Pet feeder

Abstract

The present application discloses a pet feeder. The pet feeder comprises a food storage mechanism; the food storage mechanism comprises a housing and a discharging device; the housing is provided with a storage space; the storage space is configured to store a plurality of food containers stacked in a vertical direction; the bottom of the housing is provided with a discharging hole communicated with the storage space; the discharging device comprises a discharging driving assembly and blocking members; the discharging driving assembly is used for driving the blocking members to move between a supporting position and a releasing position; at the supporting position, the blocking members are used for supporting the food containers located in the storage space; at the releasing position, the blocking members are configured to release the food containers, so that the food containers move towards the discharging hole. When a food container needs to be taken out of the housing, the discharging driving assembly drives the blocking members to move from the supporting position to the releasing position, so that the food container leaves the housing from the discharging hole under the action of gravity; thus, the operation of taking out a food container from the housing is implemented by means of a simple structure.

Description

Pet feeder Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of animal feeding, and in particular to a pet feeder. Background Art

[0002] In the related art of pet feeders, the storage device is typically designed with an opening at the top, through which new cans are added to the storage device. When the pet needs to eat a can, a robotic arm removes the can from the opening at the top of the storage device. However, due to the complex structure and high cost of robotic arms, there is a growing demand for simpler and more cost-effective equipment to facilitate canned food removal.

[0003] Application Contents

[0004] The present application aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present application proposes a pet feeder that can effectively solve the technical problem of the complex structure of the device for taking canned food.

[0005] In order to achieve the above objectives, the present application provides a pet feeder, wherein the pet feeder includes a food storage mechanism, and the food storage mechanism includes:

[0006] a housing having a storage space configured to store a plurality of food containers stacked one above the other, and a bottom of the housing having a discharge hole communicating with the storage space;

[0007] A material discharge device, comprising a material discharge drive assembly and a material blocking member transmission-connected to the material discharge drive assembly, wherein the material discharge drive assembly is used to drive the material blocking member to move so as to have a supporting position and a release position, wherein the material blocking member is used to support a food container located in the storage space, and wherein the material blocking member is configured to release the food container so that the food container moves toward the discharge hole.

[0008] In the above technical solution of the present application, when the pet feeder needs to remove the stored food container from the food storage mechanism, the unloading drive assembly drives the blocking member to move from the supporting position to the releasing position, allowing the food container to leave the housing through the discharging hole under the action of gravity. This technical solution solves the problem of removing canned food from the pet feeder with its simple structural design. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] In order to more clearly illustrate the implementation methods of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the implementation methods or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some implementation methods of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, without paying any creative work, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings.

[0010] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a material blocking member of a food storage mechanism in a released position according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0011] FIG2 is a partial structural diagram of a food storage mechanism according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0012] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of a material blocking member of a food storage mechanism in a supporting position according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0013] FIG4 is a partial cross-sectional view of a food storage mechanism according to an embodiment of the present application, wherein the guide inclined surface of the material retaining member abuts against the outer wall of the food container;

[0014] FIG5 is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of a supporting surface of a material retaining member of a food storage mechanism according to an embodiment of the present application supporting a food container.

[0015] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0016] The realization of the objectives, functional features and advantages of this application will be further explained in conjunction with the implementation methods and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0017] Implementation Methods of the Application

[0018] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0019] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, etc.) in the implementation manner of this application are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the various components under a certain specific posture (as shown in Figure 1). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0020] In addition, the terms "first," "second," and so on, used in this application are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, features defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of these features.

[0021] Moreover, the technical solutions between the various embodiments of the present application can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the fact that ordinary technicians in this field can implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is mutually contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by this application.

[0022] The pet feeder provided in the present application is shown in Figures 1 to 5, and the pet feeder includes a food storage mechanism 10, which includes a shell 101 and a discharge device 102. The shell 101 has a storage space 1011, and the storage space 1011 is configured to store multiple food containers 106 stacked up and down. The bottom of the shell 101 has a discharge hole 1012 connected to the storage space 1011; the discharge device 102 includes a discharge drive assembly 103 and a blocking member 104 that is transmission-connected to the discharge drive assembly 103, and the discharge drive assembly 103 is used to drive the blocking member 104 to move to have a supporting position and a release position. In the supporting position, the blocking member 104 is used to support the food container 106 located in the storage space 1011. In the release position, the blocking member 104 is configured to release the food container 106 so that the food container 106 moves toward the discharge hole 1012.

[0023] In an embodiment of the present application, when the pet feeder needs to take out the food container 106 stored in the food storage mechanism 10, the unloading drive assembly 103 drives the blocking member 104 to move from the supporting position to the release position, so that the food container 106 leaves the shell 101 from the discharge hole 1012 under the action of gravity, thereby realizing the operation of taking out the food container 106 from the shell 101 through a relatively simple structure.

[0024] In the technical solution of this embodiment, multiple food containers 106 can be stacked in the storage space 1011. The food container 106 close to the discharge hole 1012 is defined as the first food container. From bottom to top, the storage space 1011 stores the first food container, the second food container... the Nth food container, the N+1th food container... After the Nth food container 106 leaves the storage space 1011 from the discharge hole 1012, the unloading drive component 103 drives the blocking member 104 to move from the release position to the supporting position, thereby preventing the N+1th food container 106 from leaving the storage space 1011 from the discharge hole 1012. In this embodiment, multiple food containers 106 can be stacked in the storage space 1011, thereby reducing the user's refill cycle and improving the user's usage experience; and because multiple food containers 106 are stacked, after the food container 106 located at the bottom leaves the storage space 1011 from the discharge hole 1012, the food container 106 located above the food container 106 will automatically move to the vicinity of the discharge hole 1012 under the action of gravity and be blocked by the blocking member 104 to prepare for the next discharge, thereby reducing the time spent on each discharge and improving the user's usage experience. The overall structure of the unloading device 102 is simpler than that of the robotic arm.

[0025] In one embodiment, the housing 101 has a mounting portion, and the material stopper 104 includes a rotating portion 1041 and a supporting portion 1042. The rotating portion 1041 is rotatably connected to the mounting portion, and the rotation axis of the rotating portion 1041 is perpendicular to the horizontal plane. The supporting portion 1042 is fixedly connected to the rotating portion 1041 and can rotate within the horizontal plane via the rotating portion 1041. In the supporting position, the supporting portion 1042 at least partially protrudes into the area directly opposite the discharge hole 1012 to support the food container 106 located in the storage space 1011. In this embodiment, the unloading drive assembly 103 is used to drive the rotating portion 1041 to rotate relative to the mounting portion, so that the rotating portion 1041 can drive the supporting portion 1042 to reciprocate between the supporting position and the release position.

[0026] In one embodiment, in the release position, the support portion 1042 is hidden in the area directly opposite the discharge hole 1012 to release the food container 106. When the blocking member 104 is in the release position, the support portion 1042 and the discharge hole 1012 do not overlap when viewed from below, so that the support portion 1042 in this position does not interfere with the food container 106 falling from the discharge hole 1012.

[0027] In one embodiment, the mounting portion is an annular cylinder 1013, the rotating portion 1041 is an annular groove 10411, the bottom of the annular groove 10411 is provided with a first through hole 10412, the first through hole 10412 is sleeved on the outer wall of the annular cylinder 1013 and there is a gap between the first through hole 10412 and the annular cylinder 1013, the material blocking member 104 also includes a fastener 1045, the annular cylinder 1013 has a second through hole 10131 extending along the axial direction of the annular cylinder 1013, one end of the fastener 1045 passes through the first through hole 10412 and is threadedly connected to the second through hole 10131, and the other end of the fastener 1045 abuts against the bottom of the annular groove 10411. In this embodiment, the annular cylinder 1013 passes through the first through hole 10412, so that the material blocking member 104 can rotate relative to the annular cylinder 1013, and then the fastener 1045 passes through the first through hole 10412 and is threadedly connected to the second through hole 10131. The other end of the fastener 1045 is used to limit the material blocking member 104 from detaching from the annular cylinder 1013.

[0028] In one embodiment, at least one of the contact surfaces between the first through hole 10412 and the annular cylinder 1013 is provided with a rib 10132, which extends axially along the annular cylinder 1013. In this embodiment, the provision of the rib 10132 on the contact surface reduces the contact area between the rotating portion 1041 and the mounting portion during rotation, thereby reducing vibration and loss caused by friction.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 2 , the rib 10132 of this embodiment is disposed on the outer wall surface of the annular column 1013 .

[0030] When ribs are typically used to reduce friction between contacting objects, the ribs typically extend in the same direction as the objects' motion paths. However, in this embodiment, ribs 10132 extend along the axial direction of annular cylinder 1013. This design not only reduces friction and frictional losses, but also lowers the requirements for mold release.

[0031] In one embodiment, the material removal drive assembly 103 includes a material removal drive member 1031 and a transmission member 1032 in transmission connection with the material removal drive member 1031. The transmission member 1032 extends along the circumference of the housing 101 and slidably engages with the outer wall of the housing 101. The transmission member 1032 is hingedly connected to the material stopper 104 so that the material removal drive member 1031 can drive the material stopper 104 to move via the transmission member 1032. This embodiment realizes the operation of the material removal drive assembly 103 by extending the transmission member 1032 along the circumference of the housing 101 and hingedly connecting the transmission member 1032 to the material stopper 104, resulting in a compact structure and flexible operation.

[0032] In one embodiment, the unloading drive member 1031 is a motor, the output shaft of the motor is provided with a gear 1033, the transmission member 1032 is provided with a rack 1034 extending circumferentially along the transmission member 1032, and the rack 1034 is engaged with the gear 1033 so that the transmission member 1032 slides relative to the outer wall of the shell 101.

[0033] In one embodiment, the transmission member 1032 is provided with a third through hole 10321, and the material stopper 104 is provided with a pin 1046, which is movably disposed in the third through hole 10321. The solution of this embodiment enables the material stopper 104 to rotate relative to the transmission member 1032. The motor can drive the material stopper 104 to rotate relative to the mounting portion through the transmission of the gear 1033 and the rack 1034, thereby reciprocating between the release position and the support position.

[0034] In one embodiment, the pet feeder further includes a first position switch 1051. In the support position, the transmission member 1032 abuts against the first position switch 1051. The first position switch 1051 can be configured as a limit switch, a travel switch, a photoelectric sensor, a laser rangefinder, or an encoder corresponding to the drive motor, etc., and this embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0035] In this embodiment, by providing the first position switch 1051 , the controller can determine whether the material blocking member 104 has moved to the supporting position according to the signal sent by the first position switch 1051 . This embodiment is beneficial to improving the stability of the control action.

[0036] In one embodiment, the pet feeder further includes a second position switch 1052. In the release position, the transmission member 1032 abuts against the second position switch 1052. The second position switch 1052 can be configured as a limit switch, a travel switch, a photoelectric sensor, a laser rangefinder, or an encoder corresponding to the drive motor, and this embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0037] In this embodiment, by providing the second position switch 1052 , the controller can determine whether the blocking member 104 has moved to the release position according to the signal sent by the second position switch 1052 . This embodiment is beneficial to improving the stability of the control action.

[0038] In one embodiment, the transmission member 1032 includes an interconnected actuator 10322 and a transmission member 10323. The transmission member 10323 is positioned closer to the outer wall of the housing 101 than the actuator 10322. The material retaining member 104 is hingedly connected to the actuator 10322. One side of the transmission member 10323 slides with the outer wall of the housing 101, and the other side of the transmission member 10323 is in driving connection with the unloading drive member 1031. In this embodiment, the closer positioning of the transmission member 10323 to the outer wall of the housing 101 than the actuator 10322, and the design of the sliding and hinged positions make the entire solution sophisticated and flexible.

[0039] In this embodiment, the transmission part 10323 is in sliding engagement with the outer wall of the housing 101, allowing the transmission part 10323 to move circumferentially around the outer wall of the housing 101, and the execution part 10322 is hingedly connected to the material stopper 104, allowing the unloading drive member 1031 to drive the material stopper 104 to reciprocate between the release position and the support position via the transmission member 1032. It should be noted that the transmission member 1032 is located between the material stopper 104 and the housing 101. Since the material stopper 104 is prevented from falling downward by the action of the fastener 1045, a reliable support is provided for the transmission member 1032.

[0040] In one embodiment, the unloading device 102 includes two material stops 104, each hingedly connected to opposite ends of a transmission member 1032. The transmission member 1032 is configured to apply synchronous displacement of the two material stops 104 in opposite directions and with the same amplitude between a support position and a release position. This embodiment improves the reliability of preventing the food container 106 from falling by providing two material stops 104 to jointly block the food container 106.

[0041] In one embodiment, the stopper 104 is formed with an interconnected guide slope 1043 and a support surface 1044. The guide slope 1043 extends upward from the edge of the stopper 104 to the support surface 1044. When the stopper 104 moves to the support position, the food container 106 cooperates with the guide slope 1043 to guide the food container 106 into the support surface 1044. In this embodiment, by providing the guide slope 1043 in contact with the food container 106, the food container 106 can move upward under the action of the stopper 104, thereby abutting against the support surface 1044, and the support surface 1044 then provides reliable support for the food container 106.

[0042] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present application and do not limit the patent scope of the present application. All equivalent structural transformations made based on the contents of the present application specification and drawings, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A pet feeder, characterized in that: A food storage mechanism is included, the food storage mechanism comprising: A housing, wherein the housing has a storage space configured to store a plurality of food containers stacked one above the other, and a bottom of the housing has a discharge hole communicating with the storage space; A material unloading device, the material unloading device includes a material unloading drive assembly and a material blocking member drivingly connected to the material unloading drive assembly, the material unloading drive assembly is used to drive the material blocking member to move so as to have a supporting position and a releasing position, in which the material blocking member is used to support a food container located in the storage space, and in the releasing position, the material blocking member is configured to release the food container so that the food container moves toward the discharge hole.

2. The pet feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing has a mounting portion, and the material blocking member includes: A rotating part, the rotating part is rotatably connected to the mounting part, and the rotating axis of the rotating part is perpendicular to the horizontal plane; The supporting part is fixedly connected to the rotating part, and the supporting part can be rotated in the horizontal plane through the rotating part. In the supporting position, the supporting part at least partially protrudes to the area opposite to the discharge hole to support the food container located in the storage space.

3. The pet feeder according to claim 2, characterized in that: At the release position, the support portion is hidden in the area directly opposite to the discharge hole to release the food container.

4. The pet feeder according to claim 2, characterized in that: The mounting portion is an annular cylinder, the rotating portion is an annular groove, a first through hole is provided at the bottom of the annular groove, the first through hole is sleeved on the outer wall of the annular cylinder and has a gap with the annular cylinder, the material stopper also includes a fastener, the annular cylinder has a second through hole extending along the axial direction of the annular cylinder, one end of the fastener passes through the first through hole and is threadedly connected to the second through hole, and the other end of the fastener abuts against the bottom of the annular groove.

5. The pet feeder according to claim 4, characterized in that: At least one of the contact surfaces where the first through hole and the annular column contact each other is provided with a convex rib, and the convex rib extends along the axial direction of the annular column.

6. The pet feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material unloading drive assembly includes a material unloading drive member and a transmission member that is transmission-connected to the material unloading drive member, the transmission member extends along the circumference of the shell and slidably cooperates with the outer wall of the shell, and the transmission member is hinged to the material blocking member so that the material unloading drive member can drive the material blocking member to move through the transmission member.

7. The pet feeder according to claim 6, characterized in that: The unloading driving member is a motor, the output shaft of the motor is provided with a gear, the transmission member is provided with a rack extending along the circumference of the transmission member, the rack is meshed with the gear so that the transmission member slides relative to the outer wall of the housing; and / or, The transmission member is provided with a third through hole, the material blocking member is provided with a pin, and the pin is movably arranged in the third through hole; and / or, The pet feeder further comprises a first position switch, and in the supporting position, the transmission member abuts against the first position switch; and / or, The pet feeder further comprises a second position switch, and in the release position, the transmission member abuts against the second position switch.

8. The pet feeder according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: The transmission member includes an actuator and a transmission member that are connected to each other, the transmission member is closer to the outer wall of the shell than the actuator, the material blocking member is hinged to the actuator, one side of the transmission member is slidably matched with the outer wall of the shell, and the other side of the transmission member is transmission-connected to the unloading drive member.

9. The pet feeder according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: The unloading device comprises two material-blocking members, which are respectively hinged at opposite ends of the transmission member, and the transmission member is configured to apply synchronous displacements of the two material-blocking members in opposite directions and with the same amplitude between the supporting position and the releasing position.

10. The pet feeder according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The material stopper is formed with a guide slope and a support surface connected to each other, wherein the guide slope extends upward from the edge of the material stopper to the support surface, and the food container cooperates with the guide slope when the material stopper moves to the support position to introduce the food container into the support surface.

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