GB2390966A

GB2390966A - An animal/pet feeder

Info

Publication number: GB2390966A
Application number: GB0216692A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andreas Neophitou
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-07-18
Filing date: 2002-07-18
Publication date: 2004-01-28
Anticipated expiration: 2022-07-18
Also published as: GB0216692D0; GB2390966B

Abstract

An animal feeder comprises a removable bowl 4 encased in an outer shell. The shell is made up of a bottom 2 and a lid 6. The bottom section is fitted with a ramp 1. In use, the ramp is pressed down by an approaching pet causing the shell to rock forward toward the pet and the lid to rock back to uncover the bowl. When the pet steps off the ramp the shell rocks back causing the lid to close. The lid is fixed to the shell at the pivot point 9 by a flexible tape material glued to each surface. The ramp is similarly attached to the shell at point 7. The device may be made to a size suitable for horses. The feeder may be made from metal, plastic, wood or cardboard. It could be mass produced from cardboard making it suitable for disposable use.

Description

ANIMAL / PET FEEDER

The invention relates to a pet food bowl, which includes a lid that is controlled by a pet. It's simplistic yet attractive design can save on the frequency of pet feeding and unsightly looking feed areas, for pet owners.

Such pet bowls are well known, but suffer from the disadvantage that, when they are placed on the floor any food left by pets is prone to drying up, becoming unappealing to returning pets, attracting insects or mice, looking unsightly and emitting odours. For these reasons, most pet owners will not put out pet food until their pet is ready to be fed. Any food left is often discarded and new food has to be put out many times a day. The pet owner can often feel pestered by pets wanting to be fed more frequently than the owner is willing to serve.

An object of this invention is to provide a feeder system, which will allow the pet to decide when to be fed and cover any remaining food to eat later.

Accordingly, this invention provides a pet feeder which consists of a pet food bowl encased inside a shell, which can be rocked open by the weight of a pet stepping on the feeder, and automatically rocks closed, when the pet leaves and relieves it's weight.

Preferably the feeder is made of metal or plastic material for resilience to wet food and easier cleaning. Due to it's simplistic design it may however, be made out of cardboard, for easier production and for DIY flat pack style re-assembly. A low cost cardboard mass production process would make the feeder, suitable for disposable use and or easily affordable by all pet owners. It may also be made of wood to match the decor of any surroundings. Alternatively it could be made

from a combination of these materials, such as a cardboard shell, and a plastic liquid proof easily washable bowl.

As the bowl is removable, the inside of a cardboard bowl can simply be wrapped with cling film to make it liquid proof allowing it to accept wet food, as well as dry food. Daily disposal of cling film would make for easy maintenance and require no cleaning. This can also be applied to a plastic bowl to save on cleaning. Alternative easy maintenance applications include: dry food to be placed inside a replaceable (every month) cardboard bowl; moist food to be provided inside a disposable plastic or aluminium foil bowl, to fit inside feeda.

A larger scale (metal, tough plastic or wooden) feeder can be used for feeding larger animals or pets, such as horses, thereby protecting feed, such as hay, from the elements.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE I shows a three dimensional view of the feeder in its fully open position. FIGURE 2 shows a three dimensional view of the feeder's removable bowl, outside of the feeder.

FIGURE 3 shows a large detailed side view of the feeder in its closed position.

FIGURE 4 shows a large detailed side view of the feeder in its partly open position.

FIGURE 5 shows a large detailed side view of the feeder in its fully open position. FIGURE 6 shows a side view of the feeder (closed position) with a pet (cat) approaching. FIGURE 7 shows a side view of the feeder (partly open position) with a pet (cat) starting to apply pressure/weight on to the opening system.

FIGURE 8 shows a side view of the feeder (fully open position) with a pet (cat) applying full pmsure/weight, and in the feeding position.

As shown in Figure 1, the feeder comprises a bowl 4, inside the bottom shell container 2. As the feeder is in it's open position the shell lid 6 is in it's highest position. The feeder in it's left alone closed position is shown in figures 3 and 6. The pressure ramp 1 is in it's highest position. The lid 6 is closed over the bowl 4 and bottom shell 2 protecting it's contents.

The feeder in its partly opened position is shown in figures 4 and 7. When a pet begins to step on the ramp 1, this goes down causing the front of Me bottom shell rest area 8, to begin to rock down and the back of me bottom shell to rock up, which in turn lifts the lid joint 9, causing the lid to rock on the lid pivot point 5 and raising the lid cover area 6 to a greater extent, thereby starting to uncover the bowl 4 and We bottom shell 2.

The feeder in its fully opened position is shown in figures 1,5 and 8. When a pet reaches the ramp end 7, the ramp 1 goes down fully causing the front of the bottom shell rest area 8, to rock down and the back of the bottom shell to rock up, which in turn lifts the lid joint 9, causing the lid to rock on the lid pivot point 5 and raising the lid cover area 6 to a greater extent, thereby fully uncovering the bowl 4 and the bottom shell 2. The bowl 4 is at it's highest point, providing the pet with food at a more comfortable height.

The bowl support 3, best illustrated in figures 1 and 5, holds the bowl in place, particularly when the feeder is in the fully open position.

The front of the bottom shell rest area 8 best illustrated in figure 1 has two purposes. Firstly, to provide a further surface (other than ramp end 7) for the pet to step on and rest. Secondly, to act as a tray and collect any food dropped by a pet whilst eating.

The surface below the ramp 1, can be made of a surface which is resistive to sliding, in order to add stability and avoid any movement while the pet is feeding.

The ramp end 7 can be joined on to the front of the bottom shell rest area 8 by a flexible material such as strong tape glued to both to allow free movement.

The lid joint 9 (best illustrated on figure 1) can be joined on to the back of the bottom shell by a flexible material such as strong tape glued to both to allow free movement. The flexible material join can be placed on the underneath of both parts, where they would be touching the ground when the feeder is in the closed position, and run in parallel to the other flexible material join at the Font of the bottom shell rest area 8.

Claims

s CLAIMS

1 An animal / pet feeder which consists of a food bowl encased inside a shell, which can be rocked open by the weight of an animal stepping on the feeder, and automatically rocks closed, when the animal leaves and relieves it's weight.

2. A feeder as claimed in Claim I where the shell includes a removable

feeder bowl for cleaning or changing.

3. A feeder as claimed in any proceeding claim which is made from metal, plastics material, cardboard or wood, or from a combination of these materials.

4. A feeder as claimed in any proceeding chim where the design is such that it can be mass produced fiom cardboard, making the feeder, suitable for disposable use.

5. A feeder as claimed in any proceeding claim where a larger scale feeder can be used for feeding larger animals or pets, such as horses, thereby protecting feed, such as hay, hom the elements.

6. An animal / pet feeder substantially as herein described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.