GB2183984A

GB2183984A - A pet animal feeding device

Info

Publication number: GB2183984A
Application number: GB08623134A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christopher Peter Kirk
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-09-30
Filing date: 1986-09-25
Publication date: 1987-06-17
Also published as: GB8623134D0; GB8523994D0; GB2183984B

Abstract

A device for feeding pet animals consists of feeding bowls (4) set in a body (3). The food is normally covered by lids (1) which are timed to open at predetermined times by the setting of a slowly rotating arrestor knob (2). The lids open when a pointer on the arrestor knob aligns with a keyhole slot in the lid. Drive to the arrestor knobs is provided by a stepper motor that is electronically driven according to a quartz timebase. A clutch allows for the setting of the arrestor knobs. The lids are arranged to be easily removeable and are provided with a plastic hinge in order to control the speed of opening by a viscous damping effect. Food is kept cool with the aid of an ice pack. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A pet animal feeding device The present invention relates to pet animal feeding devices, capable of serving one or more portions of food at pre determined times.

Existing feeding devices may be provided with a hinged lid or lids biased to the open position by a spring or other resilient meaans. The lid(s) may be held down against the bias by a suitable retaining means until such time as the retaining means is released by a timing device adapted to release the retaining means after a preset time interval. Such feeding devices may be provided with removeable food bowl(s) to facilitate cleaning; an airtight seal to preserve the freshness of the food and/or suitable signalling means to indicate that the timing interval has expired. Additionally the device may be fitted with refrigeration coils to ensure satisfactory storage of the food.

According to the present invention the means for setting the time delay; retaining the lids in the closed position and providing a release mechanism for the lids is controlled by a single moving component hereinafter referred to as an arrestor knob. The fulfilment of these three functions by a single component with minimal drive torque requirements provides for considerable simplification, and thus cost reduction in the production of automatic pet animal feeding devices.

Additionally the present invention provides for a damped motion on lid opening so as not to frighten the animal about to be fed.

The lid(s) are also arranged to be readily removeable in order to facilitate thorough cleaning.

A specific embodiment of the invention with provision for two feeds will now be described by way of example with reference to accompanying drawing.

Figure 1 shows a sketch of the invention with one lid (1A) detached and one lid (1B) held down by the arrestor knob (2). The time delay for each lid opening is set independently by aligning a pointer on the arrestor knob with the required delay marked on the upper lid surface. When the pointer of the arrestor knob aligns with a keyhold slot in the lid, the lid is allowed to open under the force exerted by a sprung lifting arm (5).

The main body (3) holds two removeable food bowls (4) beneath which there is capacity for a removeable container of cold accumulating material commonly known as an ice pack and hereinafter referred to as a cold pack. (Not shown in drawing.) The cold pack is prevented from falling out of the complete device by a substantially flat base fitted to the underside of the main body, and is normally removed through one of the holes provided in the main body for location of the food bowls. Premature heat gain by the cold pack is prevented by suitable insulation such as an expanded polystyrene moulding designed to fit around the sides and lower surface of the cold pack.

The lids are biased open by lifting arms that pivot inside lugs attached to the main body. The lifting arms are fitted with torsion springs to provide the required biasing action.

The arrestor knobs are rotated very slowly (e.g.

1/24 revolution per hour) by a highly geared stepping motor controlled by an electronic timing circuit incorporating a quartztimebase. This may take the form of a proprietary battery driven unit (6) commonly known as a quartz movement and fitted to mass produced domestic clocks. To facilitate the required time delay setting the arrestor knob is manufactured to be a friction fit inside the final drive gears (7). The friction of this coupling is such that the arrestor knob may be readily turned by the pets owner but is also sufficiently stiff to prevent tampering by the pet itself. An alternative to a friction fit could be provided by a suitable ratchet connection between the arrestor knob and the final drive gear.

The lid itself is manufactured from a suitable plastic (e.g. polypropylene homopolymer) with a moulded in hinge and a suitably shaped tab to enable the lid to be attached to the main body by a suitable readily releasable fixing method. In this example the tab is shaped to be held in a recess in the main body by friction alone. The thickness of the moulded in hinge is such that the hinge exerts the desired viscous damping effect to the opening motion of the lid. This damping effect arises from creep of the plastic hinge whilst in the 'lid closed' state. Thus a thicker hinge which is more highly stressed will creep more and thus provide a greater damping effect when the lid opens.

1. An automatic pet animal feeder comprising a body with removeable bowl(s) having capacity for food and fitted with a hinged lid(s) that are sprung or resiliently biased to the open position and normally retained in the closed position by a pointer on a slowly rotating arrestor knob until such time as the pointer aligns with a keyhole slot provided in the lid, thus allowing the lid to open.

2. An automatic pet animal feeder as claimed in claim 1 in which the drive to the arrestor knobs is provided by a highly geared small stepping motor controlled by a suitable electronic circuit that may incorporate a quartz crystal as the basis of timing.

3. An automatic pet animal feeder as claimed in any preceding claim in which the drive between the source of motion and the arrestor knobs is provided with a clutch mechanism in order to disengage the motion of the arrestor knob to allow setting of the required time delay before the lid opens.

4. An automatic pet animal feeder as claimed in any preceding claim in which the speed of the lid opening is controlled by a damping mechanism that may take the form of a moulded in plastic hinge.

5. An automatic pet animal feeder as claimed in any preceding claims and provided with readily removeable lids that may be attached to the body by frictional means alone.

6. An automatic pet animal feeder as claimed in any preceding claims and provided with a removeable cold retaining pack situated in the main body of the device, suitably insulated from the external environment and with access provided for

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION A pet animal feeding device The present invention relates to pet animal feeding devices, capable of serving one or more portions of food at pre determined times. Existing feeding devices may be provided with a hinged lid or lids biased to the open position by a spring or other resilient meaans. The lid(s) may be held down against the bias by a suitable retaining means until such time as the retaining means is released by a timing device adapted to release the retaining means after a preset time interval. Such feeding devices may be provided with removeable food bowl(s) to facilitate cleaning; an airtight seal to preserve the freshness of the food and/or suitable signalling means to indicate that the timing interval has expired. Additionally the device may be fitted with refrigeration coils to ensure satisfactory storage of the food. According to the present invention the means for setting the time delay; retaining the lids in the closed position and providing a release mechanism for the lids is controlled by a single moving component hereinafter referred to as an arrestor knob. The fulfilment of these three functions by a single component with minimal drive torque requirements provides for considerable simplification, and thus cost reduction in the production of automatic pet animal feeding devices. Additionally the present invention provides for a damped motion on lid opening so as not to frighten the animal about to be fed. The lid(s) are also arranged to be readily removeable in order to facilitate thorough cleaning. A specific embodiment of the invention with provision for two feeds will now be described by way of example with reference to accompanying drawing. Figure 1 shows a sketch of the invention with one lid (1A) detached and one lid (1B) held down by the arrestor knob (2). The time delay for each lid opening is set independently by aligning a pointer on the arrestor knob with the required delay marked on the upper lid surface. When the pointer of the arrestor knob aligns with a keyhold slot in the lid, the lid is allowed to open under the force exerted by a sprung lifting arm (5). The main body (3) holds two removeable food bowls (4) beneath which there is capacity for a removeable container of cold accumulating material commonly known as an ice pack and hereinafter referred to as a cold pack. (Not shown in drawing.) The cold pack is prevented from falling out of the complete device by a substantially flat base fitted to the underside of the main body, and is normally removed through one of the holes provided in the main body for location of the food bowls. Premature heat gain by the cold pack is prevented by suitable insulation such as an expanded polystyrene moulding designed to fit around the sides and lower surface of the cold pack. The lids are biased open by lifting arms that pivot inside lugs attached to the main body. The lifting arms are fitted with torsion springs to provide the required biasing action. The arrestor knobs are rotated very slowly (e.g. 1/24 revolution per hour) by a highly geared stepping motor controlled by an electronic timing circuit incorporating a quartztimebase. This may take the form of a proprietary battery driven unit (6) commonly known as a quartz movement and fitted to mass produced domestic clocks. To facilitate the required time delay setting the arrestor knob is manufactured to be a friction fit inside the final drive gears (7). The friction of this coupling is such that the arrestor knob may be readily turned by the pets owner but is also sufficiently stiff to prevent tampering by the pet itself. An alternative to a friction fit could be provided by a suitable ratchet connection between the arrestor knob and the final drive gear. The lid itself is manufactured from a suitable plastic (e.g. polypropylene homopolymer) with a moulded in hinge and a suitably shaped tab to enable the lid to be attached to the main body by a suitable readily releasable fixing method. In this example the tab is shaped to be held in a recess in the main body by friction alone. The thickness of the moulded in hinge is such that the hinge exerts the desired viscous damping effect to the opening motion of the lid. This damping effect arises from creep of the plastic hinge whilst in the 'lid closed' state. Thus a thicker hinge which is more highly stressed will creep more and thus provide a greater damping effect when the lid opens. CLAIMS

6. An automatic pet animal feeder as claimed in any preceding claims and provided with a removeable cold retaining pack situated in the main body of the device, suitably insulated from the external environment and with access provided for removal and replacement of the cold pack through food bowl locating holes in the top surface of the main body.

7. An automatic pet animal feeder substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing.