Patent ID: 11895990
Assignee: nan
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 0:
1. An automated fish-feeding device comprising:
a feeder mechanism and a controller;
wherein the automated fish-feeding device is adapted to dispense fish food to fish in an aquarium in the absence of a user;
wherein the feeder mechanism dispenses a plurality of seaweed sheets, frozen fish food cubes, or both in accordance with a predetermined schedule;
wherein the feeder mechanism comprises a refrigeration unit for chilling the frozen fish food cubes and a pump to thaw an individual frozen fish food cube using aquarium water before dispensing the individual frozen fish food cube;
wherein the automated fish-feeding device is packaged in an aquarium-mount enclosure that hangs on the side of the aquarium;
wherein the frozen fish food cubes are stored in a plurality of compartments before being dispensed;
wherein an individual compartment selected from the plurality of compartments stores one of the individual frozen fish food cubes;
wherein the individual frozen fish food cube released from the individual compartment lands on a cube ramp;
wherein the controller pumps the aquarium water onto the cube ramp to thaw the individual frozen fish food cube;
wherein once thawed, the individual frozen fish food cube slides down the cube ramp and into the aquarium;
wherein the feeder mechanism comprises a sheet feeder and a frozen cube feeder;
wherein the feeder mechanism is suspended above the aquarium water;
wherein the sheet feeder and the frozen cube feeder are side-by-side within the feeder mechanism;
wherein the sheet feeder stores a supply comprising the plurality of seaweed sheets;
wherein an individual seaweed sheet is drawn from the bottom of the supply by a roller when the roller is activated;
wherein the roller is activated by energizing a motor;
wherein the motor is coupled to a motor pulley and the roller is coupled to a roller pulley;
wherein a belt couples the motor pulley to the roller pulley such that energizing the motor causes rotation of the roller;
wherein the motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy;
wherein the motor causes rotation of the motor pulley when the electrical energy is applied to the motor;
wherein the electrical energy applied to the motor is controlled by the controller;
wherein the sheet feeder comprises a sheet ramp which directs the plurality of seaweed sheets to the roller.