Motion Activated Food Dispenser

• US 20060249531A1
• Filed: 05/09/2006
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Richard J. Litchfield
• Original Assignee: Richard J. Litchfield
• Inventors: Litchfield, Richard J.
• Application Number:
  US11/382,425
• Publication Number:
  US 20060249531A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/52
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/44 in which magazines the articles are stored in bulk

Abstract

A motion activated food dispenser having a housing with a food dispensing outlet, means for controlling and directing the discharge of food product from the dispensing outlet when a receptacle is placed suitably near the discharge outlet, an electrically driven dispenser door in the interior space of said housing, a motion sensor, control electronics electronically connected to said motion sensor, and a control circuit electrically connected to the electric motor and the control electronics.

Claims

1. A motion activated food dispensing apparatus, comprising:

a food container having an outlet through which particulate food product is discharged;

a door which may be selectively opened to discharge food product and closed to retain food product;

an electric motor operatively connected to said door for opening and closing said door;

sensing means electronically connected to said electric motor and said sensing means for sensing when a receptacle is brought into sufficient proximity with the outlet in said food container;

control means electronically connected to said electric motor and said sensing means, said control means for controlling the time frames in which said electric motor operates to open and close said door.

2. A motion activated food dispensing apparatus, comprising:

a food container housing having an upper portion and a base portion, said upper portion including a top, a bottom having a food dispensing outlet, and a side wall defining an interior space to hold particulate food product;

a lid disposed on said upper portion top and providing access to the interior space in said housing;

a food dispensing outlet;

discharge means for controlling and directing the discharge of food product from the dispensing outlet when a suitable receptacle is placed underneath said discharge means;

a dispenser door disposed within the interior space of said housing, an electric motor operatively connected to said dispenser door to selectively open door to permit the discharge of particulate food product from said housing;

a motion sensor positioned on said interior side of said base portion;

control electronics electronically connected to said motion sensor; and

a control circuit electrically connected to said electric motor and said control electronics;

whereby when a receptacle is placed near said motion sensor, a signal is caused to be sent to said control electronics, which closes said control circuit and turns on said electric motor to open said dispenser door.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said upper portion of said housing is a hopper shaped to feed particulate food product into its outlet

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said base portion is arcuate.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said housing top is removably attached to said upper portion of said housing by connection means selected from the group consisting of matable threaded screws, tongue-and-slot connector, bayonet coupling, and hinges.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said connection means provides an airtight seal to prevent food spoilage.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, further including a window disposed in said upper portion of said housing includes for viewing any food contained in said food container

8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said upper portion includes an underside and said product outlet is disposed on said underside of said housing.

9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said discharge means comprises a chute positioned underneath the dispensing outlet.

13. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said motion sensor is an infrared reflective proximity sensor.

14. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said base portion has an interior side and said motion sensor is disposed on said interior side.

15. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein when actuated, said electric motor operates for a predetermined time and dispenses a metered amount determined by the predetermined time.

10. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said dispenser door is a wheel having at least one opening and circumferential gear teeth, and wherein said electric motor includes a gear in mesh with said circumferential gear teeth of said wheel.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said wheel is rotatably mounted on an axle positioned vertically in said floor of said upper portion.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 where said wheel includes a plurality of openings which are brought into alignment with the dispensing outlet opening as said wheel turns.

16. A motion activated particulate food dispenser, comprising:

a box having an upper portion and a lower portion;

a hopper disposed in said upper portion, said hopper having a floor;

a dispensing chamber disposed below said hopper;

an outlet tube connected to said hopper and having an upper opening in said floor of said hopper and a lower opening;

an axle,

a dispensing body rotatably mounted on said axle, said dispensing body having a receptacle portion that may be rotatably brought into alignment with the lower opening in said outlet tube so as to accept and retain a pre-measured portion of food discharged from said hopper;

an electric motor having a drive shaft operatively coupled to said axle;

a motion sensor for sensing the presence of an object in the discharge chamber;

electronics electrically connected to said motion sensor and to said electric motor, whereby when actuated by said electronics, said electric motor drives said axle and said dispensing body into a substantially inverted orientation to dispense any food that has been funneled into the receptacle of said dispensing body.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further including manual override means, wherein the electric motor may be disabled and said discharging body may be rotated into selective alignment with the upper and lower openings in said outlet tube.