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US 2013/0074776 A1Published application
Animal feeder
AssigneeGardner Equipment Company
InventorsKenneth Robert Hepp, Thomas J. Green
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An animal feeder includes a feed reservoir having a cavity for holding a feed material, and a feed dispensing assembly coupled to the feed reservoir. The feed dispensing assembly includes a check valve to allow selective access to the feed material. The check valve inhibits feed leakage from the feed reservoir during pressure fluctuations within the feed reservoir.
Claims27
1-27. (canceled)
An animal feeder comprising:
- a feed reservoir comprising a flexible bag having a cavity for holding a feed material;
- and
- a feed dispensing assembly coupled to the feed reservoir, the feed dispensing assembly including a check valve to allow selective access to the feed material, the check valve inhibiting feed leakage from the feed reservoir during pressure fluctuations within the feed reservoir, the check valve being activated by the bird;
- wherein the check valve is a duckbill valve including at least two lip members that are tightly compressed against one another to inhibit feed spillage from the feed reservoir;
- wherein the at least two lip members are separated when the bird applies a force to the check valve, creating a gap between the at least two lip members to allow the liquid feed material to flow out of the feed reservoir;
- and
- wherein the flexible bag collapses as the feed material flows out of the feed reservoir, and the duckbill valve creates a seal when the at least two lip members are tightly compressed against one another such that air is substantially inhibited from entering the feed reservoir.
4 more elements
A feed reservoir for use with an animal feeder, the animal feeder including a feed dispensing assembly, the feed reservoir comprising:
- a flexible bag for holding a feed material, the flexible bag configured to couple to the feed dispensing assembly to provide a continuous supply of the feed material to the feed dispensing assembly;
- wherein air is substantially inhibited from entering the flexible bag when the flexible bag is coupled to the feed dispensing assembly.
An animal feeder comprising:
- a feed reservoir having a flexible bag for holding a feed material;
- and
- a feed dispensing assembly detachably coupled to the feed reservoir, the feed dispensing assembly including a valve to allow animals selective access to the feed material, wherein at least a portion of the feed dispensing assembly is imbued with a foul tasting additive.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.