Device for and Method of Dispensing Variable Shaped Items
AssigneePetzila Inc.
InventorsSimon Milner, Todd Lorey, David Clark
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An item dispensing device having a wheel with a dispensing bucket formed into the wheel wall. The device can have a number of features to prevent items being dispensed from interlocking and thereby preventing further dispensing. These features can include protrusions on the cylinder wall, and a torsion spring to agitate the items to be dispensed, and a reed sweeper to help prevent jamming of an item during dispensing. Further, the device includes an ejection arm having an ejection face configured to dispense items in a manner that are engaging for a pet
Claims19
An item dispensing device comprising;
- a wheel having a cylinder wall, a wheel top, a wheel bottom, a wheel width, a wheel axis, and a dispensing direction of rotation wherein the cylinder wall is configured with an indentation therein forming a dispensing bucket, and wherein the cylinder wheel walls are tapered inwards towards the wheel axis.
The device of claim 13, wherein the portion of a revolution is less than one-half a wheel rotation.
A system for distributing items comprising:
- an item dispensing device configured to wirelessly connect with a remote device through a network, wherein the dispensing device is configured to wirelessly receive a dispense indication through the Internet, wherein the dispensing device includes a wheel having a cylinder wheel wall, a wheel top, a wheel bottom, a wheel width, a wheel axis, wherein the cylinder wall is configured with an indentation thereby forming a dispensing bucket, and wherein the cylinder wheel walls are tapered inwards towards the wheel axis.
A method for distributing items from a dispensing device comprising the steps:
- wirelessly receiving a connection from a remote device over a network;
- enabling a video camera and sending a stream of compressed digital video data to the connection;
- waiting to receive an dispensing indication from the remote device;
- checking for a motor overcurrent indication from a motor rotating a dispenser wheel having a dispensing bucket containing one or more items in an item dispensing direction;
- reversing motor direction for partial wheel rotation if motor overcurrent indication is detected and then reversing the motor direction to an item dispensing direction;
- and
- ejecting the one or more items from the ejection platform an when wheel has reached an item delivery position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.