阅读说明：本技术 宠物喂食装置和供应并打开胶囊的方法 (Pet feeding device and method for supplying and opening capsule ) 是由 M·达克斯 V·吕谢 C·托马斯 于 2020-02-20 设计创作，主要内容包括：用于供应、打开和弃置满装容器(12)的宠物喂食装置(10),具有用于弄扁或压缩空容器的推压机构。在用于供应、打开并弃置满装容器的方法中,空容器通过推压机构被弄扁或压缩。(A pet feeding device (10) for supplying, opening and disposing of a full container (12) has a biasing mechanism for collapsing or compressing an empty container. In the method for supplying, opening and disposing of full containers, the empty container is flattened or compressed by a pressing mechanism.)

1. A pet feeding device (10) for supplying and opening full containers (12), said pet feeding device (10) having at least one biasing mechanism (56) for flattening and/or compressing and/or stacking empty containers on top of each other.

2. The pet feeding device (10) according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said biasing mechanism (56) contacting an empty container is removable.

3. The pet feeding device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a bag (16) for accommodating empty containers, said bag preferably having means for closing said bag (16) before or during removal.

4. The pet feeding device according to claim 3, wherein the bag (16) is closable by a lid (31).

5. The pet feeding device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the means for closing the bag is a zip lock.

6. The pet feeding device according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one pivoting mechanism (14) for pivoting the container to be supplied about at least one substantially horizontal or vertical axis.

7. The pet feeding device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one compartment (20) containing a container can be moved.

8. The pet feeding device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein full and empty containers (12) can be stored in the same compartment (20).

9. The pet feeding device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the containers can be released one after the other from the compartment and/or allowed to enter the compartment by gravity and an openable or widenable opening.

10. The pet feeding device according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a briquetting for indenting and/or bending the edge (46) of the container (12).

11. The pet feeding device according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a lever (24) for biasing the opened lid (22) in a direction opposite to the opening direction.

12. A method for supplying and opening full containers, wherein empty containers are flattened and/or compressed and/or stacked on top of each other.

13. A method of supplying and opening full containers according to claim 12, wherein empty containers are contained in a bag (16), the bag (16) having a mechanism for closing the bag before or during removal.

14. Method of supplying and opening full containers according to claim 13, wherein the bag for receiving empty containers is closed by means of a zip lock.

15. Method of supplying and opening full-filled containers according to any of claims 12 to 14, wherein the container to be supplied is pivoted about at least one substantially horizontal or vertical axis.

16. The method of any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein at least one compartment housing a container is movable.

17. Method according to any one of claims 12 to 16, wherein the containers are released one after the other from the compartment and/or are allowed to enter the compartment by gravity and an openable or widenable opening.

18. A method according to any one of claims 12 to 17, wherein the rim of the container is embossed and/or bent prior to opening.

19. A method according to any one of claims 12 to 18, wherein the lid of the opened container is biased in a direction opposite to the opening direction.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a pet feeding device and a method of supplying, opening and disposing of a capsule.

Background

It is not always convenient or feasible for a person who owns a pet to provide food to the pet on their own. The provision of canned food products is a challenge, especially in the absence of a service. Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a substantially automated pet feeding device that is capable of, for example, opening a capsule containing pet food and providing the opened capsule to a pet.

WO2015/198222a2 describes such a device, but it suffers from the problem that cleanliness around the empty capsules normally left in the device cannot always be ensured before the empty capsules are disposed of, for example.

This is, however, considered in the apparatus of US2015/0053138a1, but with a relatively complex system for handling containers. Similarly, as mentioned above, the device of WO2014/013319a1 does not reliably ensure cleanliness, which also applies to the subject matter of FR2701353a 1.

Disclosure of Invention

The object on which the invention is based is therefore to provide a pet feeding device which is improved in terms of cleanliness and convenience, in particular in terms of collecting and disposing of empty capsules. Furthermore, a corresponding method is to be provided.

This object is first solved by a pet feeding device according to claim 1.

The pet feeding device or pet food dispensing device according to the invention therefore comprises at least one biasing means for collapsing (flatten) and/or compressing and/or stacking, i.e. nesting, empty containers, such as capsules. In other words, the empty container is deformed and/or compressed and/or nested (nest) to reduce its dimension in the height direction, which is generally perpendicular to the bottom and lid of the container, which is generally flat. This not only reduces the volume of waste, but also allows the overall height of the device to be reduced, which is more convenient for the pet. For example, testing has shown that a container having an original height of 14 mm can be compressed to a height of about 3 mm. The space saving effect is multiplied in view of the fact that a plurality of containers can be collected. In view of the effect achieved by the present invention, whenever "flattening" is mentioned in the following, it is equally meant compressing, stacking and nesting with each other.

Preferred embodiments are described in the other claims. It is emphasized at this point that the features of all the dependent claims, which are independent of one another and independent of the features of claim 1, optionally in any mutual combination, constitute further subject matter herein. This also applies to any other feature described above or below. Finally, any device feature is also applicable to the methods described herein, and vice versa.

In particular, at least a portion of the biasing mechanism that contacts the empty container may be removable to allow it to be conveniently cleaned. In particular, this portion may be substantially disc-shaped, the bottom surface of which substantially corresponds to the bottom surface of the empty containers to be collapsed and/or of the compartments containing these empty containers. The disc-shaped portion may be attached to a rod that pushes the disc, and the disc-shaped portion may be removed from the rod to allow cleaning thereof. As will be clear from the details below, the biasing means are preferably housed in a compartment adapted to accommodate an empty container. Furthermore, a bag may be provided in the compartment to accommodate the empty container and prevent any residue or similar waste from damaging the device.

The device therefore preferably comprises a bag for receiving the used container. Since the bag can be disposed of periodically, it facilitates easy cleaning of spill-prone areas in the compartment where any used capsules are stored. Used capsules are also referred to hereinafter as empty capsules, although they may still contain food or food debris that is susceptible to contamination of the device because it is not normally closed. In general, any type of receptacle for containing empty capsules can be provided, but a bag that is clearly less rigid and easily deformable has the advantage of being able to accommodate a closed compartment or to contain more and more empty capsules as it continues to be used.

Furthermore, a mechanism is provided for closing the bag before or during removal. For example, a mechanism for automatically closing the bag may be provided. Alternatively, this may be done manually by the user. Any principle may be employed as follows without limitation: twisting, gluing, heat bonding, welding, pulling a reverse added cord, wrapping a sticker, a zip lock that can be locked, among other things, by pressure, etc. With regard to the latter option it should be pointed out that this corresponds to a zip lock which is usually provided in bags for refrigerated or frozen food. In particular, the bag itself will typically have a mechanism for closing the bag.

Although the invention is generally referred to as a container, reference will be made hereinafter to a capsule. As will be detailed below, the present invention allows a solution that is both space-saving and clean with regard to the collection and disposal of empty capsules. In particular, since any food or other liquid remaining in the capsule is subject to gravity, appropriate measures may be taken to collect any such material below the location where the capsule is provided to the pet. This significantly improves the cleanliness of the pet food dispensing device and the convenience for the pet owner.

Preferably, the apparatus includes means for transferring the container from one location to another within the apparatus. Certain actions may be performed along the transport path that transports the single or multiple containers, such as opening the container, providing the opened container to the pet, disposing of the container, and reloading the one or more containers. In this regard, as described in more detail below, the delivery may initiate other mechanisms and/or steps such as opening the container.

The transport mechanism may comprise a pivoting mechanism for pivoting the container to be supplied about at least one substantially horizontal or vertical axis. In particular, the axis is preferably located outside the container to be pivoted. Furthermore, the pivoting mechanism is preferably adapted to pivot a single container. In other words, the device is adapted to supply and open a full container, such as a capsule or a can, and to pivot the container about at least one substantially horizontal axis when supplied to a position where the opened container is presented to a pet.

It should be noted that the pivoting mechanism may have the shape of a part of a ball, sphere or cylinder, in which case the sphere is preferably used to provide a very tight seal with respect to the compartment for accommodating an empty capsule as described below.

Accordingly, other components of the device, such as at least a portion of the device housing as a whole, a sliding cover of the feeding site, a grip for gripping the cover and a lever for biasing the cover against the opening direction, may have a shape corresponding to a portion of a sphere, a cylinder, and also have a flat surface.

The use of multiple horizontal axes with pivoting mechanisms allows to actuate, process the capsule in a always upright position. A pivoting mechanism around two pivot axes can for example be realized by mounting two guide rods in parallel on the two axes and connecting their loose ends by a bridge in parallel with the axis connection.

Alternatively, the plurality of containers can pivot or rotate about a generally vertical axis in a manner similar to a revolver. As a further alternative, a plurality of containers may be conveyed linearly to be located in turn at appropriate stations, at which the steps described above are taken respectively.

In the case of a bag for containing an empty capsule, this brings about particular advantages in terms of trapping odours within the device, keeping insects away from the device and similar effects, if the capsule compartment or its bag is closed by a lid while accompanying the device being used. Advantageously, the lid or cover part may be integrated with, or even integral with, the pivoting mechanism or the capsule opening mechanism, i.e. form part of the pivoting mechanism or the capsule opening mechanism.

To better save space, the compartment may be actuated and moved to allow the pivoting mechanism to pass during actuation. Such a movement or displacement may be effected, for example, in the vertical direction. But movements in the horizontal direction or in the horizontal direction of the vertical strip are also possible.

Especially with regard to space saving and convenient arrangement, this may provide further advantages if both full and empty capsules can be stored in the same compartment of the device. In other words, at one end of such a compartment, full capsules are continuously removed and supplied to the feeding position, and, for example, at the other end of the compartment, empty capsules are continuously accommodated within the compartment. As will be detailed below, the aforementioned compartment may be a secondary packaging of the capsule, and the aforementioned bag may be integrated with the mentioned compartment and/or secondary packaging. As will become clearer from the following explanation, the accommodation of full and empty capsules in the same compartment will be achieved in particular by rotating the capsule to be supplied about 180 degrees and pivoting about at least one substantially horizontal axis, which is remote from the feeding position.

Reliable and efficient operation is achieved when the containers are released and/or allowed to enter the compartment one by gravity and the movable or openable barrier. For example, this may be at least one barrier which releases the capsule when moved out of the release path, otherwise blocks the capsule when moved into the release path. Alternatively, it may be achieved by at least one blocking element which blocks the opening in a radially inner position and opens or widens the opening when moved to a radially outer position. The radially movable element may for example be constituted by a latch. A mechanism having a plurality of radially movable elements may be referred to as an aperture mechanism.

The opening in the outer radial portion of the delivery mechanism may thus serve as a holding and release mechanism for the capsule during reloading, activation, opening, feeding and disposal.

This may be facilitated, for example, by a plate having an inner hole or aperture that allows the container to pass through, along with another plate having a wider inner hole or aperture that surrounds the lower or middle portion of the container. One alternative is a gripping mechanism in the pivoting mechanism that holds the container in place or opens wide enough to let the container pass.

With regard to a secure opening of the capsule, which usually has a lid, the pet feeding device preferably further comprises a press piece for stamping and/or bending the edge, in particular the radial edge of the capsule. This will generally deform the capsule, which is usually made of a material with a high metal content, so it will deform plastically, while the lid will preferably be radially shorter than the rim, so it will remain in its original orientation. Or it may have a significantly higher plastic content and will deform elastically, i.e. it will substantially return to its original shape. In particular, the capsule body, i.e. the part of the capsule which contains the food and is covered by the separate lid, may have a surrounding flange, which may be e.g. a few millimetres wide. The lid will preferably be radially shorter than the rim and or allowed to have substantially the same dimensions as the outer head of the flange, but preferably not be sealed to the flange at least a few millimetres outermost. If a force is now applied to the lid in the region of the flange, the flange will deform, in particular it will tilt away from the lid, in other words away downwards in the normal orientation of the container, but the lid will not deform or substantially retain its shape, so that the gap created between the lid and the flange is available for gripping the lid. Thus, as the capsule deforms, it can be securely grasped by appropriate parts of the pet feeding device. This also brings the significant advantage that measures for ensuring a secure grip of the lid are implemented in the device itself, compared to the case where the lid has, for example, tabs for gripping or any other local mechanism required for a secure grip of the lid. This often has the consequence that the capsule must be provided in the device in a defined orientation, which is always accompanied by a risk of misorientation by the user, thus jeopardizing a reliable grip. Furthermore, there is no risk of deforming the required tabs, for example during capsule delivery, which deformation would normally jeopardize the reliable handling of the capsule. In contrast, by the above-mentioned particularly preferred measure of providing a press block for stamping and/or bending the capsule in the device, this may be arranged such that any means for gripping the lid will be suitably adjusted with respect to its position to utilise the indentation or other deformed flange of the capsule, as described above.

In this regard, the pet food dispensing device advantageously further comprises a lever for biasing the opened lid in a direction opposite to the opening direction. Thus, the lid is kept taut during the opening movement, so that the formation of wrinkles or similar deformations can be minimized. This also minimizes the risk of food adhering to the lid damaging the surrounding environment, especially any surrounding parts of the pet food dispensing device.

Since the disposal is performed by gravity, a certain space is required in the vertical direction. This can also be used to store a large number of capsules in the device to avoid frequent reloading. Since this will raise the feeding position vertically, the pet feeding device preferably comprises a step or platform which allows the pet to be sufficiently close to the feeding position vertically.

The pet food dispensing device described herein may also have a camera and/or RFID reader to identify a pet approaching the device and initiate the feeding and opening of the full capsule at the appropriate time.

Since it is sometimes desirable to heat the pet food, the device may eventually include a heater.

According to a preferred embodiment of the pet feeding device, it would be advantageous to seal the bag for accommodating the empty capsule after it has been supplied and emptied. It should also be mentioned at this point that the lid is preferably returned onto or into the empty capsule before the capsule is disposed into the compartment.

In order to facilitate the gripping of the lid when opening the capsule, the lid is preferably biased in a direction opposite to the opening direction during opening, as described above.

The above-mentioned object on which the present invention is based is also achieved by providing a method for supplying and opening full capsules, wherein an empty container is flattened. Furthermore, they may preferably be housed in a bag with a mechanism to close the bag before or during removal. Furthermore, the capsule may be pivotable about at least one substantially horizontal axis. This method can also be used for any type of container that is outside the field of pet feeding. One example might be the handling of capsules containing food or particles to be specifically provided.

The same applies to the above and below described devices for supplying and opening containers.