may again be raised to rub the can against the edge detector 210 before moving to position B to open the can. The edge detector 210 may be located anywhere between positions A and B, including position A.

[0076] Edge detector 210 has a blade 212 configured to capture the rim of the can as it moves in the direction of arrow 214. If the can is upside down, the lip of the can lid will be captured (hooked) by blade 212 and edge detector 210 will notify controller 160. Once the can rim is captured by blade 212, blade protrusion 215 moves and the mechanism rotates such that blade protrusion 215 is detected by blade protrusion sensor 216. Blade 212 will not capture if the can is face up, rim up. If the can is face up, the unopened can can proceed to position B.

[0077] Once the rim has been captured, the controller 160 is notified by the blade projection sensor 216 and the unopened can is moved to position E where it can be placed into the used can barrel 134. The process can then begin again with a new can. The user can be notified of such an event by the controller 160. In another embodiment, the can opener 190 is configured to detect whether the can is upright or not. This may be determined based on feedback received by the controller 160 as to whether the opener blade is gripping the can or not. It may also be determined by the controller 160 based on the amount of current drawn by the motor as the can opener 190 is operating on the can. The construction of the can opener 190 is described below.

[0078] After receiving an unopened can on the support arm 180 at position A and rotating the lift screw 185 clockwise to place the support arm 180 in the position shown in Figure 8B, the rotation motor 181 rotates to rotate the support arm 180 clockwise from position A to position B shown in Figure 7. At position B, the lift screw 185 rotates counterclockwise and the support arm 180 (and the unopened can on it) is lifted vertically towards the can opener 190. Alternatively, at position B, the lift screw 185 does not rotate and the can opener 190 moves vertically downward.

[0079] 10A, which is a bottom view of the can opener 190, the can opener 190 includes a feed gear 192, a cutter 194, and a lid remover 199, the feed gear 192 being driven by a can opener motor (not shown) located anywhere on or within the feeding system 100 and configured to contact and rotate about the cutter 194 such that the cutter 194 cuts the side wall of the can. Alternatively, the feed gear 192 is configured to contact and rotate about the cutter 194 such that the cutter 194 cuts the top wall of the can. In yet another embodiment of the can opener 190, a clamping mechanism (not shown) can contact and clamp a flap handle of the can to peel off the top flap of the can. The feed gear 192 is configured to move in the direction of arrow 196 by advancing and reversing the direction in which the motor rotates via gear 198. As shown in Figure 10B, rotation of cam 195 (via a motor, not shown) causes cutter 194 to move further in the direction of arrow 196 shown in Figure 10A. In any of the above embodiments, the can opener 190 generally chamfers the top metal edge of the can and the removed lid. As used herein, a removed lid refers to any material removed from an unopened can by the can opening process.

[0080] After the unopened can has been opened, by any suitable method, the removed lid is held by the can opener 190 to the rear of the support arm 180 and the opened can is moved from position B shown in FIG. 7. At this time, the can opener 190 can release the removed lid using the lid releaser 199, which helps push the lid out of the grip of the cutter 194 and / or feed gear 192, and the removed lid drops vertically into a container (not shown) for later removal by the user. Alternatively, the can opener 190 may hold the removed lid until the opened can has been moved to position C, or until the opened can has been moved to position D, which will be described in more detail below. In this alternative embodiment, the rotary motor 181 rotates clockwise to move the support arm 180 from position C or position D back to position B, after which the removed lid is released to drop vertically onto the used can.

[0081] After the unopened can is opened at position B, the rotation motor 181 rotates and rotates the support arm 180 counterclockwise from position B to position C in FIG. 7. At position C, the lift screw 185 rotates counterclockwise and the support arm 180 (and the opened can thereon) is lifted vertically upwards towards the feeding opening 200. The opened can is lifted below the feeding opening 200 and partially exposed through the feeding opening 200, or the distance to the bottom of the feeding opening (200) can be offset. The animal can then access the contents of the opened can and eat at least some or all of the contents. Alternatively, the can can be configured to extend outside the housing 110 and provide food to the animal and then return based on the end of the provision or a set schedule.

[0082] While access to the contents of the opened can is permitted, the support pad 184 can measure the weight of the opened can at various times and transmit information to the controller 160 comparing the weight of the opened can over time to the weight at which the can was opened. These weight measurements can be used by the controller to determine the amount of material remaining in the opened can, and can also be used to limit access to the opened can if the contents are being depleted too quickly. Further operations performed by the controller 160 are described below.

[0083] The feeding opening 200 can include a lip that generally covers the exposed edge of the opened can and extends vertically downward, and the feeding opening 200 can include a ramp that extends radially from the feeding opening 200 and slopes vertically downward toward the feeding opening 200.

[0084] When the opened can is not at position C, the opening cover 202 extending over the entire feeding opening 200 can cover the feeding opening 200 optionally. When the opened can is not at position C, the opening cover 202 can be kept closed by the force of an elastic element (shown in FIG. 11 ). The rotation motor 181 is rotated to rotate the support arm 180 counterclockwise from position B, which is a position after position C and before position D, to move the opening cover 202 and expose the feeding opening 200, instead of stopping the support arm 180 at position C. At this time, the support arm 180 (and the opened can thereon) is vertically raised by a predetermined distance as the lift screw 185 is rotated counterclockwise. Then, the rotation motor 181 is rotated to rotate the support arm 180 clockwise to position C, so that a part of the support arm 180 contacts the opening cover portion (shown in FIG. 11 ) on the lower surface of the opening cover 202. The rotation motor 181 continues to rotate clockwise, causing the opening cover 202 to move clockwise and exposing the feeding opening 200.

[0085] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the opening cover 202 from below. From this view, the opening cover portion 203 that contacts the support arm 180 appears to extend from the surface of the opening cover 202. In the configuration shown in FIG. 11 (and FIG. 4A), the opening cover 202 is in a closed position and is kept closed by an elastic element 204 between the opening cover 202 and the fixed part of the feeding system 100. When the support arm 180 contacts the opening cover portion 203, the opening cover 202 rotates in the opposite direction, clockwise in FIG. 11, and the feeding opening 200 moves to approximately align with the housing opening 300, thereby exposing the can outside the housing 110. When the support arm 180 moves to position D, the elastic element 204 rotates the opening cover 202 counterclockwise as shown in FIG. 11, so that the feeding opening 200 is not approximately aligned with the housing opening 300, as shown in FIG. 4A, and the opening cover 202 exposes itself through the housing opening 300.

[0086] In other embodiments, the opening cover 202 can move via an additional motor (not shown) to expose the feeding opening 200. In other embodiments, the opening cover 202 can move as the support arm 180 rotates from position B to position C via contact between a portion of the support arm 180 and a portion of the opening cover 202.

[0087] Under any of the above embodiments, as the opening cover 202 moves, in position C, the lift screw 185 rotates counterclockwise and lifts the support arm 180 (and the opened can thereon) vertically towards the feeding opening 200. In other embodiments, in position C, the feeding opening 200 is close enough to allow access to the contents of the can without moving the support arm 180 vertically up or down.

[0088] After a predetermined time has elapsed or after the animal has eaten the contents, the lift screw 185 rotates clockwise, causing the support arm 180 (and the opened canister thereon) to move vertically up and down away from the feeding opening 200. The rotation motor 181 then rotates, causing the support arm 180 to rotate counterclockwise from position C to one of positions D or E as shown in FIG.

[0089] When the rotary motor 181 rotates to position D, the lift screw 185 rotates counterclockwise and the support arm 180 (and the open can thereon) is lifted vertically towards the lid closing arm 250. In other embodiments, the support arm 180 remains stationary while the lid closing arm 250 moves towards the support arm 180. The lid closing arm 250 includes a ring 252 of a substantially flexible material, such as an elastic material, extending around the lid closing arm 250 and configured to be elastically deformable upon contact with an exposed edge of a used can. Upon contact between the ring 252 and the used can, a substantially airtight seal is formed between the contents of the used can and the surrounding environment of the feeding system 100. In other embodiments, the lid closing arm 250 has a larger circumference than the can and the can may be placed on the lid closing arm 250 without touching any part of the can.

[0090] The lid closing arm 250 may also optionally include one or more light sources (shown in FIG. 12) that may at least partially limit the growth of bacteria and / or mold in the contents of the can being used. One example of these one or more light sources is an ultraviolet (UV) light and a light emitting diode (LED). The light sources may be used at any time for any length of time and may be programmable by the user.

[0091] Figure 12 shows a side cross-sectional view of the lid closing arm 250. In Figure 12, a used can C is shown contacting a portion of the ring 252. A light source 251 is on the underside of the lid closing arm 250 and shines light onto the used can C.

[0092] After a predetermined time, the lift screw 185 rotates clockwise and the support arm 180 is lifted vertically away from the lid closing arm 250. At this time, the rotary motor 181 can rotate counterclockwise back to position C, or the rotary motor 181 can rotate clockwise to position E. As the rotary motor 181 rotates back to position C, the used can can again be exposed through the feeding opening 200. This process can be repeated multiple times, with the rotary motor 181 moving the used can from position C to position D to position C to position D for a predetermined period of time, when the contents of the can have been consumed, or as scheduled by the user.

[0093] After a predetermined time, after the contents of the can are consumed, or per a schedule setting made by a user, the used can can be moved to position B by the rotation motor 181 to retrieve the lid, and then moved to position E. Position E is located vertically below the lower opening of the used can barrel 134a. Upon reaching position E, the lift screw 185 rotates counterclockwise, and the support arm 180 (and the used can thereon) is lifted vertically toward the bottom surface of the used can barrel 134a. The lift screw 185 continues to rotate until the lower edge of the used can passes the used can catch 144, after which the used can can be supported by the used can catch 144.

[0094] If one or more used cans are already present in the used can barrel 134, the lift screw 185 lifts the used can that has been moved to position E vertically upwards towards the one or more used cans already in the used can barrel 134 until the lower edge of the used can that has been moved to position E passes through the used can catch 144. After the lower edge of the used can that has been moved to position E passes through the used can catch 144, all used cans in the used can barrel 134 are supported by the used can catch 144.

[0095] The interior surface of the used can barrel 134 may optionally include one, two, three, four, five, or more vertical rails (not shown) made of any suitable material (e.g., plastic, metal, glass, ceramic, rubber, carbon-based material, and combinations thereof) that may extend along some, most, or all of the vertical length of the used can barrel 134. These vertical rails may prevent edges of the used can barrel 134 from getting caught or cutting off portions of the used can barrel 134 itself.

[0096] In another embodiment, the rotation motor 181' can be located in the position shown in Figure 4B, and rotation of the motor gear 191 causes the entire carousel 193 to rotate through interaction with the motor gear 191 and with gears on the periphery of the carousel 193. In this embodiment, the support arm 180 can be attached to the carousel 193, and the support arm 180 can rotate with the carousel 193 to the positions described above.

[0097] Figure 8C shows another alternative embodiment, which includes a carousel 193 and support arm 180 separate from the other components of the feeding system 100. In this embodiment, the lift arm 182 moves up and down similarly to the first embodiment.

[0098] As used herein, a controller according to the present invention refers to all components in, on, or attached to an electrical board. Some components of the controller 160 are located at the locations shown in FIG. 5 and / or some components of the controller 160 are located on the controller 160' shown in FIG. 5. In one embodiment, the controller 160 can include one or more processors, memories, a network interface, and / or an image sensor (e.g., a camera). The network interface can send and receive various signals, such as Wi-Fi signals, Bluetooth signals, etc. The controller 160 can be configured to accept various inputs from components of the feeding system 100 or from other devices external to the feeding system 100, and each action accepted or performed by the controller 160 can be processed within the controller 160 and / or sent to an external server, such as a cloud database, for processing.

[0099] As an example, the controller 160 may receive input signals from a mobile phone external to the feeding system 100, and these received input signals may be processed by a processor in the controller 160 to control the operation of the components of the feeding system 100.

[0100] The controller 160 is configured to receive signals from the electronic weight sensing device on the support pad 184, and the controller 160 can send signals to the electronic weight sensing device to take measurements, and the controller 160 can receive output signals from the electronic weight sensing device at any time, for example, when the support arm 180 is at any position A, B, C, D, E, or in between. From these received signals, the controller 160 can determine the amount of contents of each can that has been removed (eaten by the animal) over time. From these signals, the controller 160 can also determine whether there has been an increase in weight indicating that a foreign object has landed on the used can, or whether the animal has regurgitated food into the used can. If the controller 160 makes this determination, an alert can be sent via the interface that a fault has been detected. If a fault is detected, the controller 160 can stop all movement of all elements in the feeding system 100 (allowing the user to manually remove the used can), or can automatically move the used can to the used can barrel 134 and then remove the unopened can from the unopened can barrel 132.

[0101] In another embodiment, if the controller 160 determines that the remaining weight of the used can is below a threshold, the controller 160 can automatically move the used can to the used can barrel 134.

[0102] The controller 160 may also send a signal to the electronic weight sensing device to take measurements and then receive an output signal from the electronic weight sensing device to determine the initial (or remaining) weight of all unopened cans in the unopened can barrel 132. These received signals may be used by the controller 160 to determine the number of unopened cans, if any, in the unopened can barrel 132. The controller 160 may be configured to send an alert via the interface if the number of unopened cans detected is below a threshold, e.g., 0 unopened cans remaining, 1 unopened cans remaining, 2 unopened cans remaining, etc. The controller 160 may check each time a can is dispensed from the unopened can barrel 132 so that the user may know the number of unopened cans currently in the unopened can barrel 132.

[0103] All such weight sensing signals may be stored by the controller and then transmitted via a network interface for storage to another location, such as, but not limited to, the cloud or a local or external database.

[0104] The controller 160 can also receive rotational data from each of the lift motor 187 and rotation motor 181 and can determine the vertical height and rotational direction of the support arm 180 .

[0105] The control device 160 also transfers rotation data to each of the lift motor 187 and the rotation motor 181, and causes these motors to move the support arms according to the stored rules.

[0106] As an example, the controller 160 can be configured to move the support arm 180 and optionally the opening cover 202. Upon detecting the movement by a proximity sensor or by a camera of the controller 160, the controller 160 can expose the contents of the opened can for a predetermined time, as described above. The camera can be used as a proximity sensor or for recognition of another pet. The proximity sensor can also be a receiver of a signal from a device attached to the animal, for example an RFID chip in the animal's collar or a microchip implanted in the animal.

[0107] In another exemplary embodiment, the controller 160 may be configured to execute a machine learning model using images received from a camera (the camera of the controller 160). The machine learning model may be stored in the memory of the controller 160 and may be a classification model that distinguishes between different animals accessing the feeding system 100. In another embodiment, the recognition process may be transmitted from the controller 160 to a cloud network and / or an external server for recognition and data stored in the cloud network and / or an external server may be sent back to the controller 160.

[0108] The memory of the controller 160 can store mappings of different animals to different courses of action to operate the feeding system 1. The controller 160 can execute machine learning models to identify the animal currently accessing the feeding system 1 (e.g., physical size, shape, color and / or physical appearance, such as fur / eye color and / or fur pattern) and identify in the memory a mapped course of action for the identified animal. For example, if the actions of an allowed feeding time of 3 minutes for animal AA are mapped, in response to identifying animal AA, the controller 160 can open the support arm 180 and optionally the opening cover 202 as described above, and expose the contents of the opened can through the feeding opening 200 for 3 minutes.

[0109] The described embodiments and examples of the present disclosure are illustrative rather than limiting, and are not intended to represent every embodiment or example of the present disclosure. While the basic novel features of the present disclosure as applied to various specific embodiments have been shown, described, and pointed out, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form and details of the illustrated devices and their operation are shown and may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. For example, all combinations of these elements and / or method steps that perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are expressly intended to be within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, it should be recognized that the structures and / or elements and / or method steps illustrated and / or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the disclosure may be incorporated as a general matter of design choice in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment. Moreover, various modifications and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure as set forth in the claims, both literally and in their legally recognized equivalents.

Claims

1. 1. A feeding system comprising: a housing substantially forming an exterior surface of the feeding system; Within the housing: a support frame having arms configured to support a can containing a food product and rotate clockwise and counterclockwise to a plurality of positions including a can opening position, a feeding position, a lid closing position, and a used can removal position; a first motor operatively connected to the support frame and configured to control the support frame to rotate clockwise and counterclockwise; a second motor for controlling a lift screw configured to rotate and move the arm vertically up and down at a specific position so as to operate in unison with the arm; a processor programmed to control the first motor to move the support frame and the arm and the supported can to each of the plurality of positions and to send signals to control the second motor to move the arm and the supported can vertically at the particular positions; a can opener programmed by said processor to open said can at said can opening position; an opening in the housing in the feeding position, the food in the opened can being accessible for feeding from the opened can in the feeding position; the lidded position is spaced from the feeding position and spaced from the used can removal position, and the opened can containing unused food is temporarily capped in the lidded position for a predetermined period of time; the programmed processor sends signals to control the first motor to move the support frame and the arm supporting the can to the can opening position and the feeding position; the programmed processor sends signals to control the first motor to move the support frame and an arm supporting the opened can containing the unused food from the feeding position to the lidded position and subsequently from the lidded position back to the feeding position after the predetermined time has elapsed, such that the unused food is again accessible at the feeding position.

2. The feeding system of claim 1 , further comprising a lid closing arm at said lid closing position of said plurality of positions.

3. The feeding system of claim 2 , wherein the lid closing arm includes one or more light sources.

4. 4. The feeding system of claim 3, wherein the one or more light sources are configured to at least partially limit bacterial and / or mold growth in the contents of the can.

5. The feeding system of claim 1 , further comprising a can chute configured to be removable from the housing.

6. 6. The feeding system of claim 5, wherein the can chute comprises unopened can barrels and used can barrels.

7. 7. The feeding system of claim 6, wherein the unopened can barrel and the used can barrel are each configured to hold one or more cans.

8. 7. The feeding system of claim 6, wherein the opening of the unopened can barrel is in an open can location among the plurality of locations.

9. 9. The feeding system of claim 8, wherein the opening in the unopened can barrel is configured to release a can from within the unopened can barrel onto a portion of the arm.

10. 7. The feeding system of claim 6, wherein the opening of the used can barrel is at a used can barrel location of the plurality of locations.

11. 11. The feeding system of claim 10, wherein the opening in the used can barrel is configured to receive a can from a portion of the arm into the used can barrel.

12. 10. The feeding system of claim 1, further comprising a cover configured to move from a position that generally covers the opening in the housing from an interior of the feeding system to a position that generally exposes the opening in the housing to an interior of the feeding system.

13. The feeding system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller, the controller comprising one or more elements of a processor, a memory, a network interface, and an image sensor.

14. 2. The feeding system of claim 1, wherein the arm has a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end configured to pivot about a pivot axis and move the distal end in a vertical direction generally perpendicular to both a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction, and the distal end configured to support the can.

15. The feeding system of claim 1 , wherein the arm is attached to a carousel, the carousel configured to rotate the arm clockwise and counterclockwise to the plurality of positions.

Images