US 12,471,566 B2
Automatic animal feeding system for presenting and securing food pods
Peter Franklin, Austin, TX (US); Jeffrey Pon, Southlake, TX (US); Matthew Firlik, Buena Park, CA (US); Eric Liu, Houston, TX (US); George Turvey, Brookdale, CA (US); and Charles Putland, Ben Lomond, CA (US)
Assigned to PAWS FORWARD INC., Austin, TX (US)
Filed by PAWS FORWARD INC., Austin, TX (US)
Filed on Sep. 11, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/464,977.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/375,651, filed on Sep. 14, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0081280 A1, Mar. 14, 2024
Int. Cl. A01K 5/02 (2006.01); A01K 5/01 (2006.01); A01K 29/00 (2006.01); G06F 21/44 (2013.01); G06V 10/77 (2022.01); B67B 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC A01K 5/0283 (2013.01) [A01K 5/0114 (2013.01); A01K 5/0121 (2013.01); A01K 5/0128 (2013.01); A01K 5/0208 (2013.01); A01K 5/0225 (2013.01); A01K 5/0233 (2013.01); A01K 5/025 (2013.01); A01K 5/0275 (2013.01); A01K 5/0291 (2013.01); A01K 29/005 (2013.01); G06F 21/44 (2013.01); G06V 10/7715 (2022.01); B67B 7/38 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An automatic pet feeding system that implements an automatic feeding process, the automatic pet feeding system comprising:
a rotary plate positioned within an enclosure, configured to rotate about an axis, and comprising a food pod holder positioned a radial distance away from the axis, wherein the food pod holder corresponds to a vertical opening extending along a height of the rotary plate; and
a food canister comprising:
at least two chambers each positioned the radial distance away from the axis, wherein each chamber is configured to hold a plurality of vertically stacked food pods; and
a handle coupled to a rod extending along a height of the food canister in between the at least two chambers, wherein the rod comprises a food canister base blade, wherein turning the handle causes the food canister base blade to rotate along the rotary plate to selective lock or unlock the food canister from the enclosure and to selectively expose a food pod of the plurality of vertically stacked food pods to the rotary plate, wherein aligning the food pod holder below the food canister at the radial distance causes the food pod to drop from the food canister into the food pod holder, and wherein the food pod holder is configured to at least partially secure the food pod during at least a portion of the automatic feeding process.