This invention relates to a pet feeder, and more particularly, this invention relates to a gravity fed pet feeder having an agitator to reduce pet food stagnation while the food is being dispensed from a food storage reservoir into a food dish.
Various gravity fed pet feeders exist to continuously dispense pet food. These devices are often used by pet owners who have irregular schedules where it is difficult to feed their pets at designated time intervals or by owners who simply desire to maintain a fresh and constant supply of pet food available for their pets.
Many gravity fed pet feeders are often heavy and bulky and require a large area to use and store. More importantly, pet food in these devices tends to stagnate or clog inside the feeder; thus, pets are often deprived of food until the pet owner returns and can manually “unclog” the food. This condition can be unhealthy and life-threatening if the pet if it is deprived of food for extended periods of time.
There is a need to provide a gravity fed pet feeder so as to provide a continuous supply of pet food that minimizes clogging inside the feeder while also requiring a minimal amount of space.
The present invention relates to a pet feeder wherein pet food gravitally feeds from a food storage reservoir into a food dish with minimal food stagnation. The food dish resembles a traditional style food bowl so as to be easily recognized by a pet. The reservoir floor and the food dish floor form a continuous and downwardly sloping floor extending from the rear of the food storage reservoir to the front portion of the food dish. This configuration facilitates the flow of new food into the dish to replace food consumed by the pet.
In addition, the present invention includes an agitator to reduce food stagnation inside the food storage reservoir. The agitator attaches to an electric motor in order to turn the agitator at slow speeds. Preferably, the agitator contains an arm secured to a disc member to sweep the food storage reservoir floor.
A food level sensor is disposed inside the food storage reservoir and alerts the user of a low food level condition. The food level sensor includes a limit switch operable between a closed position and an open position to indicate whether the food storage area is empty.
During use, the reservoir is filled with pet food. Food gravitally feeds downward along the sloped floor into the food dish until the dish is full. As the pet consumes food from the dish, a fresh supply of food gravitally feeds from the reservoir to replenish the food supply in the dish. The agitator is turned at periodic intervals to stir the food and to reduce food stagnation inside the storage reservoir. When food is depleted from the food storage reservoir, the sensor will indicate a low food level condition. A signal will be sent to a microcontroller to activate a warning light to alert the user that the food supply inside the reservoir should be replenished.
For a more complete understanding of the invention and for further advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following Description of the Preferred Embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying Drawings in which:
Referring to
Food dish 14 is defined by a floor 18, a sidewall 20 and contains an open top to resemble a traditional pet food bowl. A floor 22 and a top wall 24 define food storage reservoir 12. As best seen in
Referring to
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 5-7, agitator 16 is mounted inside reservoir 12 and includes an arm 40 secured to a disc member 42. Disc member 42 is preferably circular in shape and centrally disposed on reservoir floor 22. Arm 40 extends outwardly from disc center portion 44 toward reservoir edge 12a to prevent food from accumulating around the edges 12a of reservoir 12. As seen in
Referring to
Agitator 16 is preferably fabricated from plastic material; however, it should be realized by one of ordinary skill that any material, such as a metal, could be used so long as it provides sufficient strength to agitate the animal food inside reservoir 12.
Referring to
Preferably, limit switch 64 is a spring type switch disposed on forward wall 66. Furthermore, a paddle arm 68 can be pivotally mounted adjacent limit switch 64 on paddle pivot support 67. Paddle arm 68 sidewalls 68a, 68b and 68c, enclose limit switch 64 to prevent contact with pet food inside reservoir 12 while also preventing pets or other objects from striking and possibly damaging limit switch 64.
Limit switch 64, in conjunction with paddle 68, are used to determine the full food level condition or the low food level condition inside reservoir 12. While reservoir 12 is full of pet food, food acts on paddle 68 to push the paddle toward forward wall 66 in the direction of arrow 69. This movement compresses and opens limit switch 64 to indicate that reservoir 12 is in the full food level position (i.e., reservoir is full of pet food). When sensor 62 is in the low food level condition, the level of food inside reservoir 12 drops below paddle 68 and food no longer pushes paddle 68 toward forward wall 66. As a result, paddle 68 moves away from forward wall 66 and limit switch 64 is closed. When closed, a warning light 80 (best seen in FIG. 1), or any other type of indicator, such as a buzzer, indicates to the pet owner that the reservoir is empty or is approaching empty.
Other types of food level sensors may include photo-detectors or infra-red, or proximity (i.e., sonar, ultrasonic, etc.) sensors, for example.
Referring to
In order to maintain food freshness and to reduce odors produced by the pet food, a charcoal filled dry pouch 75 may be mounted inside reservoir 12.
Household electricity can be used to operate sensor 62 and motor 50 by attaching a power cord (not shown) into plug 76 (FIG. 4). Alternatively, batteries can be placed in a battery compartment 78 (
Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the foregoing Description of the Preferred Embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications, and substitutions of parts and elements without departing from the sprit of the invention.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
1276087 | Lilley | Aug 1918 | A |
3566843 | Huis | Mar 1971 | A |
3587530 | Blair | Jun 1971 | A |
3613641 | Geerlings | Oct 1971 | A |
3720184 | Pearce | Mar 1973 | A |
3800745 | Fassauer | Apr 1974 | A |
3920224 | Fassauer | Nov 1975 | A |
3962997 | Ruth | Jun 1976 | A |
4050415 | Conger | Sep 1977 | A |
4355598 | Saylor | Oct 1982 | A |
4513688 | Fassauer | Apr 1985 | A |
4651679 | Fassauer | Mar 1987 | A |
4660508 | Kleinsasser et al. | Apr 1987 | A |
4840143 | Simon | Jun 1989 | A |
4947798 | De Wispelaere | Aug 1990 | A |
5010849 | Kleinsasser | Apr 1991 | A |
5230300 | Mezhinsky | Jul 1993 | A |
5255632 | Thomas et al. | Oct 1993 | A |
5263437 | Murphrey | Nov 1993 | A |
D351261 | Woo | Oct 1994 | S |
5482006 | von Taschitzki | Jan 1996 | A |
5595139 | Hofer et al. | Jan 1997 | A |
5857425 | Rahm | Jan 1999 | A |
5992349 | Sachs | Nov 1999 | A |
6135056 | Kuo | Oct 2000 | A |
6286330 | Kopf | Sep 2001 | B1 |
6401657 | Krishnamurthy | Jun 2002 | B1 |
6526913 | Bondarenko et al. | Mar 2003 | B2 |