Abstract:
A pet food dispenser comprising a lid and a hopper bin. The lid fits over a loading opening of the hopper bin. A main section includes a base, and the main section includes a base cover having a hopper funnel and a hopper recess. An auger assembly has an intake opening and an output opening, and the auger assembly is removably cradled in the hopper recess. When the auger assembly is operating, an auger blade is formed as a helical screw that drives articles from the intake opening to the output opening. A motor mount has a motor, and the motor is mechanically connected to the auger assembly to drive the auger assembly. The motor mount is connected to the base. A microprocessor controls actuation of the motor.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention is in the field of pet food dispensers, more particularly in the field of automated pet food dispensers. 
       DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART 
       [0002]    An automated pet food feeder can make scheduled feeding easier. A variety of different pet food feeders have been described in patent literature. 
         [0003]    As early as May 19, 1987, Pitchford, Jr. describes a timed automatic pet feed and water dispenser in U.S. Pat. No. 4,665,862. This apparatus includes a leveraged loading storage bin for receiving a supply of pet food, which is dispensed at predetermined time intervals controlled by a timer system. The water dispenser can also dispense water to produce a gravy and a softening of particulate feed. 
         [0004]    For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,805 published on Nov.  15 ,  1994  by Wing titled automatic pet feeder, an apparatus is provided for programming the dispensing device to control the frequency and the amount of the solid food delivered into the bowl. This automatic pet feeder consists of a cabinet for storing solid food therein so a bowl may be externally positioned adjacent to the cabinet on the flat surface. 
         [0005]    In Turner et al.&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 7,426,901 dated Sep. 23, 2008, an animal feeding device and method is described. This is a sophisticated pet feeding device such that it is a system designed specifically for pets with special diets. The feeder dish is made accessible only to pets carrying an ID tag that is recognized and authorized by a receiver on the device. The ID tags and device can be pre-programmed so that food is made available only for a certain time period. The appropriate amount of food is thereby made available at appropriate time intervals. 
         [0006]    In U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,166 published on May 16, 2000, Macrina describes a pet feeding system that allows a user to monitor the operation of the pet feeding and determine whether or not the pet feeding system is operating normally by placing a phone call to his or her house. The control circuit determines the level of food and/or water to allow. The control circuit includes a telephone relay disconnect with an inlet and outlet telephone line while a regular telephone answering machine is attached to an outlet line from the automatic feeder so that when an interruption in the system&#39;s operation is encountered the telephone answering machine is disconnected through the relay altering the user to a feeding system malfunction. 
         [0007]    In U.S. Pat. No. 5,299,529 dated Apr. 5, 1994, Ramirez describes an automatic feeder for dogs and other animals as a computerized dispenser for dispensing different programmed quantities of food for each meal to an animal at up to ten programmed times. This complex feeder includes a control circuitry such as a digital voice circuit that allows for recording and playing audio in order to enable an owner to record message for automatic playback at preprogrammed times, normally just head of feeding time. 
         [0008]    Parks describes an automatic animal feeder and water dispenser in U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,520 on Aug. 25, 1987. This automatic animal feeder and water dispenser dispenses animal food at predetermined times and in variable quantities. The water dispenser can also be activated by the timer to wet the supply of pet food. 
         [0009]    On Jun. 11, 2002, Krishnamurthy describes United States patent publication U.S. Pat. No. 6,401,657 B1 as an automatic pet food feeder. This complex device consists of a motorized pet food feeder having a food storage bin with a top and a bottom, wherein the bottom is open. A motor is mounted onto the device with a rotatable shaft so that the pet food feeder can be adapted to be used with various timing and sensing devices that control the actuation of the motor and the duration of activation, thereby controlling the amount of food transported. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    A pet food dispenser can be automated having a preprogrammed schedule on a computer that has a screen and control buttons. The pet food dispenser computer controls the motor that drives the auger for dispensing food. The auger is removable from an installed position to a detached position for easy cleaning. 
         [0011]    A pet food dispenser comprising a lid and a hopper bin. The lid fits over a loading opening of the hopper bin. A main section includes a base, and the main section includes a base cover having a hopper funnel and a hopper recess. An auger assembly has an intake opening and an output opening, and the auger assembly is removably cradled in the hopper recess. When the auger assembly is operating, an auger blade is formed as a helical screw that drives articles from the intake opening to the output opening. A motor mount has a motor, and the motor is mechanically connected to the auger assembly to drive the auger assembly. The motor mount is connected to the base. A microprocessor controls actuation of the motor. 
         [0012]    The lid has a lid top surface that is formed with a lid recess, and a remote control module is docked to the lid recess. A remote control module has a plurality of wireless controls. The remote control module has a remote screen and the lid recess is configured to provide the remote control module a tilted dock position. The motor mount includes a motor stand that has a pivot so that the motor mount is pivotally attached to the base. The tray has tray walls surrounding a tray depression, and a portion of the tray walls forms a tray ramp for receiving pet food. The tray opening is formed on a front surface of the main section, and the tray opening is sized to receive at least a portion of the tray ramp. 
         [0013]    The auger assembly includes a blade mounted on a shaft. The shaft is mounted on a first bushing and a second bushing. A drive head is formed on the shaft. The auger assembly has a generally circular end plate having an intake shaft mount. The auger assembly includes an output shaft mount formed on a housing of the auger assembly. A blade is mounted on a shaft, and the shaft is mounted on a first bushing and a second bushing. A drive head is formed on the shaft on an end of the shaft. The auger assembly further includes a generally circular end plate and an auger assembly connector formed on the generally circular end. The auger assembly connector connects with a motor mount connector. 
         [0014]    It is an object of the present invention to have a removable auger assembly module to provide easier cleanup of accumulated food and germs on the dispensing system and to prevent potential diseases thereby keeping pets healthy. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a front right view of the pet food dispenser. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a front left view of the pet food dispenser. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the pet food dispenser. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a diagram showing the auger module in cradle position. 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a diagram showing removal of the auger module from the cradle position. 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a diagram of the auger unit in assembled configuration. 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a diagram of the auger unit in exploded view. 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  is a rear view of the dispenser unit showing the data ports. 
           [0023]      FIG. 9  is a close-up view of the Ethernet and phone plug. 
           [0024]      FIG. 10  is a diagram of the wireless remote control removed from the automated pet food dispenser. 
           [0025]      FIG. 11  is a diagram of the wireless remote control in a swivel docked position. 
           [0026]      FIG. 12  is a diagram of the position of the motor. 
           [0027]      FIG. 13  is a side view diagram of the position of the motor. 
       
    
    
       [0028]    The following call list of elements is a useful guide in referencing the element numbers of the drawings.
     20  Lid     21  Lid Top Surface     22  Lid Recess     23  Remote Control Module     24  Wireless Controls     25  Remote Screen     26  Lid Indent     30  Main Section     31  Hopper Bin     32  Base Cover     33  Hopper Funnel     34  Hopper Recess     35  Base     36  Motor Stand     40  Tray     41  Tray Walls     42  Tray Ramp     43  Tray Depression     44  Tray Opening     50  Auger Assembly     51  Intake Opening     52  Output Opening     152  Output Shaft Mount     53  Blade     54  First Bushing     55  Second Bushing     56  Drive Head     57  Shaft     58  End Plate     158  Screw     258  Intake Shaft Mount     59  Circlip     61  Motor Mount     62  Square Socket     63  Forward Extension Flange     64  Rear Extension Flange     70  Computer     71  Data Ports     72  Main Screen     73  Main Controllers     74  Ethernet Connector     75  Phone Plug Connector     81  Motor     82  Motor Socket   
 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0073]      FIG. 1  shows a front perspective right view of the present invention having a lid  20  over a main section  30 . A tray is installed in the main section  30  through a tray opening  44 . The unit can rest on the floor and have a removable bowl shaped as a tray that also rests on the floor. The removable bowl preferably has a flat bottom and can be formed from stainless steel for ease of cleaning. 
         [0074]    The main section  30  has a hopper bin  31  that receives dry pet food such as rabbit pellets. The hopper bin sits on top of the base cover  32 . The base cover  32  houses an upper rim shaped to receive a lower end of the hopper bin  31 . The hopper funnel  33  supports the hopper bin and assists in receiving dry pet food and directing dry pet food to the auger assembly  50 . The hopper bin can also be made of stainless steel instead of plastic. 
         [0075]    A lid  20  is sometimes necessary to keep the food fresh and secure. It is preferred that the lid  20  have a lid indent  26 . The lid indent  26  preferably has an elastomeric seal that seals and structurally connects to the hopper bin  31 . The lid has a lid top surface  21 . The lid top surface  21  has a lid recess  22  that may receive a remote control module  23 . The wireless controls  24  are disposed on the remote control module which can be removed and magnetically adhered to a refrigerator. The remote screen  25  can be mounted on the remote control module  23  so that pet food data can be displayed on a liquid crystal display of the remote screen  25 . 
         [0076]    The hopper recess  34  provides a downward opening and is formed on the hopper funnel  33 . The hopper funnel  33  funnels the pet food to the hopper recess  34 . The base cover  32  can be integrally formed with the hopper funnel  33 , or can be separately formed and later bonded to the hopper funnel  33 . The base cover  32 , the lid  20  and the hopper bin  31  can be made from plastic injection molding techniques. 
         [0077]    The base cover  32  fits over the base  35 . The motor stand  36  may have a pivot allowing the motor  82  to pivot on the motor stand  36 . The motor has a motor socket  81  that receives the drive head  56  and can both have a hexagonal profile. 
         [0078]    The auger assembly  50  fits in the hopper recess  34 . The auger assembly  50  preferably fits over a forward extension flange  63 . An auger assembly connector can be formed as a square plug. The auger assembly connector connects to the motor mount connector to resist rotation of the auger assembly. The motor mount connector can be formed as a square socket  62 . The auger assembly  50  has a square plug for mechanical connection to a square socket  62  of the motor mount  61 . A rear extension flange  64  may provide additional stability for the auger assembly  50  and the motor mount  61 . The motor is mounted within the motor mount  61  and is preferably electrically powered such as by direct current. Direct current is available from a power transformer that plugs to household electric current. 
         [0079]    The square socket of the motor mount  61  may receive the square plug of the auger assembly. This configuration could also be reversed so that a square plug of the motor mount  61  may receive a square socket of the auger assembly. The square socket  62  has sufficient depth to prevent turning of the auger assembly relative to the motor mount  61 . A pair of tips formed on the forward extension flange  63  extend upward to grasp and retain the auger assembly  50  against the motor mount  61 . The forward extension flange  63  is preferably formed as a spring, which can be made as a resilient member such as from a metal or plastic material. When formed as a spring, the forward extension flange is a forward extension flange clip. The stiffness of the forward extension flange clip is tight enough to retain the auger assembly during use, but loose enough so that a user can pull away the auger assembly  50  from the forward extension flange clip. 
         [0080]    The auger assembly  50  fits in the hopper recess  34  at an angle such as the 45° angle shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . The auger assembly is tilted upward so that the intake opening  51  is below the output opening  52 . Optionally, the auger assembly  50  is mounted on a forward extension flange  63  which is a part of the motor mount  61 . The motor mount  61  is optionally pivotally attached to a motor stand. The motor mount  61  can be pivoted forward so that the auger assembly  50  is horizontal rather than angled upward at a 45° angle. Optionally, the motor stand  36  can be spring-loaded so that it is somewhat biased upward for ease of removal of the auger assembly  50 . Optionally, the motor mount  61  is motor driven by a secondary motor so that the secondary motor can raise and lower the auger assembly  50  between the 45° angle position and the horizontal position. 
         [0081]    The tray  40  has tray walls  41  and a tray ramp  42 . The tray ramp  42  fits inside the tray opening  44  of the base cover  32 . The tray depression  43  receives the pet food that slides down the tray ramp  42  when the auger assembly  50  is activated. The tray ramp  42  fits underneath the output opening  52  of the auger assembly  50 . The output opening  52  faces downward toward the tray ramp  42 . The auger assembly intake opening  51  faces upward and receives pet food from the hopper funnel  33 . 
         [0082]    The auger assembly  50  generally has an intake opening  51  and an output opening  52  for respectively receiving pet food into the auger assembly and dispensing pet food out of the auger assembly. The auger assembly has an auger within it which has a blade  53  formed as a helical screw. The helical screw is mounted on a shaft  57 . The shaft  57  has a pair of bushing receiving ends that fit to bushings. A first bushing receiving end of the shaft  57  fits to a first bushing  54  and a second bushing receiving end of the shaft  57  fits to a second bushing  55 . The bushings can be made as bearings such as ball bearings or pin bearings. When formed as bearings, the pin bearings can be made as one-way bearings. The first bushing receiving end of the shaft  57  extends to a drive head  56 . The drive head  56  can be driven by the motor. The drive head  56  can be decoupled from a socket of the motor shaft. The motor shaft has a driving socket for driving the drive head  56 . The motor movement is controlled by the computer which may have a calendar schedule or timer program stored in flash memory. 
         [0083]    The auger assembly  50  can be disassembled and reassembled. The auger assembly  50  can be removed from the hopper recess  34  without tools. The first bushing  54  fits into an intake shaft mount  258  of the end plate  58 . Screws  158  fit into screw openings formed on the end plate. The screws  158  connect to the end plate to the body of the auger assembly  50 .  FIG. 7  shows that the auger assembly can be disassembled and reassembled. The three screws  158  can be oriented at 120° from each other and extended into an input opening exterior side wall near the intake opening  51 . The output opening  52  can have an output opening side wall having an output shaft mount  152 . A circlip  59  is mounted external to the auger assembly and can secure a second end of the shaft  57  and also secure the second bushing  55 . The second end of the shaft  57  has a circlip slot along its circumference to allow installation of the circlip  59 . It is preferred to use circlip pliers to install the circlip. 
         [0084]    The computer  70  has the main screen  72  for providing pet food data such as schedule programming, wireless configuration and Ethernet configuration. The main screen  72  can be supplemented by speakers mounted a side or near the main screen  72 . The main screen  72  can provide user entertainment and display data. The computer  70  can play preprogrammed scheduled music or a tune from the speakers and output visual stimuli to the pet to summon the pet for feeding. Data ports  71  may include an Ethernet connector  74  or a phone plug connector  75 . Main controllers  73  can be formed as pushbuttons located beneath the main screen  72 . The main screen  72  can also provide a visual indicator to the user or pet as to the amount of food remaining or other status. Ethernet connector  74  can be used for connecting the pet food dispenser to an Ethernet network. With an IP address, firmware can be built into the computer  70 . The phone plug connector can receive and output commands through a regular telephone. The phone plug connector may allow a user to make changes to the schedule, make a telephone call to the pet, or listen to the pet such as during feeding for remote monitoring of the pet. 
         [0085]    The remote control preferably has a tilt position  27  where the remote control can be docked at a tilted angle for viewing the remote control. The remote control and the computer may both have a microprocessor such as a CPU or electronic circuit or the like for operating the logical features of the remote control or computer.