DE202024101601U1 - Device for rewarding an animal, in particular a dog, with at least one pre-portioned piece of food - Google Patents

Abstract

Device (1) for rewarding an animal (4), in particular a dog (5), with at least one pre-portioned piece of food (2), characterized in that the device (1) has a fastening means (3) for fastening the device (1) to an animal (4), in particular a dog (5), and/or a human (6), wherein the device (1) has a radio reception module (7) for receiving signals from a remote control (8) and an output device (9) for outputting the at least one pre-portioned piece of food (2), wherein the output device (9) can be controlled by the radio reception module (7) by the signals from the remote control (8) to output the at least one pre-portioned piece of food (2).

Description

The present invention relates to a device for rewarding an animal, in particular a dog, with at least one pre-portioned piece of food.

In our current society, there is a growing trend of dogs and other animals being poorly trained. For example, it is essential that dogs learn the rules of behavior in their environment from a young age. A loving, patient and sensitive approach is of crucial importance. Practicing rules and boundaries at an early stage makes it possible to specifically prevent undesirable behavior that is the result of insufficient training, such as chasing vehicles or cyclists or jumping on people. The use of rewards in the form of pre-portioned pieces of food plays a central role in the training of dogs and other animals and represents a significant motivation for every animal.

From obvious previous use, a food dispenser is known that can dispense pre-portioned pieces of food individually at the push of a button. However, this requires that the person who presses the button to dispense the pieces of food is always in the immediate vicinity of the animal and usually also moves in a way that is visible to the animal, which can potentially lead to distractions during training.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a device of the type mentioned, in which the problems mentioned with regard to the distraction of the animal are eliminated.

To achieve this object, the invention provides that the device has a fastening means for fastening the device to an animal, in particular to a dog, and/or to a human, wherein the device has a radio reception module for receiving signals from a remote control and an output device for outputting the at least one pre-portioned piece of food, wherein the output device can be controlled by the radio reception module by the signals from the remote control to output the at least one pre-portioned piece of food.

A basic idea of the present invention is that the device has a radio receiver module for receiving signals from a remote control and an output device that can be controlled with it for outputting at least one pre-portioned piece of food. This has the advantage that the output device for outputting the at least one pre-portioned piece of food can also be triggered from a distance and the training of the animal, in particular the dog, can therefore take place without disruptive factors and faster and more efficient successes can be achieved in training the animal. By controlling the device via the remote control, the animal can be rewarded directly at the place where it performed the action to be rewarded, without a person having to be nearby. The fastening means make it possible for the animal to transport the device itself, in particular to this place. If the fastening means are used to attach the device to a person, this conveniently enables the device to be attached to any area of the person or their clothing, possibly even an unusual area from the animal's perspective, such as the back of the person. The remote control allows a pre-portioned piece of food to be dispensed without the human having to perform a movement familiar to the animal, such as a throwing motion.

For the sake of completeness, it should be noted that in the course of describing this invention, the numerals used, such as one, two, three and the like, basically only describe the minimum number of features of the device according to the invention. Individual features or components of the device can of course also be present in larger numbers. In this sense, for example, the numeral one is to be understood as meaning at least one, etc.

The device can have a feed depot for storing the at least one pre-portioned piece of food. It is conceivable that the at least one pre-portioned piece of food stored in the feed depot can be dispensed via the dispensing device, in particular individually. It is therefore possible that the animal, in particular the dog, is provided with at least one pre-portioned piece of food for each task that is passed. This means that the entire contents of the feed depot are not dispensed at once, but that the feed depot can be controlled and emptied in individual pre-portioned pieces of food. It is also conceivable that different types or flavors of pre-portioned pieces of food are stored or, in other words, stockpiled in the feed depot. The device can also have different dispensing devices and/or feed depots for dispensing different types of pre-portioned pieces of food. These dispensing devices can then conveniently be selectively controlled by means of the remote control for dispensing. dispensing of the respective type and number of pre-portioned food pieces. The invention can also provide for the dispensing device to have a motor-driven rotating mechanism. In other words, this means that the rotating mechanism is not manually driven, but has the option of being driven by a motor. It is also conceivable that, if a smaller or larger amount of the at least one pre-portioned food piece is required, a food depot with a corresponding capacity can be used. It can also be provided that the food depot can be replaced at any time without being destroyed, in other words reusable. It is also conceivable, however, that the food depot can be a fixed component of the device.

There are various possibilities for designing the rotating mechanism. One of the preferred embodiments of the rotating mechanism provides that it has at least one rotatably mounted screw for receiving and dispensing the at least one pre-portioned piece of food, preferably individually. Another possible embodiment variant consists in the rotating mechanism having a rotatably mounted chamber for receiving and dispensing the at least one pre-portioned piece of food, preferably individually. Generally speaking, preferred variants of the invention provide that the at least one pre-portioned piece of food can be dispensed individually. However, it is also conceivable that the dispensing device can dispense several pre-portioned pieces of food at the same time or even the entire contents of the food depot at once.

A pre-portioned piece of food is understood to mean a piece of food that is already present in the device, in particular in its food depot, at least essentially in the size in which it is then dispensed by the dispensing device. Accidental or unintentional breaking off of smaller pieces or breaking of the piece of food is not taken into account. In any case, with pre-portioned pieces of food, it is not intended that they are first deliberately separated from a larger piece of food using a cutting or breaking device before they can be dispensed by the dispensing device.

The fastening means of the device can be a band, for example a collar and/or a leash and/or a dog harness. The invention includes the possibility that the band can also be fastened to the legs or tail of the animal, in particular the dog. The fastening means can be detached from the device at any time, preferably non-destructively, i.e. also replaceable and/or reusable.

With the invention, it is also conceivable that the device can be attached to a person and/or their clothing by means of the fastening means. The fastening means can be, for example, a snap fastener connection and/or a Velcro connection and/or a magnetic connection and/or a band. In this case, too, the fastening means can be detached from the device at any time, preferably non-destructively, i.e. also replaceable and/or reusable.

However, the fastening device can also be permanently attached to the device, regardless of whether the fastening device is intended for attachment to a person or an animal.

A SIM module and/or a Bluetooth receiver can be used as the radio reception module of the device according to the invention. However, it is also conceivable to use other types of radio reception modules known per se that serve the same purpose. A SIM module can be used, for example, to receive SMS messages. The SMS message can be sent from a mobile phone.

It can also be provided that the present device has a loudspeaker that can be controlled by the remote control. This allows the animal to be addressed via the remote control without a person having to be nearby. The loudspeaker can be removed or replaced at any time and without causing any damage. It is also conceivable that the loudspeaker is configured in such a way that it is able to emit a sound signal when the contents of the feed depot are almost used up. It can also be provided that this sound signal or another signal for transmitting information about the fill level of the feed depot is reported back from the device to the remote control and thus to the person. The person thus has the advantage of being able to receive information about the level of resources. This can prevent interruptions during training, for example. The loudspeaker can also emit sounds with different sound frequencies. It is also conceivable that the loudspeaker is configured in such a way that it emits or imitates natural animal noises.

In the invention, it is also conceivable that the device is designed to be water-repellent. The material from which the housing or the respective fastening means is made is advantageously chosen to be waterproof and/or water-repellent and/or oil-resistant and/or dirt-repellent and/or easy to clean.

The invention also includes the possibility of integrating a power storage device into the device. An accumulator, for example, can be used as a power storage device.

A power source can also be integrated into the device according to the invention or can be connected to it. A solar cell can be used as such a power source. It is also conceivable that the device can be supplied with power and, above all, recharged via a cable from a normal household socket. Furthermore, it can be provided that the charge level of the device's power storage can be called up on the device itself or via the remote control. It is conceivable that the remaining running time of the battery can be called up.

The device preferably has a housing to which the fastening means is attached, wherein the, preferably all, further components of the device can be arranged in or on the housing.

In addition to the device, the invention also relates to a set with a device according to the invention, wherein the set also includes the remote control. The remote control can be a mobile phone. It is also possible to use a laptop or tablet or a smart watch or a computer, each with a corresponding communication interface, as a remote control.

• 1: eine Darstellung zu einer ersten Befestigungsmöglichkeit der Vorrichtung am Tier;
• 2: eine Darstellung zu verschiedenen anderen Befestigungsmöglichkeiten der Vorrichtung am Tier;
• 3: eine Darstellung zu verschiedenen Befestigungsmöglichkeiten der Vorrichtung am Menschen;
• 4: eine Darstellung zu einem ersten Ausführungsbeispiel einer erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung;
• 5: eine Darstellung zu einem zweiten Ausführungsbeispiel einer erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung;
• 6: eine Darstellung zu einem dritten Ausführungsbeispiel einer erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung.

Further features and details of preferred embodiments of the inventions are explained by way of example in the following description of the figures. They show:

• 1 : a representation of a first possibility for attaching the device to the animal;
• 2 : a representation of various other possibilities for attaching the device to the animal;
• 3 : a representation of different ways of attaching the device to a person;
• 4 : a representation of a first embodiment of a device according to the invention;
• 5 : a representation of a second embodiment of a device according to the invention;
• 6 : a representation of a third embodiment of a device according to the invention.

1 shows how a device 1 according to the invention can be attached to the dog 5 or the animal 4, for example by means of a band 15 in the form of a collar 16. In 1 A strap 15, here specifically a collar 16, is provided as fastening means 3.

2 now shows an overview of how the device 1 can be attached to the dog 5 or the animal 4 using different fastening means 3. The device 1 can be attached using a collar 16 according to 1 be attached to the dog 5 or the animal 4. The device 1 can be attached to the dog or the animal 4 using another strap 15 and/or a dog harness 17 and/or a leash 14 as an alternative to the collar 16. 2 For example, the device 1 can be attached to the tail of the dog 5 using a band 15. Of course, it is also conceivable to attach the band 15 to a leg of the dog 5. The respective fastening means 3 can be fixed to the device 1 or detachably, preferably non-destructively and thus reusable. It is therefore possible that, depending on the needs of the person 6 or user, the device 1 can be attached to the dog 5 or animal 4 using the various fastening means 3 listed above.

3 shows by way of example how the device 1 can be attached to the person 6. 3 the different fastening means 3. The fastening means 3 can be a band 15 and/or a magnetic connection 20 and/or a Velcro connection 19 and/or a snap fastener connection 18. However, it is also conceivable for the device 1 to be attached directly to the clothing 21 of the person 6. The device 1 can be permanently connected to the snap fastener connection 18 and/or the Velcro connection 19 and/or the magnetic connection 20 or can be detachably attached to it at any time, preferably non-destructively and thus reusable. It is also conceivable for the band 15 to be adjustable in size. It is also possible for the band 15 to be adjustable in terms of circumference and thus to be adapted to the circumference of the extremities of the person 6 and/or the dog 5 or the animal 4. 3 shows that the band 15 can be attached to the arm and/or leg of the person 6. It should be noted that the band 15 can also be attached to the thigh or upper arm. In this regard, it should also be mentioned that the snap fastener connection 18 and/or Velcro fastener connection 19 and/or magnetic connection 20 can also can be found in other parts of the human body 6.

3 also shows a remote control 8. The remote control 8 can be a smartphone, for example. The invention also includes the possibility that the remote control 8 is a smart watch or any other suitable type of remote control. It is also conceivable that, during training, the different variants of the fastening means 3 of the device 1 on the person 6 and/or on the animal 4, in particular on the dog 5, are changed.

4 shows a first embodiment of the device 1. The device 1 can be attached to the dog 5 or to another animal 4, for example, by means of a collar 16 or other band 15 as a fastening means 3. The material from which the fastening means 3 is made is advantageously chosen so that it is dirt-repellent and/or water-repellent and/or easy to clean and/or elastic. An elastic material of the fastening means 3 can prevent the dog 5 or the animal 4 or even the person 6 from being constricted. At the same time, the elastic material of the fastening means 3 can also ensure that the device 1 does not get lost. It is also conceivable that the collar 16 or fastening means 3 is adjustable in terms of its circumference. Of course, as an alternative to the collar 16, the other fastening means 3 shown here as well as other suitable variants can also be detachably or permanently attached to the device 1 or its housing 23.

4 shows that this first embodiment of the device 1 according to the invention has a feed depot 10 for storing or stockpiling one and preferably several pre-portioned pieces of feed 2. The capacity of the feed depot 10 can be adapted to the respective requirements. It can be provided that the feed depot 10 is fixedly connected to the device 1. The feed depot 10 can also be detachably formed on the device 1, preferably non-destructively and thus preferably reusable. The feed depot 10 is preferably located in or on the housing 23 of the device 1.

4 also shows that at least one pre-portioned piece of food 2 located in the food depot 10 can be dispensed to the environment by a dispensing device 9 of the device 1. This dispensing device 9 is also conveniently arranged in or on the housing 23. In this exemplary embodiment, the dispensing device 9 comprises a rotating mechanism 11, such as an electric motor, and a chamber 13 that is open on one side. If the chamber 13 is aligned with its opening in the direction of the food depot 10, it can receive a pre-portioned piece of food 2 from the food depot 10. To dispense the pre-portioned piece of food 2 from the chamber 13, the chamber 13 is rotated by means of the rotating mechanism 11 until the piece of food 2 can be dispensed from the chamber 2, preferably through an opening in the housing 23 to the outside. This type of dispensing device 9 therefore makes it possible to dispense the pre-portioned pieces of food 2 individually.

It could also be possible for the dispensing device to dispense more than one pre-portioned piece of food at the same time.

4 discloses that the device 1 of this embodiment also has a loudspeaker 22. It is conceivable that the loudspeaker 22 is connected to the device 1 in a fixed manner or detachably, preferably in a non-destructive manner and thus preferably reusable. The loudspeaker can be used to emit an acoustic signal corresponding to a click, which is emitted in particular before the at least one piece of food is dispensed. A voice output would also be possible.

4 also shows that the device 1 comprises a radio reception module 7. The radio reception module 7 makes it possible to receive signals from a remote control 8, which can also be a smartphone or a smart watch, for example. The radio connection between the radio reception module 7 and the remote control 8 can also be bidirectional. The device 1 with the radio reception module can then also send signals to the remote control 8.

To supply power to the electrically operated components, the device 1 preferably has a battery or accumulator and/or its own power source such as a photovoltaic module. The output device 9 and the loudspeaker 22 are controlled by a corresponding control system depending on the signals received by the radio reception module 7.

5 now shows a second embodiment of a device 1 according to the invention, which is a modified embodiment of the first embodiment, so that only the differences are discussed here. Otherwise, reference is made to the above descriptions of the first embodiment.

Shown in 5 the device 1 analogous to the embodiment in 4 , whereby only the output device 9 of the first embodiment according to 4 differs.

In 5 the dispensing device has a chamber body 24 which can be rotated by means of the rotating mechanism 11, which can also be an electric motor, and which comprises several chambers arranged in segments. Each of these chambers 13 is open on one side. If the respective chamber 13 is aligned with its opening in the direction of the feed depot 10, it can receive a pre-portioned piece of feed 2 from the feed depot 10. To dispense the pre-portioned piece of feed 2 from the chamber 13, the chamber 13 is rotated by means of the rotating mechanism 11 until the piece of feed 2 can be dispensed out of the chamber 2, preferably through an opening in the housing 23. This type of dispensing device 9 also makes it possible to dispense the pre-portioned pieces of feed 2 individually.

6 now shows a third embodiment of a device 1 according to the invention, which is also a modified embodiment of the first embodiment and only the differences will be discussed below.

In this third embodiment, the dispensing device 9 comprises a screw 12 that can be rotated by a rotating mechanism 11 that is not explicitly shown here. This rotating mechanism 11 can also be an electric motor, for example. The at least one pre-portioned piece of food 2 or, as a rule, the pre-portioned pieces of food 2 are also stored in a feed depot 10 and can then be picked up by the screw 13 through an opening in the feed depot 10 and then dispensed by the screw 13. The screw 13 is preferably an elongated and spindle-shaped design in which the at least one pre-portioned piece of food 2 is transported in a circular motion and dispensed into the environment when the screw 13 is rotated a corresponding distance.

For the sake of completeness, it should be noted that the device 1 according to the first embodiment and/or the second embodiment and/or the third embodiment can also have a band 15 and/or a snap fastener connection 18 and/or a Velcro connection 19 and/or a magnetic connection 20 instead of the collar 16 in order to be able to be attached to the person 6 or the animal 4. It is also conceivable that the respective embodiments can be attached directly to the clothing 21 of the person 6. For all of the fastening means 3 listed above, it is conceivable that these can be connected to the device 1 in a fixed manner or also detachably, preferably in a non-destructive manner and thus possibly reusable.

Legend to the reference numbers:

1

contraption

2

Pre-portioned food piece

3

Fasteners

4

animal

5

Dog

6

Person

7

Radio reception module

8th

remote control

9

Output device

10

Feed depot

11

Rotating mechanism

12

Snail

13

chamber

14

rope

15

tape

16

collar

17

Dog harness

18

Snap fastener connection

19

Velcro connection

20

Magnetic connection

21

Clothing

22

speaker

23

Housing

24

Chamber body

Claims (10)

Device (1) for rewarding an animal (4), in particular a dog (5), with at least one pre-portioned piece of food (2), characterized in that the device (1) has a fastening means (3) for fastening the device (1) to an animal (4), in particular a dog (5), and/or a human (6), wherein the device (1) has a radio reception module (7) for receiving signals from a remote control (8) and an output device (9) for outputting the at least one pre-portioned piece of food (2), wherein the output device (9) can be controlled by the radio reception module (7) by the signals from the remote control (8) to output the at least one pre-portioned piece of food (2). Device (1) according to Claim 1 , wherein the device (1) has a feed depot (10) for storing the at least one pre-portioned piece of feed (2) and the at least one pre-portioned piece of feed (2) can be dispensed by means of the dispensing device (9). Device (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one pre-portioned piece of food (2) can be dispensed individually by the dispensing device (9). Device (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the output device (9) has a motor-driven rotary mechanism (11). Device (1) according to Claim 4 , wherein the rotating mechanism (11) has at least one rotatably mounted screw (12) or a rotatably mounted chamber (13) for receiving and dispensing the at least one pre-portioned piece of food (2), preferably individually. Device (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the fastening means (3) is a dog leash (14) or a band (15), preferably a dog collar (16), or a dog harness (17). Device (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the fastening means (3) is a snap fastener connection (18) or a Velcro fastener connection (19) or a magnetic connection (20) or a band (16) for fastening the device (1) to a person (6) or his clothing (21). Device (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein it has a loudspeaker (22) that can be controlled by means of the remote control (10). Device (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the device (1) is designed to be water-repellent. Set with a device (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the set also comprises the remote control (8), preferably in the form of a mobile phone.

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