Animal food dispenser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10609898-B2
Application number	US-201615334936-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2016
Priority date	Oct 26, 2015
Publication date	Apr 7, 2020
Grant date	Apr 7, 2020

Abstract

An animal food dispenser, includes a base portion and a roller portion. The base portion has first and second upwardly extending members. The roller portion has an opening, and is configured to be held by the upwardly extending members such that the roller portion is capable of freely rotating and dispensing food through the opening.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An animal food dispenser, comprising:
a base portion having first and second upwardly extending members, a first end, a second end, a receptacle portion disposed at the first end, and a vertical wall disposed at the second end and extending from the receptacle portion; and
a roller portion having an opening, and configured to be held by the upwardly extending members such that the roller portion is capable of freely rotating about a center rotational axis with respect to the base portion, the roller portion capable of dispensing food through the opening that opens in a direction that is perpendicular to the center rotational axis of the roller portion,
the roller portion comprising a first hemispherical part and a second hemispherical part removably attached to the first hemispherical part, the opening being defined by a first arcuate side of the first hemispherical part and a second arcuate side of the second hemispherical part, the first hemispherical part has a first protrusion that sits on the first upwardly extending member, the second hemispherical part having a second protrusion that sits on the second upwardly extending member,
the roller portion further having a plurality of ridges disposed on an outer circumferential surface of the roller portion, at least one of the plurality of ridges extending longitudinally from the first arcuate side of the first hemispherical part towards the first protrusion and not extending from the second arcuate side, at least another one of the plurality of ridges extending longitudinally from the second arcuate side of the second hemispherical part towards the second protrusion and not from the first arcuate side.

2. The animal food dispenser of claim 1 , wherein
the roller portion includes grooves on an exterior surface thereof.

3. The animal food dispenser of claim 1 , wherein
the opening is a first opening and the roller portion includes a second opening.

4. The animal food dispenser of claim 3 , wherein
the second opening is disposed about 180° from the first opening.

5. The animal food dispenser of claim 1 , wherein
the vertical wall includes a lip portion at an upper end thereof.

6. The animal food dispenser of claim 5 , wherein
the lip portion is configured to extend inwardly toward an outer circumference of the roller portion so as to maintain the food in the base portion.

7. The animal food dispenser of claim 1 , wherein
the roller portion includes internal baffles.

8. The animal food dispenser of claim 1 , wherein
the roller portion includes a partially arcuate outer surface.

9. The animal food dispenser of claim 1 , wherein
the first hemispherical part has a retention surface that faces in a direction away from the first protrusion,
the second hemispherical part has another retention surface that faces in a direction away from the second protrusion, the another retention surface being attachable to the retention surface of the first hemispherical part,
the retention surfaces define open ends of the first and second hemispherical parts.

10. The animal food dispenser of claim 9 , wherein
the base portion includes first and second grooves, and the first and second protrusions being configured to be inserted into the first and second grooves, respectively.

11. The animal food dispenser of claim 9 , wherein
the base portion includes first and second notches for supporting the first and second protrusions, respectively.

12. The animal food dispenser of claim 11 , wherein
the first and second protrusions are disposed on the first and second notches, respectively.

13. The animal food dispenser of claim 9 , wherein
food is stored in the first and second hemispherical portions by accessing the open ends of the first and second hemispherical ends.

14. The animal food dispenser of claim 13 , wherein
the first and second arcuate side surfaces of the opening extend from the retention surface and the another retention surface, respectively.

Assignees

• Doskocil Mfg Company
• Doskocil Mfg

Inventors

• Simon David
• Veness David
• Baker Nicholas

Classifications

• A01K5/0114 Primary

  Pet food dispensers; Pet food trays (time-controlled A01K5/0291) · CPC title

• A01K15/025

  Toys specially adapted for animals · CPC title