Abstract:
A pet feeding bowl is equipped with hinged apertured cover plates which are biased closed by gravity to protect food in the bowl from contamination and are opened when the pet thrusts its snout into the bowl for feeding. The cover plate apertures allow the animal to detect the scent of food from a distance.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Pet feeders equipped with animal-controlled covers are known in the prior art. One such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,121,419 where the weight of the feeding animal on a treadle operates a feeding bowl cover through a linkage. 
     The object of the present invention is to provide a greatly simplified, more compact and less expensive pet feeder having apertured cover plates which are influenced by gravity to normally closed level positions where the food in the feeder is protected. When a pet seeking food thrusts its snout into the feeder, the cover plates are engaged and swing toward open vertical positions to thereby expose the food for consumption. Following withdrawal of the pet&#39;s snout, the hinged cover plates return automatically to their closed level positions. The apertures in the cover plates allow the pet to smell the food from a distance. 
     Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art during the course of the following description. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view of a pet feeding bowl according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a central vertical section taken on line 2--2 of FIG. 1. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts, the pet feeding bowl is an integral or unitary member turned, drawn or stamped from a disc of sheet metal or molded from plastic or any other element or compound which may prove durably and/or economically feasible, and is generally symmetrical about a vertical axis. The outer portion of the bowl is defined by an annular, frusto-conical, upwardly converging skirt 11 having a planar diametrically extending lower base or edge 9 on which the bowl 10 rests. The upper edge portion of skirt 11 terminates in a plane parallel to and above the lower edge 9, this upper edge 11 being reversely bent, inwardly, to define an upper annular, upwardly convex rim or annular bight portion 12, from the inner portion of which is suspended the inner bowl 10 within the confines of the skirt 11. 
     Between the upper edge of bowl 10 and the inner edge of rim 12 are a pair of cresent shaped, radially extending, diametrically opposed, arcuate shoulders 13 which are in a common plane, parallel to and slightly below the rim 12. Shoulders 13 removably support a pair of opposed flat semi-circular cover plate sections 14 which lie thereon in a common transverse plane. The peripheral edge of sections 14 are of a diameter slightly less than the inside diameter of lip 12 so as to be loosely confined thereby when the plate sections 14 are received on the shoulders 13. 
     Plate sections 14 terminate in opposed straight, spaced, parallel, inner flange carrying edges, which are bent downwardly to provide and support a pair of spaced, opposed complimentary, curved flanges 17. The flanges 17 are thus integrally formed with the plate sections 14 and are, themselves, semi-cylindrical members which curve inwardly about spaced parallel horizontal axes, so as to prolude toward each other and downwardly for providing abutting, outer, convex surfaces which are spaced from each other and define therebetween a diametrically extending access open 20. 
     Inwardly of the opposed flanges 19, the peripherical edges of each plate section 14 is provided with a pair of opposed outwardly protruding trunnion 15 which are respectively received in grooves 16 so as to seat in these grooves 16 for pivoting. Grooves 16 are inwardly and upwardly opening vertically disposed recesses in the interior wall of the rim or bight portion 12. Flanges 17 are closely adjacent to each other when the cover plate sections 14 are closed, level and resting on the arcuate shoulders 13. 
     Small counterweights 18 are fixed to the bottom faces or surfaces of cover plate sections 14 radially outwardly of the pivot axes defined by the pairs of lugs 15 and bias the cover plate sections 14 toward their closed level positions, by gravity. The cover plate sections 14 are free to swing downwardly at their inner straight edges, as there are no shoulders present in this area to resist such downward movement. When the cover plate sections 14 are closed, the curled flanges 17, which are parallel, lie substantially on a diametrical axis of the bowl in closely spaced relationship. 
     The cover plate sections 14 are each provided with a multitude of apertures 19 in rectangular zones on opposite sides of the flanges 17 and inwardly of the hinge axes of the two cover plate sections. The scent of food escaping through the apertures 19 can be detected by a pet some distance from the bowl so as to attract the pet to the feeding bowl. 
     The pet seeking food thrusts its snout downwardly against the cover plate sections 14 in the region of the apertures 19, and the two cover plate sections respond by swinging downwardly on their hinge axes toward the vertical positions shown in broken lines in FIG. 2. In such positions, the cover plate sections 14 are separated and there is ample space for the pet to reach the food. Upon withdrawal of the pet&#39;s snout from the bowl, the two cover plate sections return automatically by gravity to their level closed positions where they protect the food from contamination. 
     Since the grooves 16 are open at their tops, the lugs 15 can be lifted from the grooves and the cover plate sections separated from the bowl to facilitate cleaning. 
     It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the subjoined claims.