Patent Application
20220110299
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The disclosure relates to brooder assemblies and more particularly pertains to a new brooder assembly for warming chicks in a simulated natural environment.
The prior art relates to brooder assemblies, which may comprise heating lamps or heating pads configured to be positionable above chicks. What is lacking in the prior art is a brooder assembly that warms chicks in a simulated natural environment including a simulated mother hen and a simulated nest.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a pad, which is heated and thus configured to heat chicks positioned on a top of the pad. A figurine is engaged to and extends from the top of the pad. The figurine is substantially centrally positioned on the pad. The figurine is shaped to mimic a hen standing upon the pad and thus is configured to comfort the chicks positioned on the pad. The figurine also is configured to reflect heat emanating from the pad downwardly upon the chicks.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The assembly 10 also comprises a power module 26, a heating element 28, and a thermostat 30. The power module 26 comprises a power cord 32, as shown in
A figurine 36 is engaged to and extends from the top 14 of the pad 12. The figurine 36 is engaged to the panel 24 and is substantially centrally positioned on the pad 12. The figurine 36 is shaped to mimic a hen standing upon the pad 12 and thus is configured to comfort the chicks positioned on the pad 12. The figurine 36 also is configured to reflect heat emanating from the pad 12 downwardly upon the chicks.
The figurine 36, the base 16, the protrusion 20, and the panel 24 comprise plastic. The pad 12 is sealably enclosed between the base 16 and the panel 24. The figurine 36, the base 16, the protrusion 20, and the panel 24 are configured to be washed.
The assembly 10 also may comprise a cage 38, which is opened bottomed. The cage 38 is selectively positionable over the figurine 36 and the pad 12. The cage 38 thus is configured to retain the chicks therein.
In one embodiment wherein the power module 26 comprises a battery 34, as shown in
In one example of use, the assembly 10 is positioned in an area where chicks are to be kept. The power cord 32 is plugged into an outlet and the thermostat 30 is used to set a temperature appropriate for warming the chicks. The chicks are free to access the assembly 10 to be warmed by the pad 12 and comforted by the figurine 36, but also can roam freely about the area.
In another example of use wherein the assembly 10 comprises a cage 38, the cage 38 is positionable over the figurine 36 and the pad 12 to retain the chicks within the cage 38.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and 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 drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure 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 disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the elements is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
