Feed lift

Abstract

The invention relates to a pet feeder comprising a platform movable vertically between a base and a head section, with a drive mechanism, into which a feed container and a water container are inserted. To further simplify the feeding of pets, it is proposed that a feed dispensing device and a water dispensing device for the discontinuous supply of pet food and water be arranged on the head section, wherein an outlet opening of the feed dispensing device and of the water dispensing device is arranged vertically above the upper opening of the feed container and water container, respectively, such that the pet food or water flows directly from the outlet opening into the respective container when the platform is in its upper end position.The feed lift control system is set up to control operating times and operating duration at a specific operating time for both the feed dosing device and the water dosing device.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a pet food lift comprising - a footboard and a headboard, - a platform that can be moved vertically between the foot and the headboard between a lower and an upper end position, - a receptacle arranged on the platform into which a feeding container with an upper opening is inserted, - a receptacle arranged on the platform into which a water vessel having an upper opening is inserted and - a linear guide with two stationary guide elements extending vertically upwards from the foot to the head section, and two movable guide elements arranged laterally on the platform, each guided along one of the two stationary guide elements.

[0002] US Patent 8,776,725 B1 discloses a feed lift comprising a base on which a vertically oriented central column is arranged. The platform is guided and movable along this column.

[0003] US Patent 5,584,263 B1 discloses a feed lift with two vertical hollow guides in which synchronously running chains circulate to move a platform for holding feed bowls vertically. The drive mechanism is located in a housing at the top of the two vertical guides.

[0004] US patent 2019 / 090452 A1 discloses a feed lift with a platform movable along a central vertical guide for holding feed bowls, comprising a drive arranged at the upper end of the vertical guide for moving the platform. The drive includes a hand-operated spool onto which a cable connected to the platform is wound.

[0005] US Patent 5,054,431 discloses a platform guided along two vertical supports for holding feed bowls. The platform is driven on one side by a circulating toothed belt. The toothed belt is deflected by gears on the top and bottom. The drive motor is located on the top of the feed lift.

[0006] US Patent 2016 / 316715 A1 discloses a feed lift with two vertical supports that guide a platform for receiving feed bowls vertically. A motor with a spool is mounted in an upper bracket at the top of the two vertical guides. Two cables, each attached to the side of the platform, are wound onto the spool. The cables run freely alongside the vertical supports and are attached to the two narrow sides of the platform. A disadvantage is the mandatory placement of the drive at the top of the feed lift, which reduces its stability and increases the risk of uneven winding of the cables onto the spool, potentially leading to tilting and uneven movement of the platform.

[0007] US 11 013 213 B1 discloses a pet feeder with two containers for receiving and storing pet food and / or water, a container holder that is guided vertically and movable to receive the two containers, and a drive for moving the container holder, wherein the drive has a belt drive with a belt circulating between a drive pulley and a second pulley, wherein the drive pulley is driven by a motor.

[0008] From WO 2023 / 061855 A1, a feed lift with an improved drive concept is known, which increases the stability of the feed lift and simultaneously prevents misalignment, tilting, and uneven movement during both the upward and downward movement of the platform. The drive comprises a belt drive with a circulating toothed belt and a drive pinion driven by a motor and is located in the base of the feed lift. A linear guide has two stationary guide elements extending vertically upwards from the base, as well as one movable guide element along each of the two stationary guide elements, with the two movable guide elements being attached laterally to the platform.In the base of the feed lift and on the upper side of the two stationary guide elements, deflections for the circulating toothed belt are arranged such that the toothed belt runs along the two stationary guide elements in sections with opposite directions of travel, and the platform itself is attached to sections of the circulating toothed belt that move in the same direction along the two stationary guide elements.

[0009] The drive concept described above, which originates from the applicant of the present invention, is also preferably provided in the present feed lift. The disclosure of the feed lift with the drive concept described in WO 2023 / 061855 A1 is expressly incorporated into the disclosure of the present invention.

[0010] Based on this prior art, the invention aims to further simplify the feeding of pets with a feed lift, in particular to reduce the risk of over- or underfeeding, to reduce the workload associated with feeding, to ensure the freshness of the feed, and to allow for the temporary absence of the person responsible for feeding.

[0011] This task is solved in a feed lift of the type mentioned at the beginning by - a feed dosing device arranged on the head section for the discontinuous provision of animal feed, having an inlet opening and an outlet opening, wherein - the outlet opening is arranged vertically above the upper opening of the feed container in such a way that the provided animal feed falls directly from the outlet opening into the feed container when the platform is in its upper end position, - the inlet opening is connected to a feed container for the animal feed in such a way that the feed dosing device takes in animal feed from the feed container via the inlet opening, - a water metering device arranged on the head section for the discontinuous supply of water, comprising an inlet opening and an outlet opening, wherein the inlet opening is fluidly connected to a water container and the outlet opening is arranged vertically above the upper opening of the water container such that, in the upper end position of the platform, the water flows directly from the outlet opening into the water container. - a control system designed to control operating times and operating duration at a specific operating time of both the feed dosing device and the water dosing device.

[0012] The feed dispenser located at the head of the feeder automatically dispenses feed at set intervals and in predetermined amounts. Precise feeding prevents overfeeding or underfeeding. This feed dispenser makes the feeding process more efficient and less time-consuming.

[0013] The discharge opening is positioned vertically, i.e., perpendicular to the base on which the feed lift stands, above the upper opening of the feed hopper, such that the dispensed animal feed falls directly from the discharge opening into the feed hopper when the platform is in its uppermost position. In this position, the feed hopper is located directly below the head section, minimizing the fall distance between the discharge opening at the bottom of the head section and the feed hopper.

[0014] The inlet opening of the feed dispenser is connected to the feed container in such a way that the feed dispenser draws animal feed from the feed container via the inlet opening. The size of the feed container is preferably dimensioned such that it can hold several quantities or portions of feed that are dispensed at different times.

[0015] The water dispenser located at the head of the bed releases water into the water bowl at set intervals to refill it. This makes watering your pet more efficient and less time-consuming.

[0016] The outlet opening is positioned vertically, i.e., perpendicular to the base on which the feed lift stands, above the upper opening of the water reservoir such that, in the platform's uppermost position, the water flows directly from the outlet opening into the reservoir. In the platform's uppermost position, the water reservoir is located directly below the head section, minimizing the distance between the outlet opening on the underside of the head section and the reservoir. The water reservoir is preferably dimensioned to allow for complete refilling at different times.

[0017] The electronic control system manages the operating times, i.e., the different times at which the feed and water dispensing devices are activated. The control system can be programmed, for example, to activate the dispensing devices for a specific duration at predetermined operating times, such as 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM. Alternatively, the operating times and the duration of operation at a given time can also be determined remotely, for example, by connecting the feed lift to the internet via an app on a smartphone or other mobile device.

[0018] The feed quantity can be set via an input unit, preferably mounted on the feed lift, for a specific operating time. This feed quantity is then converted into an operating time in the control system, which depends on the delivery rate of the feed dosing device. The operating times for refilling the water reservoir from the water tank can also be set via the input unit. By controlling the operating time of both the feed dosing device and the water dosing device for a specific operating time, the feed quantity to be dispensed and the amount of water to be refilled are determined.

[0019] In the case of remote control of the feed lift in an embodiment of the invention according to claim 15, it is not absolutely necessary that the activation of the dosing devices is automated by a program stored in the control system.

[0020] The system can be controlled in real time via the internet, preferably with camera monitoring using at least one camera mounted on the head unit. This camera is positioned on the underside of the head unit so that it faces the opening of the feed container and / or water container. Its video signals are transmitted via the internet to a mobile device and displayed using software (an app) on the mobile device. The software on the mobile device is further configured so that a user can remotely access the feed lift's controls to manage the operating times and duration of the feed and / or water dispenser. The software allows for real-time monitoring of the feeding process, i.e., the filling of the feed container or water dispenser, using the camera.The system can initiate the refilling of the water container. However, it is also possible to remotely select an operating time for the feed dispenser and / or the water dispenser at a later time, as well as the operating duration at that selected time. This allows the filling of the feed or water container to be initiated remotely at a later time.

[0021] To prevent overfilling of the feed container if the pet does not empty it completely, an advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the control system regulates the operating time of the feed dispensing device based on the fill level of the feed container at a specific operating time, with the fill level being detected by a sensor. If the sensor detects that there is still a residual amount of feed in the feed container, the operating time and thus the amount dispensed are reduced accordingly to prevent overfilling and to keep the amount of feed constant at each feeding time.To prevent overfilling of the water container if the pet does not empty it completely, an advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the control unit regulates the operating time of the water dosing device based on the water level in the container at a specific operating time, with the water level being detected by at least one sensor. This differential quantity control is particularly important for the water container, as maintaining a sufficient amount of water for the pet's needs is crucial, but the pet's water requirements often fluctuate within the prescribed feeding intervals, and therefore the water container may not be completely empty. At least for the water container, differential quantity control is therefore preferably a standard feature of the feeding lift according to the invention.

[0022] The at least one sensor for measuring the fill level is preferably a distance sensor arranged on an underside of the head part in a vertical direction above the opening of the feed container and / or the water container, designed to measure the distance between the sensor and a surface of the feed in the feed container and / or the water in the water container.

[0023] Distance sensors that measure the travel time of a wave before it returns to the sensor are preferred. These include light-based distance sensors, such as laser sensors, or ultrasonic distance sensors, which use sound waves for distance measurement. Distance sensors can also be contact-based and measure through physical contact. However, for hygienic reasons, the aforementioned non-contact distance sensors are preferable.

[0024] Alternatively, the fill level in the containers can be determined by continuously monitoring the weight of the container including its contents. This can be achieved by using at least one sensor, a weight sensor, positioned between the intake and the feed container and / or water container. The sensor is designed to detect the weight of the feed in the feed container and / or the water in the water container. Suitable weight sensors include, for example, load cells; these measure weight by detecting the deformation of a material equipped with strain gauges. Piezoelectric or capacitive sensors are also suitable.

[0025] To facilitate refilling and cleaning of the food container, an advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the food container is detachably attached to the head section. The water reservoir for storing water to be refilled can also be detachably arranged on the head section.

[0026] For regularly feeding kibble-like dry pet food, a rotary feeder is preferably used as a feed dosing device; it comprises a rotor with several cells separated from each other by rotor blades, the rotor rotating in a rotor housing with an inlet and outlet opening. The circular cylindrical rotor housing is adapted to the outer diameter of the rotor, so that a cell for holding a defined quantity of feed is formed between each pair of rotor blades.

[0027] To reduce the risk of injury from the rotor blades, the rotor blades are preferably made of elastic material, such as rubber. This prevents dangerous pinching due to shearing in the exhaust opening, which is located on the underside of the head and is therefore accessible from the outside.

[0028] A structurally advantageous integration of the rotary conveyor into the feed lift, when using a removable feed hopper, can be achieved by ensuring that the rotor rotates around a vertical axis, the circular cylindrical rotor housing is partially integrated into the head section, the top of the rotor housing is closed by a base surface of the attached feed hopper, and the inlet opening in the base surface is offset from the outlet opening in the head section by a distance around the circumference of the rotor. This sufficient angular offset ensures that no feed from the hopper can pass directly from the rotary conveyor's inlet opening to its outlet opening.

[0029] For refilling water into a water container, a dosing pump is particularly suitable as a water metering device. Dosing pumps, also known as dispensers, are positive displacement pumps that deliver defined volumes per revolution, stroke, or time, regardless of the pressure conditions at the inlet and outlet. Therefore, regardless of the water level in the reservoir, the amount of water to be refilled can be precisely metered by adjusting the operating time or the number of revolutions of the pump, which operates at a constant speed.

[0030] Alternatively, instead of a metering pump, the water metering device can include an electrically controlled metering element that allows or interrupts the flow of water. A solenoid valve, installed in a fluid line between the reservoir and the outlet, is particularly suitable. An electromagnet serves as the actuator. When the electromagnet is deactivated, a compression spring holds the valve closed by pressing the valve piston against the valve seat. To open the valve, the piston must be lifted from the valve seat by the electromagnetic actuator against the force of the compression spring.

[0031] To allow for easy visual inspection of the fill level of the water and / or food container, an advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the water and / or food container is at least partially made of transparent material. If the container is not entirely made of transparent material, visual inspection can be facilitated by a viewing window positioned at a suitable location on the container. Alternatively or additionally to level monitoring via a partially transparent water or food container, the fill level in each container can be detected by means of a sensor. Various types of level sensors are available for use in the food and / or water container: 1. Capacitive sensors measure the change in capacity when the fill level in the container changes. They are particularly suitable for dry food in the feed container. 2. Ultrasonic sensors emit sound waves and measure the time it takes for the waves to be reflected back from the contents. They are suitable for water in the water reservoir and dry food in the food container. 3. Float switches have a float that moves with the water level, thereby activating a switch. They are simple and inexpensive and suitable for determining the water level in a container. 4. Resistance-based sensors measure the electrical resistance of the material to determine the fill level. They can be used for both water in the water container and food in the food container.

[0032] To allow for refilling water or food, the water and / or food container has a removable lid. Alternatively, the containers may simply have a filling opening with a closure.

[0033] The elongated, preferably oval platform is attached at its lateral edges to the parallel sections of a circulating toothed belt of the drive, which move in the same direction as the two stationary guide elements.

[0034] Due to its virtually zero backlash and damping properties, the linear guide is preferably designed as a sliding guide, comprising two stationary guide axes extending vertically upwards from the base and a sliding bearing movable along each guide axis. The stationary guide axes are, for example, cylindrical guide rods fixed to the base. The sliding bearings are designed as sliding bushings with a circular cross-section.

[0035] The movable guide element, designed as a sliding bearing, can be an integral part of the platform, for example, by means of a bore in the platform whose diameter is adapted to the cylindrical guide rods. The outer surface of the bore can be coated with a material that reduces friction against the guide rod.

[0036] In one embodiment of the invention, the platform has at least two receptacles for the positive locking fixation of vessels. The vessels are fixed in the platform, for example, by means of a bayonet fitting.

[0037] The invention will now be explained in more detail using an exemplary embodiment.

[0038] They show Fig. 1 a perspective overall view of a feed lift according to the invention, Fig. 2 an exploded view of the feed lift according to Fig. 1. From a first perspective, diagonally from above, Fig. 3 an exploded view of the feed lift according to Fig. 1 from a second perspective, diagonally from below.

[0039] The pet feeder 1 includes a base 2 for mounting a drive unit for a movable platform 4. The platform 4 has two mountings 4.1, 4.2 (see figure). Fig. 3), into which a feeding vessel 4.3 and a water vessel 4.4 are fitted. Both the feeding vessel 4.3 and the water vessel 4.4 each have an upper opening 4.5, 4.6.

[0040] From the base 2, two stationary guide elements 6.1, 6.2 of a linear guide 6 extend vertically upwards for the vertically movable platform 4, which is essentially designed as an elongated, in particular oval, plate. The stationary guide elements 6.1, 6.2 are attached in the lateral edge region 2.1, 2.2 on the left and right sides of the oval base 2, respectively.

[0041] The linear guide 6 has, in addition to the stationary guide elements 6.1, 6.2, two movable guide elements 6.3, 6.4, wherein the movable guide element 6.3 is movable along the left-hand stationary guide element 6.1 and the movable guide element 6.4 is movable along the right-hand stationary guide element 6.2.

[0042] In the illustrated embodiment, the linear guide 6 is designed as a sliding guide, in which the stationary guide elements 6.1, 6.2 are designed as guide axes or guide rods and the movable guide elements 6.3, 6.4 are designed as sliding bearings or sliding bushings. The sliding bearing 6.3 is arranged laterally on the left side of the platform 4 and the sliding bearing 6.4 is arranged laterally on the right side of the platform 4.

[0043] The drive, not shown, comprises a belt drive with a single circulating toothed belt and a drive pinion driven by a motor. The motor and the drive pinion are housed in the base 2, which is designed as a casing. The toothed belt is attached to the platform on both sides and moves it vertically along the stationary guide elements between the upper and lower end positions, as well as to any intermediate positions between the upper and lower end positions. For details of the drive, the guidance of the toothed belt along the stationary guide elements 6.1, 6.2, and the connection of the toothed belt to the platform 4, explicit reference is made to publication WO 2023 / 061855 A1, the contents of which are incorporated into the present disclosure.By activating the electric motor of the drive in one direction or the other, the platform 4 can be moved evenly and without misalignment or tilting in the vertical direction using the linear guide 6.

[0044] On the head section 8, in the left half of the image, the Fig. 1 a feed dosing device 9 for the discontinuous provision of animal feed and a water dosing device 10 for the discontinuous provision of water are arranged.

[0045] The feed dosing device 9 has a feature particularly in Fig. 3 on the underside 8.2 of the head section 8, an outlet opening 9.1 is visible, which is arranged in a vertical direction above the upper opening 4.5 of the feed container 4.3, so that animal feed provided via the feed metering device 9 falls directly into the feed container 4.3 in the upper end position of the platform 4, i.e. when it is located with the upper opening 4.5 of the feed container 4.3 directly below the bottom surface 8.2 of the head section 8.

[0046] Similarly, the water metering device 10 has an outlet opening 10.1 arranged on the underside 8.2 of the head part 8, which is arranged vertically above the upper opening 4.6 of the water vessel 4.4, so that in the upper end position of the platform 4 the water flows directly from the outlet opening 10.1 into the water vessel 4.4.

[0047] One in particular in Fig. 2 The recognizable inlet opening 9.2 of the feed dosing device 9 is connected to a feed container 11 for the animal feed, wherein the feed dosing device 9 receives the animal feed from the feed container 11 via the inlet opening 9.2.

[0048] An inlet opening 10.2 of the water dosing device 10, which is also best made of Fig. As can be seen from section 2, it is fluidly connected to a water container 12. The fluid-conducting connection is established by the fact that the inlet opening 10.2 is located below the water level of the water to be filled into the water container 12.

[0049] To protect the water dosing device 10 from contamination, a filter element, for example in the form of a sponge 12.1, is positioned upstream of the inlet opening and fixed in the water reservoir 12 by means of a holder 12.2. In the illustrated embodiment, the water dosing device 10 is designed as a dosing pump 10.3. The dosing pump 10.3 delivers a defined volume of water per unit of time or per revolution of the dosing pump 10.3, which rotates at a constant speed, regardless of the pressure conditions at the inlet opening 10.2 and the outlet opening 10.1.

[0050] The feed dosing device 9 is designed as a rotary conveyor 9.3, as can be seen in particular from the perspective view in Fig.2 is recognizable. The rotary conveyor 9.3 comprises a rotor 9.4 driven by an electric motor with several rotor blades 9.5 arranged at a constant angular distance to each other around the circumference, which rotate in a circular cylindrical rotor housing 9.6 surrounding the rotor blades 9.5 on the outer circumference.

[0051] In the illustrated embodiment, the feed container 11 is detachably placed on the head section 8. The rotor housing 9.6 is partially integrated into the head section 8. The rotor housing 9.6 is closed at the top by the base surface of the attached feed container 11. The base surface therefore also includes the inlet opening 9.2 of the feed metering device 9, the inlet opening 9.2 being arranged approximately 90° offset from the outlet opening 9.1 around the circumference of the rotor 9.4.

[0052] Unlike the food container 11, the water container 12 is permanently attached to the head section 8. Both the water container 12 and the food container 11 each have a removable lid 11.1, 12.3. The removable lids 11.1, 12.3 facilitate refilling the food container 11 with food or the water container 12 with water. The top of the lid 11.1 and the lid 12.3 each have a window 11.2 or 12.4 made of transparent material, through which the fill level in the food container 11 or the water container 12 can be seen.

[0053] A control unit 13 is housed in an operating unit 8.1 at the head section 8 of the feed lift 1. This control unit regulates the operating times and duration of both the feed dosing device 9 and the water dosing device 10 at a given operating time. The input unit 8.1 allows the user to set the amount of feed to be dispensed by the feed dosing device 9 at a specific operating time. This amount of feed is then converted by the control unit 13 into an operating duration that depends on the conveying volume of the rotary conveyor 9.3. For example, if feeding is to take place daily at specific operating times, such as 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., the control unit 13 determines the operating duration at a constant rotational speed of the rotary conveyor 9.3, taking into account the known conveying volume of the rotary conveyor 9.3 per revolution of the rotor 9.4.3 is required to fill the desired amount of feed into the feed container 4.3 at the respective feeding time.

[0054] The operating times for refilling the water container 4.4 are usually chosen to coincide with the operating times for filling the food container 4.3. Since pets regularly empty the food container 4.3 completely at feeding times, but not the water container 4.4, the operating time of the water dosing device 10 is controlled by taking into account the water level in the water container 4.4 at a specific operating time, i.e., a specific time of day. The water level at the respective operating time is detected by means of at least one sensor 13.1. The at least one sensor 13.1 is a distance sensor located on the underside 8.2 of the base surface 8.2, positioned vertically above the upper opening 4.6 of the water container 4.4. The distance between the sensor 13.1 and the surface of any remaining water in the water container 4.4 is determined by measuring the time of flight of the waves emitted by the sensor 13.1.The runtime measurement is always performed in the same position of platform 4, i.e., for example, when it is in the upper or lower end position.

[0055] Depending on the determined distance between the water surface in the water container 4.4 and the sensor 13.1, the fill level and consequently the amount of water to be refilled can then be determined using the control unit 13, in order to reliably prevent overfilling of the water container 4.4 if it is not completely emptied by the pet.

[0056] The control unit 13 allows the user to input not only the operating times and the amount of food to be refilled, but also the position to which the platform 4 will be moved after filling the food container 4.3 and the water container 4.4, in order to provide the pet with convenient access to the filled food and water container 4.3, 4.4, depending on its size and constitution. Reference symbol list 1 Feed lift 2 feet 2.1 lateral edge area 2.2 lateral edge area 4 Platform 4.1 Recording 4.2 Recording 4.3 Feeding container 4.4 Water container 4.5 Opening the feeding container 4.6 Opening water container 6 linear guides 6.1 Fixed guide element 6.2 Fixed guide element 6.3 Movable guide element 6.4 Movable guide element 8 Headboard 8.1 Input unit 8.2 Underside of headboard 8.3 Circumferential border 8.4 Further Study 9 Feed dosing device 9.1 Outlet opening 9.2 Entrance opening 9.3 Rotary Wheel Conveyor 9.4 Rotor 9.5 Rotor blades 9.6 Rotor housing 10 Water dosing device 10.1 Outlet opening 10.2 Entrance opening 10.3 Metering pump 11 feed containers 11.1 Lid 11.2 Windows 11.3 Adsorption dryers 12 water containers 12.1 Filter element 12.2 Mounting bracket 12.3 Lid 12.4 Windows 13 Control 13.1 Sensor / Distance Sensor

Claims

[1] Pet feed lift (1) including - a foot (2) and a headboard (8), - a platform (4) movable in a vertical direction between the foot (2) and the head section (8) between a lower and an upper end position, - a receptacle (4.1) arranged on the platform (4), into which a feed container (4.3) having an upper opening (4.5) is inserted, - a receptacle (4.2) arranged on the platform (4), into which a water vessel (4.4) having an upper opening (4.6) is inserted, - a linear guide (6) with two stationary guide elements (6.1, 6.2) extending vertically upwards from the foot (2) to the head section and two movable guide elements (6.3, 6.4) arranged laterally on the platform (4), each guided along one of the two stationary guide elements (6.1, 6.2), characterized by , - a feed dosing device (9) arranged on the head part (8) for the discontinuous provision of animal feed with an inlet opening (9.2) and an outlet opening (9.1), - wherein the outlet opening (9.1) is arranged vertically above the upper opening (4.5) of the feed container (4.3) such that the provided animal feed falls directly from the outlet opening (9.1) into the feed container (4.3) when the platform (4) is in its upper end position, - the inlet opening (9.2) is connected to a feed container (11) for the animal feed in such a way that the feed dosing device (9) receives animal feed from the feed container (11) via the inlet opening (9.2), - a water metering device (10) arranged on the head section (8) for the discontinuous supply of water, with an inlet opening (10.2) and an outlet opening (10.1), wherein the inlet opening (10.2) is fluidly connected to a water container (12), the outlet opening (10.1) is arranged vertically above the upper opening (4.6) of the water vessel (4.4) such that, in the upper end position of the platform (4), the water flows directly from the outlet opening (10.1) into the water vessel (4.4), a control (13) configured to control operating times and operating duration at a specific operating time of both the feed metering device (9) and the water metering device (10). [2] Feed lift according to claim 1, characterized by, that the feed quantity can be set by means of an input unit (8.1) at a specific operating time, wherein the feed quantity is converted into an operating time in the control unit (13) which depends on the delivery quantity of the feed dosing device. [3] Feed lift according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that the control (13) is set up to control the operating time of the feed dosing device (9) taking into account the fill level of the feed in the feed container (4.3) at a specific operating time, the fill level being detected by means of a sensor. [4] Feed lift according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by , that the control (13) is set up to control the operating time of the water dosing device (10) taking into account the fill level of the water in the water vessel (4.4) at a specific operating time, wherein the fill level is detected by means of at least one sensor (13.1). [5] Feed lift according to claim 3 or 4, characterized by , that the at least one sensor (13.1) is a distance sensor arranged on an underside (8.2) of the head part (8) in a vertical direction above the opening (4.5, 4.6) of the feed container (4.3) and / or the water container (4.4), configured to measure the distance between the sensor (13.1) and a surface of the feed in the feed container (4.3) and / or the water in the water container (4.4). [6] Feed lift according to claim 3 or 4, characterized by , that the at least one sensor (13.1) is a weight sensor that is placed between the intake (4.1, 4.2) and the feed container (4.3) and / or the water container (4.4), configured to detect the weight of the feed contained in the feed container (4.3) and / or the water contained in the water container (4.4). [7] Feed lift according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by , that the food container (11) is detachably attached to the head part (8). [8] Feed lift according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by , that the feed metering device (9) is a rotary feeder comprising a rotor (9.4) with several cells separated from each other by rotor blades (9.5), wherein the rotor (9.4) rotates in a rotor housing (9.6) with the inlet opening (9.2) and the outlet opening (9.1). [9] Feed lift according to claims 7 and 8, characterized by , that the rotor (9.4) rotates about a vertical axis, the circular cylindrical rotor housing (9.6) is partially embedded as an integral part in the head section (8), the rotor housing (9.6) is closed on a top side by a bottom surface of the attached feed container (11) and the inlet opening (9.2) in the bottom surface is offset over the circumference of the rotor (9.4) from the outlet opening (9.1) in the head section. [10] Feed lift according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized by that the water dosing device (10) has a dosing pump (10.3). [11] Feed lift according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized by , that the water dosing device (10) comprises an electrically controlled dosing element that allows or interrupts a flow of water. [12] Feed lift according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized by , that the water and / or food container (11,12) is partially made of transparent material. [13] Feed lift according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized by , that the water and / or food container (11,12) has a removable or swiveling lid (11.1). [14] Feed lift according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized by , that the linear guide (6) is a sliding guide which has two fixed guide axes extending vertically upwards from the foot (2) and a sliding bearing movable along each guide axis. [15] Feed lift according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized by , that - at least one camera is arranged on an underside (8.2) of the head section (8), which looks towards the opening (4.5, 4.6) of the feeding container (4.3) and / or the water container (4.4) and whose image signals are transmitted via the Internet to a mobile device and made visible on the mobile device with the help of software, - the software on the mobile device is further configured in such a way that a user of the mobile device can remotely access the control (13) of the feed lift (1) via the mobile device in order to control the operating times and an operating duration at a specific operating time of the feed dosing device (9) and / or the water dosing device (10).

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