A device for sequentially dispensing individual objects includes a housing having a first housing portion which is conically-shaped. The first housing portion has a first end proximate a supply of objects and a second end proximate a location where the objects are to be dispensed. There is a spiral race, disposed on an interior surface of the first housing portion and extending from the first end to the second end of the first housing portion, along which the objects to be dispensed travel.

Disclosed in the present invention is a self-feeder for sows, which includes a hopper, a feed volume adjusting mechanism, and a discharge mechanism. The feed volume adjusting mechanism is mounted in the hopper. The hopper includes a C-shaped housing, a front side plate, a bottom plate, and a guide plate. The front side plate is fixed on the front side of the C-shaped housing. The bottom plate is welded on the bottom of the C-shaped housing. A gap is disposed between the bottom plate and the front side plate and used as a discharge port. The guide plate is welded between the bottom plate and a rear wall of the C-shaped housing and is aligned with the bottom plate at the discharge port. The discharge mechanism includes a discharge plate, a push rod, a top cap, and a stop pin. The discharge plate is located above the guide plate. The top cap is located below the bottom plate. An upper end of the push rod passes through the bottom plate and the guide plate and is welded to the discharge plate. A bottom end of the push rod is welded with the top cap. The stop pin is welded on the push rod below the bottom plate. The present invention has a simple structure; the feed volume can be adjusted freely, and fodder can be discharged avoiding falling on the eyes and snout of a sow; the manual discharging times is reduced; the sow can eat fresh fodder and the fodder may not get out; therefore, the fodder is not wasted and the manpower is saved.

An animal feeder apparatus including a feed hopper defining an interior for receiving a quantity of feed, an upper opening and a lower feed discharge opening. A feed shelf may be located below the feed hopper and have an upper feed support surface with at least a portion of the upper feed support surface being located directly below the feed discharge opening of the feed hopper. A feed trough may be located toward the bottom of the apparatus below the feed hopper and below the feed shelf, and form a lower feed support surface upon which feed falling from the hopper and shelf rests. A feed shelf movement assembly may be configured to permit a feeding animal to move the feed shelf from a location adjacent to the lower feed support surface of the feed trough.

An animal feeder apparatus including a feed hopper defining an interior for receiving a quantity of feed, an upper opening and a lower feed discharge opening. A feed shelf may be located below the feed hopper and have an upper feed support surface with at least a portion of the upper feed support surface being located directly below the feed discharge opening of the feed hopper. A feed trough may be located toward the bottom of the apparatus below the feed hopper and below the feed shelf, and form a lower feed support surface upon which feed falling from the hopper and shelf rests. A feed shelf movement assembly may be configured to permit a feeding animal to move the feed shelf from a location adjacent to the lower feed support surface of the feed trough.

A sensor assembly on a swine-activated self-feeder allows monitoring or tracking of individual animal feeding activity, thereby allowing corrective action to be taken in instances of under-feeding or over-feeding by an animal. The sensor assembly includes a sensor on the feed dispenser and, with a printed circuit board to generate a signal corresponding to activation of the dispenser by an animal. The signal can be sent to a computer or website which generates reports on the individual animal's feeding activity.

A security device includes a door handle unit disposed on a door body, a cover layer including a touch sensor and covering the door handle unit, a door locking unit which controls a locking of the door body. The touch sensor may include a plurality of sensor pixels, each including a sensor electrode which forms a second capacitor with a hand of a user when a touch occurs thereon by the user. The touch sensor may generate touch information based on a change in capacitance of the second capacitor corresponding to the touch.

A feeder comprising: a feed container having a volume for holding feed, a feed input part for providing a feed input into the feed container, a feed valve which is connected to the feed input part and the feed container, wherein the feed valve is configured to regulate and control the flow of feed into the feed container, a dosing valve which is connected to the feed container and controls and regulates the flow of feed out of the container, a first feed sensor which is configured to provide a first parameter representing an amount of feed inside the feed container, where the feed valve and/or the dosing valve are configured to be controlled by a control signal that is at least partly based on the first parameter.

A feeding station for at least one animal, said feeding station comprising at least one supply hopper having a food product; a food dispensing unit having means for dispensing controlled portions of said food product; a weigh hopper for receiving said food product from said food dispensing unit; a hemi-circular disc-shaped feeding platform for receiving said food product from said weigh hopper; and a hemi-frustoconical sweeping member comprises at least one compartment to contain said food product on hemi-circular disc-shaped feeding platform; said hemi-frustoconical sweeping member rotatable on a top surface of said hemi-circular disc-shaped feeding platform to remove unconsumed food product off said feeding platform after a feeding event.

An animal feeder apparatus including a feed hopper defining an interior for receiving a quantity of feed, an upper opening and a lower feed discharge opening. A feed shelf may be located below the feed hopper and have an upper feed support surface with at least a portion of the upper feed support surface being located directly below the feed discharge opening of the feed hopper. A feed trough may be located toward the bottom of the apparatus below the feed hopper and below the feed shelf, and form a lower feed support surface upon which feed falling from the hopper and shelf rests. A feed shelf movement assembly may be configured to permit a feeding animal to move the feed shelf from a location adjacent to the lower feed support surface of the feed trough.

An automatic animal feeding system is provided. Embodiments of the automatic animal feeding system include an automatic food dispenser and a food canister storing food pods. The automatic food dispenser couples to the food canister, receives a food pod form the food canister, removes a cover or lid from the food pod, presents the opened food pod for pet consumption, disposes of the food pod into a disposal compartment that is sealed off from the ambient air, and implements other steps of an automatic feeding process. Aspects of the automatic feeding process can be efficiently implemented, for example, by actuating two motors based on data received from sensors of the automatic animal feeding system. Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a compact, control-efficient, self-cleaning automatic animal feeding system that can continuously personalize feeding patterns or feed a pet with little to no human intervention over a period of time.