Animal husbandry – Feeding device – Timer-controlled
Reexamination Certificate
2003-04-09
2004-03-09
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3644)
Animal husbandry
Feeding device
Timer-controlled
C119S051500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06701866
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic feeding apparatus for pets.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 6
of the drawings illustrates a conventional automatic feeding apparatus for feeding pets in a case that the pet owner is not able feed the pet on time. The automatic feeding apparatus includes a frame
7
for mounting a feeding device
8
and a control mechanism
9
. The frame
7
includes four legs
71
having adjusting slots
72
defined therein. The feeding device
8
includes a hopper
81
for receiving food and a telescopic tube assembly
82
attached to a lower end of the hopper
81
. The telescopic tube assembly
82
includes a first tube
821
, a second tube
822
, and a third tube
823
. A stop plate
84
having a V-shaped block
841
on a bottom thereof is pivotally mounted by a pivot
83
to an inlet end of the first tube
821
. A tube
85
extends laterally outward from the first tube
921
. An end of a push rod
932
of the control mechanism
9
extends through the tube
85
into the first tube
921
and is operably connected to the V-shaped block
841
. Further, a stop
86
having a V-shaped block
861
on a bottom thereof is pivotally mounted by another pivot
88
to a lower outlet end of the third tube
823
. Two connecting rods
871
are mounted to both sides of the third tube
823
and each includes a positioning plate
873
welded to a lower end thereof. Two ends of each positioning plate
873
are fixed in the associated adjusting slots
72
by winged bolts. The control mechanism
9
includes a control box
91
in which a motor M is mounted. The motor M includes a shaft
92
on which an upper sprocket
93
and a lower sprocket
94
are mounted. Each sprocket
93
,
94
has a chain
931
,
96
mounted therearound. A restraining plate
933
is provided adjacent to the chain
931
, and another restraining plate
954
is provided adjacent to the chain
96
. Each chain
931
,
96
has a push rod
932
,
961
connected thereto. The lower sprocket
96
includes a bearing
95
, and an L-shaped bracket
953
is attached to a side of the bearing
95
. The L-shaped bracket
953
is fixed to a side of the third tube
823
. When the motor M turns at a predetermined time, the chains
931
and
96
are turned to thereby control opening and closing of the telescopic tube assembly
82
.
The automatic feeding apparatus may feed the pets at the predetermined time by means of using a timer mounted in the control box
91
. The winged bolts
874
can be turned to move the positioning plates
873
and the connecting rods
871
vertically. The telescopic tube assembly
82
is thus adjusted to thereby adjust the amount of food for the pet(s).
However, there are too many elements for the automatic feeding apparatus. Manufacture and assembly for the automatic feeding apparatus are troublesome and costly. The design of pushing the stop plates
84
and
86
for opening/closing the feeding mechanism
8
through the use of the upper and lower sprockets
93
and
94
, the chains
931
and
96
, and the push rods
932
and
961
is too complicated and thus apt to malfunction. Maintenance is also difficult. Further, the stop
86
that controls opening and closing of the telescopic tube assembly
82
are always subject to the load of food is merely supported by the pivot
88
. A gap tends to be generated between the stop
86
and the lower end of the third tube
823
, and the food would fail through the gap. Further, surplus feeding could not be avoided. If the overall length of the telescopic tube assembly
82
has been set for feeding three days and three meals a day, the control box
91
activates the motor M on time to urge the food particles enter the tube
92
, and the stop
86
is opened to let the food particle fall into the food pan for the pet(s). If the pet(s) has(have) a poor appetite, the food particles would remain in the food pan for the pet(s). After several automatic dispense of the food, the surplus food particles would overflow to the floor and cause a mess.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic feeding apparatus for pets to prevent surplus feeding.
An automatic feeding apparatus for pets in accordance with the present invention comprises a housing including an elevated bottom plate, the bottom plate having an opening. A slide is mounted below the opening and located above a food pan for pets. A hopper is mounted in the housing and above the bottom plate. The hopper receives food particles for pets and has a feed outlet. A dispense plate is rotatably supported between the bottom plate and the hopper. The dispense plate includes at least one hole for receiving a dispense cylinder therein, the dispense cylinder including a through-hole.
The dispense plate is turned at a predetermined time for turning the dispense cylinder. The food particles enter the through-hole of the dispense cylinder via the feed outlet of the hopper when the dispense cylinder is moved to a position below the feed outlet. The food particles in the dispense cylinder falls into the food pan via the opening of the bottom plate and the slide when the dispense cylinder is moved to a position above the opening of the bottom plate.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4422409 (1983-12-01), Walker et al.
patent: 4922857 (1990-05-01), Arentoft
patent: 5483923 (1996-01-01), Sabbara
patent: 6427628 (2002-08-01), Reece
patent: 6487987 (2002-12-01), Choi
patent: 2002/0096120 (2002-07-01), Busha
Jordan Charles T.
Shaw Elizabeth
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