Patent Application
20130139756
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the devices used in the dispensing of animal feed and, more specifically, to devices controlled by the animal.
2. Description of the Related Art
For many thousands of years, farmers and animal enthusiasts have had the need of devices to hold and dispense feed to their animals or livestock. Save for hand-feeding the animals their feed rations, several modalities for serving have been developed. The first method of providing feed for animals was to simply place feed material on the ground, which required the animal to consume not only the feed, but whatever the feed rested upon. This debris includes, but is not limited to, sand, dirt, small rocks, sticks, and other harmful items such as parasites.
Small rocks and sand can prematurely wear the animal's teeth down, shortening the life of the animal by an unacceptable margin. The ingested items can block the intestinal tract and cause colic, a potentially life-threatening condition that often requires surgical intervention to reverse. This is very painful to the animal and enlists a sizable economic contribution to a doctor of veterinary medicine that could otherwise be prevented.
In order to prevent debris ingestion, a trough or similar holding container can be used to hold the feed off of the ground. This is achieved by filling the trough with the entire ration of feed material and having the animal eat at a time of their choosing. Aggressive feeding, sloppy feeding methods cause the animal to push the feed material around inside of the trough eventually spilling it onto the ground surrounding the trough, requiring the animal to once again, consume the debris-filled feed off of the ground, enabling colic or infection.
If the animal chooses to not consume the feed, or the device makes the feed hard to obtain, the feed material is unused and the animal will not receive its full ration of nutrients. This also creates economic waste for the keeper, as more feed is required in order to fulfill the nutritional requirements of the animal.
Another embodiment of the related art blocks the feed from being spilled over the edge of the container, but does not prevent animals from bolt-style feeding in which the animal takes a large bite and pulls their head out of the trough. The engorged mouth of the animal is incapable of consuming the amount of feed and as such, spills the feed onto the ground
Another device requires the animal to keep its head within the feeding apparatus until the food is consumed. This prevents spillage from bolting as long as the animal keeps its head inside of the device. Unfortunately, most animals will not prefer to keep their heads within the feeding chamber, as animals rarely take their eyes and ears off of their surroundings long enough to consume the full ration of feed.
Another presentation of the related art self-regulates the distribution of feed in order to prevent wasteful over consumption and spillage. It accomplishes this by containing a full ration of feed within the gravity-assisted hopper and only dispensing it as quickly as the animal consumes the food. This generally eliminates spillage, but lacks the ability to provide a full ration of food due to the small crevices and relatively small tolerances between the hopper and the receiving feed tray.
None of the related art provides the animal with the ability to self-regulate the dispensation of small manageable bites of feed without wasting feed by way of spillage.
Most existing feed modalities not only lack the ability to deliver full nutritional rations to animal, but also most, if any, lack entertainment value. It is well known, especially in equine communities, that an animal may become intellectually unstimulated if left alone with nothing to provide some form of self-provided stimulation.
A condition known as ‘cribbing’ can cause animals to become destructive out of boredom. Pacing, chewing on their enclosures, and pawing can lead to economically damaging veterinary visits or repairs to property.
Devices as simple as an inflated ball can be used for equine entertainment, but enthusiasm can fall off quickly if there is no reward for playing with said ball. Such devices can also become trapped in tight places such as corners, preventing the animal from continuing interaction, or causing undue injury when trying to dislodge.
In order to encourage continued interaction with the entertainment devices, feed or ‘treats’ can be placed inside of some embodiments and are used as a reward when they are released through a plurality of openings. A problem arises when the non-structurally-bound devices roll across the ground of stalls or arenas and begin collecting dirt, sand, and often, feces. It could be desirable that the device remain bound to a structural component of the enclosure in a predictable and accessible area.
Of the structurally-bound feed-dispensing interactive toys, none offer the ability to fully open the device for cleaning Placing fruit or compostable feeds inside of these devices is common, and as such, will require frequent cleaning Without this cleaning, the animal may be subjected to rotten or moldy feeds, creating a potential health hazard.
In summation, the related arts are suitable for their intended tasks, but there is a need for an improved upon design. By being a structurally bound, non-spillable, feed dispensing entertainment device, the present invention addresses one or more of the above listed shortcomings of the related arts, and possibly others problems that have not been explicitly discussed.
A full understanding of the present invention, including an understanding of the capabilities of the present invention, will be obtained from the following description and accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the following description and accompanying drawings are illustrative only and not intended to limit the present invention to a particular embodiment.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a grain dispenser that reduces both economic and nutritional loss associated with previous animal dispenser designs.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a dispenser that can be utilized with grain or other pelletized feed.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a dispenser that can prevent animal injury or illnesses such as colic, digestive difficulties, or impacting.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a dispenser that can be used both indoors and outdoors.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a dispenser that dispenses small, manageable bites of feed regulated by the animal.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a dispenser that entertains an animal interacting with the dispenser.
In accordance with the objects of the invention described above, one exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a cylindrical animal-operated grain dispenser that can be mounted to a surface such as a wall found in a stall. The dispenser may have a plurality of holes through with grain may be dispensed when an animal causes the dispenser to rotate or move. The dispenser may also contain an entertainment device such as a toy or noise-making object that can serve as entertainment for the animal even after the grain has been dispensed. The dispenser may also consist of a latchable door through which grain, feed, medicine, or entertainment devices may be delivered into the dispenser.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more fully apparent from the following disclosure.
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying images that show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. It is to be understood that the various embodiments of the invention, although different, are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Furthermore, a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described herein in connection with one embodiment may be implemented within other embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, it is to be understood that the location or arrangement of individual elements within each disclosed embodiment may be modified without departing from the scope of the invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by appended claims, appropriately interpreted, along with the full range of equivalents to which the claims are entitled.
The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Likewise, the terms “embodiment(s) of the invention”, “alternative embodiment(s)”, and “exemplary embodiment(s)” do not require that all embodiments of the method, system, and apparatus include the discussed feature, advantage or mode of operation. The following description of the preferred embodiment is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or use.
For the purpose of clarity, all like elements will have the same designations in each of the images. The terms “animal-operated grain dispenser”, “dispenser”, “present invention”, and “invention” may be used interchangeably. In addition to the functions, features, components, and abilities of the apparatus already discussed in this specification, the animal-operated grain dispenser may also have, but not be limited to, the following features contained within the description set forth herein.
Several preferred embodiments of the animal-operated grain dispenser are discussed in this section. However, the invention is not limited to these embodiments. An animal-operated grain dispenser is any device that dispenses grain, food, medicine, or entertains an animal when the animal interacts with the dispenser. The animal-operated grain dispenser is not limited in method of operation, dimensions, attachment means for connecting the animal-operated grain dispenser to a mounting surface, or any other feature appropriate for inclusion as part of an animal-operated grain dispenser.
As set forth in this description and the attached images, an animal-operated grain dispenser has been developed that improves upon conventional animal feeding apparatus. The various embodiments of the improved animal-operated grain dispenser described herein can be used in a wide variety of applications. For example, certain embodiments are particularly well-adapted for use in a horse stall. Other embodiments are particularly well-adapted for use as rabbit feeders. Still other embodiments are particularly well adapted for use in small rodent cages such as cages for hamsters or gerbils. Even other embodiments are particularly well adapted for feeding outdoor livestock including, but not limited to, cows, goats, sheep, or pigs. The preceding exemplary uses are not intended to be limiting, but are merely illustrative for the possible uses of the animal-operated grain dispenser.
A block diagram of an exemplary method for using an animal-operated grain dispenser is illustrated in
Once the dispenser is made ready for use (104), an animal may interact with the dispenser (105) for purposes of entertainment or feeding. An animal interacting with the dispenser (105) for feeding purposes may rotate the dispenser thereby allowing its contents to be dispensed (106) from dispenser openings (108,
An animal-operated grain dispenser's cylindrical housing (118) with a plurality of dispenser openings (108) is shown in
An exemplary dispenser door latch mounted to a dispenser door (117) is shown in
The interior of an animal-operated grain dispenser with an axle (114) and an entertainment device (115) is shown in
An animal-operate grain dispenser with an open dispenser door (117) is shown in
A receptacle may be used with the dispenser to catch grain, feed, or medicine when an animal interacts with the dispenser. In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the receptacle may be situated underneath the dispenser and may be elongated in shape to catch grain, feed, or medicine after it is dispensed. It is common for an animal to rotate the dispenser with sufficient velocity to carry any dispensed material significantly far from the dispenser. If the animal were to ingest grain, feed, or medicine directly from a dirt floor, the animal could be at risk for several health problems including colic, digestive difficulties, or impacting. The receptacle may catch the grain, feed, or medicine after dispensation thereby preventing the aforementioned health problems.
The dispenser may be suitable to use with animals that include, but are not limited to, livestock, domesticated animals, pets, wild animals, or any other animal that may use an animal-operated grain dispenser.
Although certain example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture have been described herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture fairly falling within the scope of the invention either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the animal-operated grain dispenser, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and the manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the images and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the animal-operated grain dispenser.
Directional terms such as “front”, “back”, “in”, “out”, “downward”, “upper”, “lower”, “top”, “bottom”, and the like may have been used in the description. These terms are applicable to the embodiments shown and described in conjunction with the images. These terms are merely used for the purpose of description in connection with the images and do not necessarily apply to the position in which the animal-operated grain dispenser may be used.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the animal-operated grain dispenser. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the animal-operated grain dispenser to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the animal-operated grain dispenser. While the above description describes various embodiments of the present invention, it will be clear that the present invention may be otherwise easily adapted to fit any configuration where an animal-operated grain dispenser is desired or required.
As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying images shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/531,392 filed on Sep. 6, 2011, entitled “Animal-Operated Grain Dispenser”, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61531392 | Sep 2011 | US |
