Pet food preparation apparatus

Abstract

A pet food preparation apparatus is disclosed. Provided according to an aspect of the present invention is a pet food preparation apparatus comprising: a housing having an inlet hole for feeding food materials into the housing, the inlet hole being formed in the top portion of the housing; a casing provided within the housing and connected at the top side thereof to the inlet hole; a grinding unit detachably mounted within the casing and rotated to grind the food materials fed through the inlet hole; and a transfer unit detachably coupled to the bottom of the grinding unit and rotated to transfer the food materials ground by the griding unit out of the casing while compressing the food materials.

Description

pet food manufacturing equipment

[0001] The present invention relates to a pet food manufacturing device.

[0002] As awareness of pets changes, the pet-related product market is growing significantly, with pet food items accounting for a large portion of the market.

[0003] Pet food can be broadly divided into ready-made food and natural food, and ready-made food can be further divided into dry food and wet food based on moisture content.

[0004] Among ready-made feeds, dry feed is the most common type of feed with a low moisture content of around 10%. While it is easy to handle and manage, it has the disadvantage of low palatability and difficulty in identifying raw materials.

[0005] Among ready-made feeds, wet feed has a high moisture content of around 75%, which increases the risk of spoilage, so it is mainly supplied in canned form. Although it has better palatability than dry feed, it has the disadvantage of being expensive.

[0006] Natural food is made by mixing raw meat with grains and vegetables, and is manufactured on the spot. However, it has the disadvantage of requiring a lot of time, money, and effort to manufacture. However, demand for it is increasing significantly due to the need to provide fresh and tasty food to pets.

[0007] Therefore, there is a need to develop a pet food manufacturing device that can easily manufacture natural food with high palatability and freshness for pets.

[0008] [Prior Art Literature]

[0009] [Patent Document]

[0010] (Patent Document 1) Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2292025 (Published on August 24, 2021)

[0011] The present invention provides a pet food manufacturing device capable of easily manufacturing natural pet food with high palatability and freshness.

[0012] In addition, the present invention provides a pet food manufacturing device that can be easily and effectively cleaned by separating the internal components.

[0013] According to one aspect of the present invention, a pet food manufacturing device is provided, including a housing having an input hole formed at the top for inputting food ingredients into the interior, a casing installed inside the housing and connected to the input hole from the top, a crushing unit detachably installed inside the casing and rotating to crush food ingredients input through the input hole, and a transporting unit detachably connected to the lower portion of the crushing unit and rotating to compress and transport food ingredients crushed by the crushing unit to the outside of the casing.

[0014] It may be characterized in that the transport unit and the crushing unit can be separated from the casing and washed.

[0015] The casing has an opening formed at the front, and the crushing unit can be inserted into the interior of the casing through the opening, but can be removably installed inside the casing while covering the opening.

[0016] The crushing unit may include an opening plate covering an opening, a support plate spaced apart from the opening plate and inserted into the interior of the casing, a pair of support plates interposed between the support plates and the opening plate and coupled with the support plates and the opening plate, and having a plurality of crushing grooves formed therein, and a crushing blade rotatably coupled to the support plates and disposed in the crushing grooves so as to crush food materials as they rotate.

[0017] It may further include a pressure member that is rotatably coupled to the casing and can press the opening plate toward the opening as it rotates, and a coupling member that is rotatably coupled to the casing and is disposed on the opening plate that covers the opening as it rotates, and can prevent the crushing unit from being detached.

[0018] The opening / closing plate has a discharge port formed at the bottom, and the transfer unit can be detachably connected to the opening / closing plate with one end inserted into the inside of the casing through the discharge port and the other end positioned outside the casing.

[0019] The transport unit may include a transport screw having a spiral blade extending along an outer surface thereof so as to transport food from one end to the other end as one end is inserted into the inside of the casing and the other end is disposed outside the casing and rotated, a strainer plate disposed below the transport screw so as to compress food transported by the transport screw and having a drainage hole formed therein for discharging moisture of the food material, a screw cover coupled to the strainer plate and formed to surround one end of the transport screw so as to compress food transported by the transport screw and having a discharge hole formed therein for discharging the food material, and a fastening nut formed to surround the other end of the screw cover and fastened to the other end of the screw cover so as to be screw-connected to an opening / closing plate.

[0020] The housing may further include a collection container having a drain hole formed at the bottom, and a passage hole formed at the bottom, which is inserted into the housing through the drain hole and discharged through the drain hole to collect moisture of food ingredients that have passed through the passage hole.

[0021] The housing may further include a drive unit installed inside the housing to provide power for rotation of the crushing unit and the transport unit.

[0022] The drive unit may include a motor that receives electric energy to generate rotational force, and a plurality of gears that transmit the rotational force generated by the motor to the crushing unit and the transport unit.

[0023] According to the present invention, a pet food manufacturing device capable of easily manufacturing natural food with high palatability and freshness can be provided.

[0024] In addition, according to the present invention, a pet food manufacturing device can be provided that can be easily and effectively washed by separating the internal components.

[0025] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a pet food manufacturing device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a pet food manufacturing device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along line A-A' of Figure 1.

[0028] Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view along line B-B' of Fig. 1.

[0029] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view along line C-C' of Figure 1.

[0030] Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view along line D-D' of Fig. 1.

[0031] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the crushing unit of a pet food manufacturing device according to one embodiment of the present invention from different directions.

[0032] [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 100: Pet food manufacturing device 110: Housing

[0034] 111: Insertion hole 112: Insertion hole 120: Casing

[0035] 121: Opening 122: Pass-through hole 130: Crushing unit

[0036] 131: Opening plate 132: Outlet 133: Support plate

[0037] 134: Support 135: Crushing groove 136: Crushing blade

[0038] 140: Transfer unit 141: Transfer screw 142: Spiral blade

[0039] 143: Strainer plate 144: Drain hole 145: Screw cover

[0040] 146: Fastening nut 147: Discharge hole 150: Pressurized member

[0041] 160: coupling member 170: collection container 180: drive unit

[0042] 182: Motor 183: Gear 190: Battery

[0043] 200: Hole cover 210: Front cover 220: Outer cover

[0044] 230: Control panel 240: Microwave generation unit

[0045] 250: Weight measuring unit

[0046] The present invention is susceptible to various modifications and embodiments. Specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, but rather to encompass all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. In describing the present invention, detailed descriptions of related known technologies will be omitted if they are deemed to obscure the gist of the present invention.

[0047] Terms such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, but these components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used solely to distinguish one component from another.

[0048] The terminology used in this application is only used to describe specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the present invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, it should be understood that the terms "comprise" or "have" indicate the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but do not exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0049] Hereinafter, a pet food manufacturing device (100) according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. When describing with reference to the attached drawings, identical or corresponding components are assigned the same drawing numbers and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0050]

[0051] According to the present embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 7, a pet food manufacturing device (100) is provided, which includes a housing (110) having an input hole (111) formed at the top for inputting food ingredients into the interior, a casing (120) installed inside the housing (110) and connected to the input hole (111) from the top, a crushing unit (130) detachably installed inside the casing (120) and rotating to crush food ingredients input through the input hole (111), and a transporting unit (140) detachably coupled to the lower portion of the crushing unit (130) and rotating to compress and transport food ingredients crushed by the crushing unit (130) to the outside of the casing (120).

[0052] According to this embodiment, a pet food manufacturing device capable of easily manufacturing natural food with high palatability and freshness can be provided, and a pet food manufacturing device capable of easily and effectively cleaning by separating the internal components, specifically the grinding unit (130) and the transport unit (140), can be provided.

[0053] Hereinafter, each component of the pet food manufacturing device (100) according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

[0054]

[0055] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a pet food manufacturing device (100) according to the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a pet food manufacturing device (100) according to the present embodiment, FIGS. 3 to 6 are cross-sectional views taken along respective cutting lines of FIG. 1, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a crushing unit (130) of the pet food manufacturing device (100) according to the present embodiment from different directions.

[0056]

[0057] The housing (110) may have an input hole (111) formed at the top for inputting food ingredients into the interior.

[0058] Users can easily produce food for their pets through this embodiment by simply inserting food ingredients into the insertion hole (111) formed at the top of the housing (110).

[0059] The input hole (111) can be formed in a hopper or tapered shape that becomes wider as it goes upwards inside the housing (110) so as to be able to accommodate various sizes or quantities of input food ingredients.

[0060] In order to prevent food materials fed into the feeding hole (111) from splashing out when in use, i.e. when manufacturing feed, or to prevent external foreign substances such as dust from entering the feeding hole (111) when not in use, a hole cover (200) that is detachably coupled to the feeding hole (111) and covers the feeding hole (111) may be further included.

[0061] Specifically, the hole cover (200) can be screw-connected to the housing (110) in the input hole (111).

[0062] The casing (120) can be installed inside the housing (110) and connected to the injection hole (111) from the upper side.

[0063] Accordingly, the food material fed into the feeding hole (111) can be fed into the interior of the casing (120) connected to the feeding hole (111) and ground by the crushing unit (130) described later.

[0064] The crushing unit (130) is detachably installed inside the casing (120) and can crush food materials fed through the feeding hole (111) by rotating.

[0065] The grinding unit (130) that grinds food ingredients fed through the feeding hole (111) is particularly installed detachably inside the casing (120), so that the user can easily and effectively clean the grinding unit (130) contaminated with food ingredients residue, etc. by separating it from the casing (120).

[0066] The transport unit (140) is detachably coupled to the lower part of the crushing unit (130) and can be rotated to compress and transport the food material crushed by the crushing unit (130) to the outside of the casing (120).

[0067] The transport unit (140) is arranged at the bottom of the crushing unit (130) and can transport the food material crushed by the crushing unit (130) to the outside of the casing (120) while compressing it. In particular, since it is detachably coupled to the bottom of the crushing unit (130), the user can easily and effectively wash the transport unit (140) contaminated with food material residue, etc. by separating it from the casing (120).

[0068] In this way, the pet food manufacturing device (100) according to the present embodiment may be characterized in that the transport unit (140) and the grinding unit (130) can be separated from the casing (120) and washed.

[0069] The casing (120) has an opening (121) formed in the front, and the crushing unit (130) can be inserted into the interior of the casing (120) through the opening (121), but can be detachably installed inside the casing (120) while covering the opening (121).

[0070] The crushing unit (130) is inserted into the interior of the casing (120) through an opening (121) formed in the front of the casing (120) and is installed so as to be detachable, but can cover the opening (121) to partition the interior space of the casing (120) from its exterior.

[0071] The crushing unit (130) may include an opening plate (131) covering an opening (121), a support plate (133) spaced apart from the opening plate (131) and inserted into the interior of the casing (120), a pair of supporters (134) interposed between the support plate (133) and the opening plate (131) and coupled to the support plate (133) and the opening plate (131) and having a plurality of crushing grooves (135) formed therein, and a crushing blade (136) rotatably coupled to the support plate (134) and disposed in the crushing grooves (135) to crush food materials as it rotates.

[0072] A pair of supports (134) are interposed and connected between an opening plate (131) and a support plate (133) which are spaced apart from each other and opposed to each other, and a pair of supports (134) are spaced apart from each other and opposed to each other, and a grinding blade (136) is rotatably connected to a plurality of grinding grooves (135) formed in each of the pair of supports (134), so that food ingredients input through the input hole (111) can be ground as they rotate.

[0073] When the support plate (133) is inserted into the interior of the casing (120) through the opening (121), a support (134) coupled with the support plate (133) and a plurality of grinding blades (136) coupled with the support (134) are placed inside the casing (120), and at this time, the opening / closing plate (131) coupled with the support (134) covers the opening (121) to partition the interior space of the casing (120) from its exterior.

[0074] A plurality of crushing blades (136) coupled to one of a pair of supports (134) and a plurality of crushing blades (136) coupled to the other of a pair of supports (134) may be sequentially arranged one by one and interlocked with each other.

[0075] A pressing member (150) that is rotatably coupled to the casing (120) and can press the opening / closing plate (131) toward the opening (121) as it rotates, and a joining member (160) that is rotatably coupled to the casing (120) and is placed on the opening / closing plate (131) that covers the opening (121) as it rotates, and can prevent the crushing unit (130) from being detached, may be further included.

[0076] The user can insert the crushing unit (130) into the interior of the casing (120) by rotating the pressure member (150) rotatably coupled to the casing (120) to pressurize the opening / closing plate (131).

[0077] In addition, the pressurizing member (150) can support the crushing unit (130) by being pressed by the front cover (210) to be described later while the opening / closing plate (131) is pressed.

[0078] The user can prevent the crushing unit (130) installed inside the casing (120) from being dislodged to the outside by inserting the crushing unit (130) into the inside of the casing (120) and then rotating the connecting member (160) rotatably connected to the casing (120) so that it is placed on the opening / closing plate (131).

[0079] The opening / closing plate (131) has a discharge port (132) formed at the bottom, and the transfer unit (140) can be detachably connected to the opening / closing plate (131) with one end inserted into the inside of the casing (120) through the discharge port (132) and the other end positioned outside the casing (120).

[0080] One end of the transport unit (140) can be inserted into the interior of the casing (120) through the discharge port (132) formed at the bottom of the opening / closing plate (131) and placed under the plurality of grinding blades (136), and at this time, the other end of the transport unit (140) can be placed outside the casing (120), specifically, outside the housing (110), and can be detachably connected to the opening / closing plate (131).

[0081] The transport unit (140) comprises a transport screw (141) having a spiral blade (142) extending along an outer surface thereof so as to transport food from one end to the other end as one end is inserted into the casing (120) and the other end is disposed outside the casing (120) and rotated, a strainer plate (143) disposed on the lower side of the transport screw (141) to compress food transferred by the transport screw (141) and to have a drainage hole (144) formed therein to discharge moisture of the food, a screw cover (145) coupled to the strainer plate (143) and formed to surround one end of the transport screw (141) to compress food transferred by the transport screw (141) and to have a discharge hole (147) formed therein to discharge the food, and a screw cover (145) formed to surround the other end of the screw cover (145) and fastened to the other end of the screw cover (145). It may include a fastening nut (146) that is screw-connected to the opening / closing plate (131).

[0082] As the conveying screw (141) rotates, the spiral blades (142) formed by extending along the outer surface move spirally, and the food material that is introduced into one end positioned inside the casing (120) is crushed by the plurality of crushing blades (136) and transferred to the outside of the casing (120), specifically, the other end positioned outside the housing (110).

[0083] Meanwhile, an outer cover (220) that is detachably coupled to the housing (110) and covers the other end of the casing (120) and the transfer screw (141) positioned outside the housing (110) when not in use may be further included.

[0084] A filter plate (143) placed on the lower side of the conveying screw (141) is interposed between the conveying screw (141) and the conveying food material to be compressed together with the conveying screw (141), but moisture that escapes from the compressed food material can be discharged through the drain hole (144).

[0085] A screw cover (145) formed to surround one end of the transport screw (141) is interposed between the transport screw (141) and the transported food material to be compressed together with the transport screw (141), but the compressed food material can be discharged to the outside through the discharge hole (147).

[0086] At this time, the food material discharged through the discharge hole (147) can be collected in a container or the like and provided as feed to pets.

[0087] A fastening nut (146) formed to surround the other end of the screw cover (145) can be screw-connected to the opening / closing plate (131) while being fastened to the other end of the screw cover (145), thereby allowing the screw cover (145) to be supported on the opening / closing plate (131).

[0088] Meanwhile, a front cover (210) may be further included that is interposed between the screw cover (145) and the opening / closing plate (131) and is detachably coupled to the housing (110) to cover the opening / closing plate (131).

[0089] As described above, the front cover (210) can be combined with the housing (110) to pressurize the pressurizing member (150) so that the pressurizing member (150) can pressurize and support the crushing unit (130).

[0090] The housing (110) may further include a collection container (170) that has a hole (112) formed at the bottom, a passage hole (122) formed at the bottom, and is inserted into the interior of the housing (110) through the hole (112) and discharged through the drain hole (144) to collect moisture of food ingredients that have passed through the passage hole (122).

[0091] A collection container (170) inserted into the interior of the housing (110) through a drain hole (112) formed at the bottom of the housing (110) can collect moisture that escapes from the compressed food material that is discharged through a drain hole (144) and falls through a passage hole (122) formed at the bottom of the casing (120).

[0092] The user can remove the collection container (170) from the insertion hole (112) to discard the moisture of the food material trapped inside and also wash the inside of the contaminated collection container (170).

[0093] A drive unit (180) installed inside the housing (110) and providing power for rotation of the crushing unit (130) and the transport unit (140) may be further included.

[0094] The crushing unit (130) and the transport unit (140) can be rotated by receiving power from a driving unit (180) installed inside the housing (110).

[0095] The drive unit (180) may include a motor (182) that receives electric energy and generates rotational force, and a plurality of gears (183) that transmit the rotational force generated by the motor (182) to the crushing unit (130) and the transfer unit (140).

[0096] The motor (182) can generate rotational force by being supplied with electric energy, and at this time, the electric energy can be supplied from an external power source or from a battery (190) installed inside the housing (110), and here, the battery (190) can be rechargeable.

[0097] A plurality of gears (183) can transmit the rotational force transmitted from the motor (182) to the crushing unit (130) and the transfer unit (140) by sequentially interlocking with each other and rotating.

[0098] Specifically, the crushing unit (130) and the transport unit (140) can be rotated by being detachably fitted to a rotating shaft to which a gear (183) is connected.

[0099] The rotation speeds of the crushing unit (130) and the transport unit (140) may vary depending on the gear ratio of the gears (183) connected to each other.

[0100] The transport unit (140) rotates faster than the crushing unit (130), thereby preventing the food materials crushed by the crushing unit (130) from being transported and overflowing or from being clogged in the crushing unit (130).

[0101] A microwave generating unit (240) may be further included, which is installed in the housing (110) and is installed on the side of the input hole (111) to irradiate microwaves to food materials input into the input hole (111) to vibrate water molecules in the food materials before the food materials are pulverized by the pulverizing unit (130), thereby heating or cooking the food materials.

[0102] Accordingly, by manufacturing feed as a heated or cooked food ingredient through a microwave generating unit (240) within the input hole (111), the taste and flavor of the feed can be further improved.

[0103] Meanwhile, a control panel (230) may be further included, which is arranged on one side of the housing (110) and includes instruction buttons for controlling various operations, and a display unit that displays information on operation or progress.

[0104] Additionally, an artificial intelligence unit may be further included to recognize the user's voice, control the operation based on the content of the recognized voice, and provide voice guidance on the operation or progress.

[0105] A weight measuring unit (250) may be further included to measure the weight of food material fed through the feeding hole (111) and / or the weight of food material, i.e., feed, fed through the feeding hole (147) and provide the corresponding weight information to the user through a display unit or voice, etc.

[0106] Specifically, the weight measuring unit (250) is installed at the bottom of the housing (110) to detect the change in the weight of the device (100) after the food material is put in, and subtract the preset weight of the device (100) from the changed weight of the device (100) to measure the weight of the put in food material.

[0107] In addition, the weight measuring unit (250) is installed at the bottom of the housing (110) to detect the change in the weight of the collection container (170) and subtract the preset weight of the collection container (170) from the changed weight of the collection container (170) to measure the weight of the food material, i.e., feed, discharged through the discharge hole (147) by subtracting the weight of the input food material measured according to the above-described method.

[0108]

[0109] Above, one embodiment of the present invention has been described, but a person having ordinary skill in the art will be able to modify and change the present invention in various ways by adding, changing, deleting or adding components, etc., within the scope that does not depart from the spirit of the present invention described in the claims, and this will also be considered to be included within the scope of the rights of the present invention.

Claims

1. A housing having an input hole formed at the top for inputting ingredients into the interior; A casing installed inside the housing and connected to the injection hole from the upper side; A grinding unit that is detachably installed inside the casing and grinds the food material fed through the feeding hole by rotating; and A pet food manufacturing device including a transport unit that is detachably coupled to the lower portion of the crushing unit and transports the food material crushed by the crushing unit to the outside of the casing while compressing the food material.

2. In paragraph 1, A pet food manufacturing device characterized in that the transport unit and the grinding unit can be separated from the casing and washed.

3. In paragraph 1, The above casing has an opening formed in the front, A pet food manufacturing device, wherein the crushing unit is inserted into the interior of the casing through the opening, and is detachably installed inside the casing while covering the opening.

4. In paragraph 3, The above crushing unit, A cover plate covering the above opening; A support plate spaced apart from the above-mentioned opening and closing plate and inserted into the interior of the above-mentioned casing; A pair of supports interposed between the support plate and the opening / closing plate, coupled with the support plate and the opening / closing plate, and having a plurality of crushing grooves formed therein; and A pet food manufacturing device, comprising a grinding blade that is rotatably connected to the support and is positioned in the grinding groove to grind the food material as it rotates.

5. In paragraph 4, A pressure member that is rotatably coupled to the casing and can press the opening plate toward the opening by rotating; and A pet food manufacturing device further comprising a coupling member positioned on the opening / closing plate that covers the opening and is rotatably coupled to the casing and capable of preventing detachment of the grinding unit as it rotates.

6. In paragraph 4, The above opening plate has a discharge port formed at the bottom, A pet food manufacturing device wherein the above-mentioned transport unit is detachably connected to the opening / closing plate with one end inserted into the interior of the casing through the discharge port and the other end positioned outside the casing.

7. In paragraph 6, The above transport unit, A conveying screw having a spiral blade extending along an outer surface thereof so as to convey the food material from one end to the other end while having one end inserted into the inside of the casing and the other end positioned outside the casing and rotating; A filter plate positioned below the conveying screw to compress the food material conveyed by the conveying screw and having a drainage hole formed therein to discharge moisture of the food material; A screw cover that is combined with the above-mentioned filter plate and formed to surround one end of the above-mentioned conveying screw, compresses the above-mentioned food material conveyed by the above-mentioned conveying screw, and has a discharge hole formed at one end for discharging the above-mentioned food material; and A pet food manufacturing device, comprising a fastening nut formed to surround the other end of the screw cover and fastened to the other end of the screw cover and screw-connected to the opening / closing plate.

8. In paragraph 7, The above housing has a removal hole formed at the bottom, The above casing has a through hole formed at the bottom, A pet food manufacturing device further comprising a collection container that is inserted into the interior of the housing through the insertion hole and collects moisture of the food material that has passed through the passage hole and is discharged through the drain hole.

9. In paragraph 1, A pet food manufacturing device further comprising a driving unit installed inside the housing to provide power for rotation of the crushing unit and the transport unit.

10. In paragraph 9, The above driving unit, A motor that generates rotational force by receiving electrical energy; and A pet food manufacturing device including a plurality of gears that transmit rotational force generated from the motor to the crushing unit and the transport unit.

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