Patent ID: 7549392
Filing Date: 2009-06-23
Classification: A01K

Abstract:
1. In an animal feeder for dispensing flowable feed material to an animal, in which a feed-containing reservoir supplies such feed material to an access port in a feeding station below a feed containing portion of the reservoir, the feed material being accessible to the animal from said feeding station when said feeding station is in an operable condition, a refilling feature, comprising: a housing mountable to a support; a reservoir receivable to said housing while said housing is mounted to said support in a manner permitting movement of the reservoir between a first position in which an opening in the reservoir is located below at least a portion of said feed material in said feed containing portion of the reservoir to permit outflow of feed therethrough, and an other position in which the reservoir opening is oriented above said feed material in said feed containing portion of the reservoir to prevent said outflow of feed; and the access port in the feeding station communicating with the feed containing portion of the reservoir when the reservoir is in said first mounted position, movement of the reservoir between the first position and said other position altering a relative orientation of said reservoir with respect to said feeding station, an operable condition of said feeding station being maintainable when said reservoir is moved to the other position.