Patent ID: 6062166
Filing Date: 2000-05-16
Classification: A01K

Abstract:
A Pet Feeding System comprising:a) a water reservoir and a water bowl, a passageway extending from a lower end of the water reservoir and to the water bowl while a water valve is positioned in the passageway to control the flow of water through the passageway, a water level sensor positioned near the lower end of the water reservoir and which sensor completes a circuit when the water level in the reservoir reaches a level above the sensor, a water bowl level sensor positioned near a bottom of the water bowl and said water bowl sensor completes a circuit when the water level in the bowl reaches a level above said water bowl sensor,b) a food reservoir and a food bowl, a passageway extending from a lower end of the food reservoir and to the food bowl while a food valve is positioned in the passageway to control the flow of food through the passageway, a food level sensor positioned near the lower end of the food reservoir and said food reservoir sensor completes a circuit when the food level in the reservoir reaches a level below the sensor, a food bowl sensor positioned near a bottom of the food bowl and said food bowl sensor completes a circuit when the food level in the bowl reaches a level below said food bowl sensor,c) an electrical timer and clock,d) a monitoring circuit which receives electrical input from the water reservoir and bowl sensors, from the food reservoir and bowl sensors, and receives an electrical input from a telephone receiving circuit, and which sends electrical signals to the telephone receiving circuit and to visual operation indicator lights which illuminate when the reservoirs are empty,e) a control circuit which receives signals from the monitoring circuit, the electrical timer and clock, and which sends electrical signals to the valves positioned in the passageways which control the flow of water or food into the respective bowls when one of the following occurs; the food and water bowl level sensors indicate that either food or water levels are low, the timer and clock reaches a preset time for feeding, andf) a telephone call receiving circuit and relay including an inlet telephone connection for connecting an incoming telephone line and an outlet telephone connection for connecting a telephone answering machine, and said call receiving circuit allows a user to call his or her home to monitor the operation of the feeding system so that when all of the food and water reservoir and bowl sensors indicate that they are not empty the telephone call receiving circuit and disconnect relay will allow an incoming call to be answered by the answering machine and if either one of the food or water reservoir or bowl sensors indicate that one is empty then the telephone call receiving circuit and disconnect relay will not allow an incoming call to be answered by the answering machine thereby alerting the user that the feeding system is either empty or has malfunctioned.