Patent Publication Number: US-2023148564-A1

Title: Pedal activated pet bowl

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application No. 63/279,134, entitled “Make Sense Pet Feeder”, filed Nov. 14, 2021, and of U.S. application Ser. No. 29/866,425, entitled “Pet Bowl with Pedal Actuated Lid”, filed Sep. 12, 2022. The contents of both applications are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to pet feeders and, more particularly, to a pedal activated pet bowl. 
     Currently available pet bowls leave the contents open for unwanted insects, rodents, and parasites to get into a pet&#39;s food and water. They do not adequately protect the contents. Containers that do adequately protect the contents do not offer easy access for the pet. No pet bowl has a lid and gives the pet means to access the contents by raising the lid, at least without electrical control. 
     As can be seen, there is a need for a pet bowl that protects food and water from contamination while giving the pet easy access to the contents. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect of the present invention, a pedal activated pet dish, comprises a base having an opening means housed therein; a bowl affixed to the base; a lid hingedly attached to the bowl and movably attached to the opening means; and a pedal actuator mounted to the base in a vertically slidable configuration, connected to the opening means housed in the base such that the pedal actuator is operative to lift the lid when the pedal actuator is depressed. 
     The bowl may be used to keep pet food and water free from debris, insects, rodents, and parasites. 
     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description, and claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of a pedal activated pet bowl according to an embodiment of the present invention, shown in use; 
         FIG.  2    is a perspective view thereof, shown with the lid in a closed position; 
         FIG.  3    is a sectional view thereof, taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG.  2   ; 
         FIG.  4    is another sectional view thereof, illustrating activation of the pedal; and 
         FIG.  5    is another perspective view thereof, shown with the lid in an open position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. 
     Broadly, one embodiment of the present invention is a pet bowl with a hinged lid, a base, and a pet actuated pad. The bowl is affixed to the base, the lid is hingedly attached to the bowl, and the pad extends from the base. The pad actuates opening means housed in the base to lift the lid when the pad is pressed. 
     The lidded bowl protects its contents, which are accessible to the pet by pressing the pad or pedal that opens the lid. The pedal may have an external horizontal planar surface, an internal surface, and a vertical wedge and a spacer with a platform extending from the internal surface. 
     The opening means may comprise a pulley system, a fixed (and moving) pivot hinge or joint, and/or electric components housed in the base. The pulley system may comprise multiple wheels with a filament threaded around them. 
     In some embodiments, the bowl may be used as follows. The pet presses the pad to open the lid. When the pad is pressed, the pulley system pulls the lid which pivots around the hinge to open the bowl. 
     The materials of manufacture are not particularly limited. For example, the material may be a plastic and the method of manufacture may be injection molding of plastic. 
     The size, shape, and configuration of the base, bowl, lid, and pedal are not particularly limited, provided that the pedal causes the lid to lift from the bowl. 
     Referring to  FIGS.  1  through  5   ,  FIG.  1    illustrates a pedal activated pet bowl in use. The device comprises a bowl  30  with a lid  16  connected by way of a hinge  18  mounted to a base opposite a pedal  10 . See also  FIGS.  2  and  5   . A dog  32  presses on the pedal  10  with its paw  34 , raising the lid  16  on the bowl  30 , and making the contents  36  accessible. The lid lifting means are shown in  FIGS.  3  and  4   . The pedal  10  has a vertical wedge  12  extending from its lower surface. When the pedal  10  is depressed, the wedge  12  presses a wire  20  extending from a spacer atop a spring  24  to a top surface of the lid  16 . The wire  20  is threaded around a first wheel  26 , a second wheel  28 , a spool  14 , and passes through a wire casing  22  to the hinge  18 . Pressure on the wire  20  causes it to pull on the lid  16 , raising it to an open position. The pedal  10  compresses springs  24  which return to their original position when pressure is removed from the pedal  10 , returning the pedal  10  to its raised position and the lid  16  to its closed position. 
     It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.