Apparatus for preparing feed for animals

Abstract

An apparatus for preparing feed for animals, includes a first container for storing at least one liquid; a second container for storing at least one dehydrated feed; a mixing chamber; a first dosing system configured to dose and transfer a first predetermined amount of the at least one liquid to the mixing chamber; a second dosing system configured to dose and transfer a second predetermined amount of the at least one dehydrated feed to the mixing chamber; a mixer, arranged at least temporarily in the mixing chamber, for stirring and mixing the at least one liquid with the at least one dehydrated feed during a mixing phase, so as to form a feed ration in paste form; and a dispenser, arranged to dispense the feed ration in paste form from the mixing chamber into a container, for dispensing during a dispensing phase.

Claims

1. An apparatus for preparing feed for animals, which comprises: a first container for storing at least one liquid; a second container for storing at least one dehydrated feed, the second container disposed adjacent to the first container and having an opening defined at a bottom of the second container; a mixing chamber, a first dosing system configured to dose and transfer a first predetermined amount of said at least one liquid to the mixing chamber; a second dosing system configured to dose and transfer a second predetermined amount of said at least one dehydrated feed to the mixing chamber, the second dosing system disposed underneath the second container in communication with the opening; a mixer, arranged at least temporarily in the mixing chamber for stirring and mixing said at least one liquid with said at least one dehydrated feed during a mixing phase, so as to form a feed ration in paste form, and a dispenser, arranged to dispense the feed ration in paste form from the mixing chamber into a container during a dispensing phase, wherein the mixing chamber is disposed below the second dosing system, and wherein the dispenser is disposed below the mixing chamber.

2. The apparatus for preparing feed for animals according to claim 1, comprising at least one part that is mobile in relation to the mixing chamber and arranged to be driven in a mixing movement during the feed ration mixing phase, in order to be used as the mixer, and arranged to be driven in a discharge movement during the dispensing phase, in order to be used as the dispenser, and in which at least one component of the discharge movement is in the opposite direction of a component of the mixing movement.

3. The apparatus for preparing feed for animals according to claim 1, comprising at least one mobile part to be in rotation in relation to the mixing chamber and arranged to be driven in rotation in a mixing movement during the feed ration mixing phase in order to be used as the mixer, and wherein said at least one part is arranged to be driven in rotation in a discharge movement in the opposite direction of the mixing movement, during the feed ration dispensing phase, in order to be used as the dispenser.

4. The apparatus for preparing feed for animals according to claim 2, wherein said at least one mobile part comprises a hub, at least one paddle and at least one branch connecting said at least one paddle to the hub, wherein said at least one paddle comprises at least: a first leading edge arranged to mix said at least one liquid with said at least one dehydrated feed during the mixing movement, and a second leading edge arranged to push the paste toward the periphery of the mobile part during the discharge movement.

5. The apparatus for preparing feed for animals according to claim 4, wherein said at least one branch comprises at least: a first front face arranged to scrape the mixing chamber during the mixing movement and forming a point at a junction with said at least one paddle, and a second front face arranged to scrape the mixing chamber during the discharge movement and forming a rounded trailing edge at a junction with said at least one paddle.

6. The apparatus for preparing feed for animals according to claim 2, comprising a device for opening a dispensing opening of the mixing chamber and in which a mechanism for unlocking the opening device is provided, controlled by said at least one part or a drive member of the at least one part, when the at least one part is put into discharge movement.

7. The apparatus for preparing feed for animals according to claim 1, further comprising a third container for storing at least one feed additive, and another dispenser for dispensing in the mixing chamber a third predetermined amount of said at least one feed additive.

8. The apparatus for preparing feed for animals according to claim 1, wherein the second dosing system configured to dose and transfer the second predetermined amount of said at least one dehydrated feed comprise at least one worm screw coupled to a motor.

9. The apparatus for preparing feed for animals according to claim 1, further comprising at least one unit for acquisition of biological and/or physiological data on an animal to be fed.

10. The apparatus for preparing feed for animals according to claim 8, further comprising at least one control unit arranged to control the first dosing system configured to dose and transfer the first predetermined amount of said at least one liquid, and/or the second dosing system configured to dose and transfer the second amount of said at least one dehydrated feed, according to the animal's biological and/or physiological data.

11. The apparatus for preparing feed for animals according to claim 1, wherein the first container of said at least one liquid form a base arranged to support the apparatus for preparing feed for animals and the container in which the feed ration is dispensed.

12. The apparatus for preparing feed for animals according to claim 11, wherein the first dosing system configured to dose and transfer the first predetermined amount of said at least one liquid to the mixing chamber is configured to leave at least a third predetermined volume of liquid in the first container.

13. The apparatus for preparing feed for animals according to claim 1, wherein the first dosing system is in the form of a dosing pump.

14. The apparatus for preparing feed for animals according to claim 1, wherein the first dosing system includes a nozzle for suction of the at least one liquid.

15. The apparatus for preparing feed for animals according to claim 7, wherein the third container is a cartridge that stores the at least one feed additive.

16. The apparatus for preparing feed for animals according to claim 15, wherein the cartridge is a single-dose cartridge.

Description

(1) Other characteristics and advantages of this invention will be seen more clearly by reading the following detailed description of an embodiment of the invention, provided as a non-restrictive example, and illustrated by the attached drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus according to this invention,

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a variant of the apparatus in FIG. 1,

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a mobile part arranged to form mixing means and dispensing means of the apparatus in FIG. 1 or 2

(5) FIG. 4 is a top view of the mobile part in FIG. 3,

(6) FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the mobile part in FIG. 3.

(7) FIG. 1 shows an apparatus for preparing feed for animals, comprising means for storing at least one liquid, in the form of a container 10, means for storing at least one dehydrated feed in the form of a hopper 20, a mixing chamber 30, means for dosing and transferring a second predetermined amount of said at least one dehydrated feed to the mixing chamber in the form of a worm screw 40, a container 60 for holding a feed ration prepared by the apparatus. The mixing chamber 30 includes a device 32 for opening a dispensing opening of the mixing chamber and a mechanism 34 for unlocking the opening device. The apparatus further includes a unit 80 for acquisition of biological and/or physiological data and a nozzle 15 for suction.

(8) It is also anticipated to have means for dosing and transferring a first predetermined amount of said at least one liquid to the mixing chamber in the form of a pump (not shown), mixing means, arranged at least temporarily in the mixing chamber, for stirring and mixing said at least one liquid with said at least one dehydrated feed during a mixing phase, so as to form a feed ration in paste form, in the form of a mobile part 50 seen in FIGS. 3 to 5; and dispensing means, arranged to dispense the feed ration in paste form from the mixing chamber into a container, also in the form of the mobile part 50.

(9) The hopper 20 is thus arranged to contain a dehydrated feed in flake, powder, or granulated form, to be mixed inside the mixing chamber 30 with the water initially contained in the container 10. For this purpose, the apparatus thus comprises a pump arranged to pump water from the container 10 and transport it to the mixing chamber. The worm screw 40 is provided to tap the dehydrated feed in the hopper 20, and make it drop into the mixing chamber.

(10) In order to prepare a homogeneous feed ration, it is also anticipated to dose the volume of water as well as the volume of dehydrated feed. For the water, one can then envision using a volumetric pump, or a pump for which the water flow is known, to make it operate during a defined pumping period. For the dehydrated feed, the worm screw is actuated during a defined dosing period. Thus, a first amount of water is poured into the mixing chamber 30, as well as a second quantity of dehydrated feed. It is understood that the first amount of liquid is proportional to the second amount of dehydrated feed, to adhere to a predetermined dosing which permits obtaining a paste.

(11) Then, a mixture is made inside the mixing chamber 30, in order to form a paste with a consistency sufficient to be able to form an appetizing feed ration for the animal. For this purpose, a mobile part 50 (visible in FIGS. 3 to 5) turns in rotation inside the mixing chamber during a mixing period long enough to obtain a paste without lumps, at least 5 minutes, for example. During the mixture, the mobile part 50 turns in a mixing rotation direction so as to mix the water properly with the dehydrated feed.

(12) Then, the mobile part 50 is driven in rotation in a discharge direction of rotation, opposite to the mixing direction of rotation, in order to direct the prepared paste toward the outside wall of the mixing chamber, where a dispensing opening is arranged, and thus to push or extrude the paste through this dispensing opening, in order to make the paste fall into the container 60.

(13) In other words, the mobile part 50 turns in one direction to mix the water and the dehydrated feed, and after a certain amount of time, its drive motor stops and changes direction of rotation to dispense the paste outside the mixing chamber 30. This particularity limits the complexity of the apparatus, as well as its manufacturing cost.

(14) In addition, the mixing chamber comprises a dispensing opening, which is closed during the mixing phase, and which is open during the dispensing phase. Consequently, the mobile part 50 is arranged to direct the paste toward the dispensing opening during the dispensing phase.

(15) Then, the animal for whom the feed ration is intended can eat it directly in the container 60 placed on the apparatus, or the user can take the container 60 and give it to the animal in an appropriate location. In other words, the container 60 can be a part of the apparatus, and it can be removable to permit the animal to eat somewhere other than close to the apparatus, or so that several containers 60 can be filled if the user has several animals to feed. Of course, one could provide a sensor to sense the presence of the container 60, so that the paste is not dispensed unless a container 60 is installed on or in the apparatus.

(16) It is also anticipated to have means for storing at least one food additive, in the form of a cartridge 70, to add an additive to the mixing chamber before or during the mixing of water and dehydrated feed. It can also be anticipated to add vitamins, minerals, medications or any other product for the animal's well-being. The cartridge 70 may be a single-dose cartridge used one time only, or a multi-dose cartridge, only a portion of the content of which is added for a feed ration.

(17) Of course, the apparatus comprises a control member to manage the dosing of the additive from the cartridge 70. One could envision having a piston which comprises a flexible cartridge, or a dosing pump, for example.

(18) FIG. 2 shows an alternative to the apparatus in FIG. 1, where the only difference is in the container 10. In fact, the latter comprises a portion arranged under the apparatus itself, so as to raise the container 60, which improves the animal's comfort because the animal does not have to lower its head to the floor in order to eat.

(19) In addition, the water contained in the container 10 in this implementation ensures stability in the form of a base whose weight is that of the water stored in the container.

(20) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the mobile part 50. The latter comprises a hub 53 in the central part, and three paddles 51, each of them connected to the hub 53 by a branch 52.

(21) FIG. 4 shows the mobile part 50 seen from the top, and FIG. 5 shows the mobile part 50 seen from the bottom.

(22) As explained above, the mobile part 50 may be driven in rotation in a mixing rotation movement to mix the water and the dehydrated feed. This mixing rotation movement is the clockwise direction on FIG. 4 (and thus counterclockwise on FIG. 5).

(23) The mobile part may also be driven in rotation in a discharge rotation movement, to force the paste to come out of the mixing chamber 30. This discharge rotation movement is the clockwise direction on FIG. 5 (and thus counterclockwise on FIG. 4).

(24) Consequently, the paddles 51 and the branches 52 are asymmetrical, to perform a different function depending on the direction of rotation. For this purpose, each paddle 51 comprises a first leading edge 51a which is arranged to mix the paste during a clockwise rotation (with respect to FIG. 4), and also to return the mixture to the inside of the mixing chamber 30. To perform this function, the first leading edge 51a of each paddle 51 forms a blade whose outer face is tangent to the movement of rotation (it is circular), and the inner face is tilted or oriented to direct the mixture toward the inside of the mixing chamber 30.

(25) At the branches 52, the latter comprise a first front face 52a which scrapes the mixing chamber 30 and forms a point with the blade that it connects to the hub 53. This point is combined with the first leading edge 51a of the paddle to return the mixture to the inside of the mixing chamber 30. Thus, the mixing phase is efficient FIG. 4 shows, in bold, the first front face 52a, in the form of a crescent or point, of the branch 52 situated at about one o'clock in the clockwise direction.

(26) Concerning the discharge movement, the paddles 51 comprise a second leading edge 51b, which is arranged to discharge the paste toward the outside of the mixing chamber 30 during a counterclockwise rotation movement (with respect to FIG. 4). The outer face of each paddle 51 is thus a blade beveled toward the outside, to guide the paste toward the wall of the mixing chamber 30.

(27) In addition, the branches 52 each comprise a second front face 52b, arranged to scrape the mixing chamber 30, and in particular to guide the mixture toward the periphery of the mixing chamber 30, with a rounded trailing edge with the corresponding paddle. FIG. 5 shows, in bold, the second front face 52b for the branch situated at about six o'clock in the clockwise direction.

(28) It will be understood that various modifications and/or improvements obvious to the person skilled in the art may be made to various embodiments of the invention described in this description without departing from the context of the invention defined by the attached claims.