Vertical Refrigerated Pet Feeder With Re-Cooling Tray Dispense
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automated pet feeders for perishable food do not maintain refrigeration after dispensing, leading to food waste and limited feeding flexibility, and often require large footprints or inefficient thermal management.
Innovation Solution
A vertically stacked tray system within a thermally insulated enclosure, using motorized lift and horizontal transfer mechanisms to align trays with a dispensing port, allowing for precise control and re-refrigeration of uneaten food, with optional heating and smart scheduling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a rotating disc mechanism is used to dispense food, then the feeding mechanism can be simplified, but the device footprint increases and thermal efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a horizontal rotating disc mechanism to a vertical stack of trays arranged in the vertical dimension. This allows multiple food portions to be stored in a compact vertical space rather than requiring a large horizontal footprint, while maintaining individual tray accessibility through the vertical lift mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotating disc is segmented into multiple independent trays that can be individually selected and dispensed. Each tray functions as an independent storage and dispensing unit, allowing flexible feeding schedules and preventing thermal cross-contamination between different food portions.
2Device complexity
If food is exposed to ambient air after dispensing, then the dispensing mechanism can be simpler, but food waste increases and re-cooling capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the food from the refrigerated environment only during the brief dispensing period when the tray is moved to the dispensing port. The food remains enclosed in the refrigerated chamber during storage and after dispensing, preventing exposure to ambient air and enabling re-cooling of uneaten portions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary cooling of the tray and food before dispensing, and automatically re-cools the tray after dispensing if food remains. This preliminary thermal preparation and subsequent re-cooling action prevents food waste by maintaining refrigeration throughout the entire food lifecycle in the system.
3Ease of operation
If trays are arranged horizontally, then individual tray control is easier, but the device footprint increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent repositions trays from a horizontal arrangement to a vertical stack, utilizing the vertical dimension for tray arrangement. This maintains individual tray control capability through the vertical lift mechanism while significantly reducing the horizontal footprint of the device.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Maintains refrigeration of perishable food before and after presentation, supports flexible feeding schedules, and reduces waste while maintaining a compact footprint, suitable for pets and other temperature-sensitive applications.
Implementation Method 1
a refrigeration system; an insulated enclosure that can have a front-loading access door
Implementation Method 2
an insulated enclosure that can have a front-loading access door
Implementation Method 3
a heating element may be positioned beneath the selected tray in the dispensing position outside the insulated enclosure
Data Source
AI summary
A pet food feeding system that can include a series of stacked trays containing food, or other comestible elements, that can be stored within a refrigerated container, where within the container, there can be a set of motors configured to manipulate the trays for dispensing through a dispensing port. The system can include a controller that may monitor the time a tray remains dispensed, whether the comestible elements were consumed or partially consumed, and retain and/or redispense an unconsumed portion of the comestible elements. The controller can further determine the approach of a pet to signal the dispensing.