Abstract:
An improved automated animal feeder or feeding apparatus comprises a substantially water-resistant housing having at least one closable port. A feed distributor is located in the housing and configured to distribute feed to the exterior of the housing through the port. An opening in an upper end of the housing is configured to admit feed to the housing and to the feed distributor through gravity. A drive arrangement is disposed in the housing and coupled to the feed distributor and to the closeable port to selectively actuate the feed distributor and selectively open and close the closeable port.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to animal or game feeders. More particularly, the present invention relates to improvements in automated and remotely controlled animal or game feeders. 
     2. Summary of the Prior Art 
     Animal feeders for both domestic and wild animals have existed for decades if not centuries. Their use in wildlife and game management is a more recent trend. As attention to conservation of natural resources grows, animal or game feeders are an increasingly important element in wildlife management. 
     Used properly, such feeders can maintain an animal population and keep game adequately fed and therefore content to remain on property for harvesting at an appropriate time. Because they are often placed in remote locations, minimal maintenance and upkeep is at a premium and the ability or capacity for remote control is ideal. 
     U.S. Patent Publication 2011/0088625 to Nowacek describes a game or animal feeder that is wirelessly controlled. One purported advantage of the feeder design is that animal feed is placed in the feeder from ground level and an auger arrangement is employed to raise it to feeding level. Gravity feed has been found to be more consistently reliable than designs that rely on augers and similar devices to move feed against gravity. 
     Nowacek also discloses wireless remote control of various feeder functions. However, it discloses only use of conventional wireless and cellular communication technologies, which requires the feeder to be within communication range of a cellular base station and antenna or a wireless network access point. It is frequently not practical to place a wildlife or game feeder in such a location. 
     A need exists for practical, reliable game and animal feeders that can be remotely controlled in a wide variety of locations without regard to proximity to communications infrastructure. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved animal feeder or feeding apparatus. This and other objects of the present invention are achieved with an improved automated animal feeder or feeding apparatus comprising a substantially water-resistant housing having at least one closable port. A feed distributor is located in the housing and configured to distribute feed to the exterior of the housing through the port. An opening in an upper end of the housing is configured to admit feed to the housing and to the feed distributor through gravity. A drive arrangement is disposed in the housing and coupled to the feed distributor and to the closeable port to selectively actuate the feed distributor and selectively open and close the closeable port. 
     According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the feed distributor is a rotary slinger. 
     According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a feed hopper is mounted above the housing and in communication with the opening in the housing for gravity feed of feed to the feed distributor. 
     According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the drive arrangement comprises at least one electric motor coupled to the feed distributor. 
     According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a controller is in communication with the drive arrangement to permit remote actuation of the feed distributor and remote opening and closing of the port. 
     According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the controller includes a wireless communication link. 
     According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is a platform within the housing, wherein the feed distributor is mounted on the platform, and the platform is movable up and down within the housing responsive to the drive arrangement. There is a door for closing the port in the housing, the door coupled to the platform, wherein movement of the platform within the housing selectively opens and closes the port. 
     According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a wireless controller is in the housing and coupled to the drive arrangement, the wireless controller allowing remote control of at least two of the following: 
     feeding times; 
     quantity of feed distributed; 
     unclog the feed distributor; 
     check the level of feed in the feed hopper; 
     check a level of battery power; 
     test feeder function; 
     monitor weather conditions at the feeding apparatus; and 
     view an event log. 
     Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent with reference to the Figures and to the detailed description, which follows. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective schematic view of the feeder apparatus according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the platform of the feeding apparatus according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is an elevation view, partially in section, of the housing and drive arrangement of the feeder apparatus of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic depiction of the node-to-node wireless communication network connecting feeder apparatuses according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a screen shot of a screen of the user interface of the feeder apparatus according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a screen shot of a screen of the user interface of the feeder apparatus according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a screen shot of a screen of the user interface of the feeder apparatus according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a screen shot of a screen of the user interface of the feeder apparatus according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a screen shot of a screen of the user interface of the feeder apparatus according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is a screen shot of a screen of the user interface of the feeder apparatus according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to the Figures, and particularly to  FIG. 1 , an animal feeder or feeding apparatus  11  according to an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. A housing  13  has a feed hopper  15  of conventional construction mounted atop it for gravity feed of an animal feed through a hole or aperture  17  in the top of housing  13 . 
     Feed is distributed from the apparatus  11  through ports  19 , which preferably are rectangular and formed in the sidewall of housing  13 . A port  19  may be provided in each wall of housing  13  (two are obscured from view in  FIG. 1 ). Housing  13  also includes an access door  21  to permit access to the components therein, which are described in greater detail below. The entire feeder apparatus  11  may be mounted on a tripod  23 , tree stand, or other conventional apparatus to place feeder in a desired location. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a platform  31  that is housed within housing  13  and mounts or supports a feed distributor  33 . According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, feed distributor  33  is a round “slinger” having a plurality of blades  33 A mounted thereon. Feed distributor  33  is rotated at a selected speed and animal feed from feed hopper ( 15  in  FIG. 1 ) is “slung” outward through the ports ( 19  in  FIG. 1 ) by centrifugal force at a selected rate. Platform  31  preferably may be formed of sheet steel and has a plurality of doors  35  (four to match the four ports  19 ), two of which are obscured from view in  FIG. 2 . As will be described in connection with  FIG. 3 , doors  35  close or obstruct ports  19  in housing  13 , thereby cutting off the flow of animal feed from feeder  11  and at least partially enclosing housing  13  from the elements. 
       FIG. 3  is a section view of housing  13  showing the motion or mechanical components within housing  13 . Platform  31  and feed distributor  33  are coupled or connected to a drive arrangement or mechanism  41 . Drive  41  serves to provide power to rotate feed distributor  33  and to move platform  31  up and down within housing, which permits closure of ports  19  by doors  35  carried by platform  33 . Accordingly, drive  41  may have a gear motor  43 , which is coupled to a planetary gear train  45 . Gear train  45  rotates a pair of lead screws  47 , which are coupled by linear bearings to a motor  49 . Motor  49  is coupled by a shaft  51  to feed distributor  33  to provide rotary motion and power. Platform  31  is coupled to the motor and its mountings to permit up and down movement within housing  13 , which permits opening and closing of ports  19  as described. Movement of platform  31  also changes the volume in housing  13  that animal feed can occupy, providing a measure of control over the amount of feed distributed by distributor  33 . 
     Also included within housing  13  is a wireless controller  61 . Controller  61  is coupled to drive  41  to selectively and remotely operate the motors  43 ,  49  to control movement of platform  31  within housing  13  and operation of feed distributor  33 . Other features of wireless controller  61  are described below. Door  21  on housing  13  permits access to the mechanical components described above as well as to wireless controller  61 . 
     Wireless controller  61  employs a “node-to-node” wireless communication system, schematically depicted in  FIG. 4 , that employs communication technology such as XBee® DigiMesh 900 Mesh RF Modules (XBee® is a trademark of Digi International, Inc., 11001 Bren Road East Minnetonka, Minn. 55343) or the public domain ZigBee peer-to-peer networking technologies. The node-to-node or peer-to-peer nature of the communication protocol eliminates the need to communicate directly with a cellular base station or with a wireless network access point  401 , either or both of which may be out of range in the locations where feeders  11  are conventionally located. Rather, feeder  11  need only be in range of another similarly equipped feeder  11  or other node apparatus, such as a game camera or repeater or relay  401 . The first feeder  11  can communicate all of its data to the second feeder  11  or node  401  (and third and fourth, etc.) requiring only one feeder  11  to be within range of a cellular base station or wireless access point or gateway  403 , which is in turn in communication with network  405 , which may be the internet or a dedicated communication network. Communication can be established over the network  405  between a remote user station, such as an internet-connected PC or “smartphone”  407 ,  409  and any number of feeders  11  or other nodes  401 , with only one feeder  11  or node  401  being required to be within range of wireless communication services. 
       FIGS. 5 through 10  depict screen shots of control software, in this case running on a personal computer (PC), showing functions of the feeder  11  that may be controlled remotely or wirelessly.  FIG. 5  shows the starting screen, which indicates the number of the feeder under control (1 in this case, being a single feeder). The “action” button  501  provides access to a menu, which includes the following options: 
                                             ADD TO FEED SCHEDULE           CHOOSE FEED TYPE           ADJUST FEED LEVEL           SET FEEDER DATE AND TIME           CHECK FEEDER STATUS           SEND SCHEDULE TO FEEDER           VIEW FEED LOG           TEST FEED                        
The screen also supplies basic information about the feeder under control, including the next scheduled feed time and date  503 , the level of animal feed remaining in the feeder  505 , the type of feed in the feeder  507 , the battery level  509 , and feeder status  511 .
 
     If the ADD TO FEED SCHEDULE option is selected, the screen of  FIG. 6  appears, which allows the user to select dates for feeding from the calendar  601 , or allows deletion of all currently programmed dates  603 . When a day on the calendar is selected, the screen of  FIG. 7  appears, which allows entry of start time  701 , duration of motor and distributor running (an analog for the amount of feed distributed)  703 , the motor speed as a percentage of maximum  705 , and to repeat the cycle at different times  707 . The existing feed schedule data is displayed in the table  709 . 
     If the CHOOSE FEED TYPE option is selected, the screen of  FIG. 8  appears, which permits selection of a plurality of pre-programmed feeds from a drop-down menu  801  and displays photos of the packaging  803 , and the feed itself  805 . Although not shown, the software maintains data concerning specific feeds and its rate of passage or flow from the feed hopper  15  into housing  13  for distribution by feed distributor  33 , as well as the rate at which the feed is actually distributed so that remaining feed level can be calculated. 
     If the ADJUST FEED LEVEL OPTION is selected, the screen of  FIG. 9  appears, which displays the amount of feed remaining in the feeder  901 , and permits the addition  903  (in pounds) of more feed to that quantity. 
     If the SET FEEDER DATE AND TIME OPTION is selected, a link is established with the feeder to permit setting the internal clock date and time (of wireless controller  61 ), and the existing setting is displayed. 
     If the CHECK FEEDER STATUS option is selected, communication is established with a feeder  11  and its status is communicated with the user. Status includes whether feeder systems are operational or an error condition exists and the battery level. The status is displayed on the screen of  FIG. 5 . 
     If the SEND SCHEDULE TO FEEDER option is selected, the schedule established in the screen of  FIG. 6  is sent to feeder  11  for implementation. 
     If the VIEW FEED LOG option is selected, a log showing past feed times, amounts and durations is displayed. 
     If the TEST FEED option is selected, the screen of  FIG. 10  is displayed and a duration  1001  and motor speed  1003  may be selected to test feeder operation.