| 摘要 |
An automated frozen food dispenser for an aquarium includes an insulated housing which thermally insulates the dispenser. Inside the housing are compartments, arranged in a wheel, which are filled with a quantity of frozen food. The compartments rotate over a plate which has a hole directly above a trap door which remains closed unless acted upon. The compartments are mounted on a spoke and hub system. A rotation controller causes the compartments to rotate at a predetermined rate, such that the compartments, one at a time, hold their frozen food over the hole. The food then falls onto the trap door which leads to a vertical conduit in the bottom of the shell. A motor-driven piston is positioned above the compartment directly aligned above the trap door. At a predetermined schedule, the piston moves downward and opens the trap door. The frozen food is then dispensed out of the bottom of the dispenser. After this, the piston retracts vertically upward, to a sufficient height to allow the compartments to rotate, and allow the spring-loaded trap door to shut. Thermo electric coolers are mounted in the housing to draw heat away from the center and, towards the top of the unit. The thermo-electric coolers are connected to a heat sink attached to the top of the shell and act as a heat pump. The heat sink dissipates heat thus removed from the inside of the dispenser. Frozen food is maintained in the compartments without thawing.
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