Automatic pet food dispenser at definite times and for a definite quantity

• US 6,135,056 A
• Filed: 04/22/1999
• Issued: 10/24/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yung-Fang Kuo
• Original Assignee: Yung-Fang Kuo
• Inventors: Kuo, Yung-Fang
• Primary Examiner(s): Carone, Michael J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bergin, James S.
• Application Number:
  US09/296,862
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 119/51.01, 119/51.11, 119/51.12, 119/52.1, 119/53, 119/56.1, 119/56.2, 119/57, 119/57.1, 119/57.92, 222/639, 222/642, 222/643, 222/644, 222/650, 222/413
• US Class Current: 119/51.11
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 5/0291 with timing mechanisms, e.g. pet feeders

Abstract

An automatic pet food dispenser at preset times and for a definite quantity includes a dispenser body, a food storing tank, a funnel-shaped receiver, a transporting mechanism. The transporting mechanism consists of a food pipe and a screw conveyer deposited in the food pipe and rotated by a motor for transporting pet food by the screw conveyer to let the food fall down from the storing tank, through the funnel-shaped receiver, and a timer for presetting times of start and stop and thus the period of operating time of the motor. The dispenser body has a food exit formed in a bottom wall and connected to the lower end of the food pipe, and a food trough movably provided in the bottom portion of the dispenser body to pulled out thereof to receive pet food falling down from the food exit.

Claims

1. An automatic pet food dispenser for dispensing food at preset times and in a definite quantity, comprising:

a dispenser body having a hollow cylindrical shape, a food exit formed in a front end of a bottom wall, a food trough movably placed in a bottom portion just under said food exit, a funnel-shaped receiver deposited in a center upper portion having an upper opening communicating with a lower opening of a food storing tank and a lower opening communicating with a transporting mechanism;

said food storing tank having an upper opening releasably closed with a cap with one or more air holes, a vertical bellows wall, a lower opening connected to an upper side of said dispenser body and communicating with said funnel-shaped receiver so that pet food stored therein may fall down into said funnel-shaped receiver;

said transporting mechanism consisting of a downwardly sloping food pipe deposited in said dispenser body, a screw conveyor provided in said food pipe, said food pipe sloping down to the front side of said dispenser and having its front end connected to said food exit of said dispenser body, said screw conveyor rotated by a motor and a timer capable of controlling the time of start and stop of said motor and the period of operating time of said motor so that said automatic pet food dispenser may dispense out a definite quantity of pet food stored in said food storing tank through said funnel-shaped receiver, said food pipe and said food exit into said food trough;

said food trough having a recess formed in its front side for pulling and pushing, and said food exit having a projecting-down stop formed on its wall for stopping said food trough from wholly separating from said dispenser body when pulled out.