Smart Pet Feeder Spin-Plate Control for Accurate Kibble Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current pet feeders are inaccurate in the amount of food released, leading to overfeeding or inconsistent meal sizes, and they often fail to accommodate various kibble sizes, especially large and extra-large kibble.
Innovation Solution
A smart pet feeder system with a motor, such as a stepper or gear motor, for precise control of food release, combined with a mobile app for interaction, remote camera, and Wi-Fi connectivity, ensuring accurate and customizable feeding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional motors are used in pet feeders, then the device complexity is reduced, but the manufacturing precision and reliability of food release are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical motors with a stepper motor that provides precise rotational control through electronic signaling. This substitution enables accurate measurement of rotational positions and speeds, directly improving food release precision while managing complexity through digital control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates sensors that detect the rotational position and speed of the spin plate, providing feedback to the control system. This feedback mechanism allows the system to adjust and maintain precise food release measurements, resolving the contradiction between precision and complexity through closed-loop control.
2Ease of operation
If a spin plate mechanism is used to dispense food, then the ease of operation is improved, but the measurement precision of food amount is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces simple mechanical food dispensing with a motorized spin plate system controlled by a microprocessor. This substitution enables precise measurement of the spin plate's rotational parameters, which directly correlates to the amount of food dispensed, thereby improving measurement precision while maintaining ease of operation through automated control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary control system that links the spin plate mechanism to the food amount measurement. This intermediary layer processes the rotational data and translates it into accurate food quantity measurements, resolving the contradiction between operational simplicity and measurement precision.
3Manufacturing precision
If the feeder is designed for specific kibble sizes, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the adaptability to various kibble sizes is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic control system that can adjust the spin plate's rotational speed and duration based on the type of kibble being dispensed. This dynamic adaptability allows the same mechanism to maintain high manufacturing precision across various kibble sizes, resolving the contradiction between precision and versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs the feed dispensing mechanism to perform multiple functions by accommodating different kibble sizes through programmable control parameters. The universal design maintains precision by adjusting operational variables rather than requiring separate mechanisms for each kibble type, thereby resolving the contradiction between manufacturing precision and adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
A smart pet feeder assembly may include a hopper, a feed chute configured to direct feed towards a bowl, and a feed dispensing assembly configured to selectively deliver feed from the hopper to the feed chute. The feed dispensing assembly may include a spin plate, a motor mount, a motor, and one or more of a diverter blade or a center spacer. The spin plate may be configured to receive feed from the hopper. The motor mount may be configured to be supported by one of the hopper or the feed chute, and to support the motor and spin plate. The diverter blade may include a feed engagement portion for redirecting the feed received by the spin plate off of the spin plate. The center spacer may be positioned on the on the spin plate and be configured to divert feed away from a center of the spin plate.