Patent Application
20160150761
Aspects generally relate to an apparatus for a meat-sausage portion having an internal-core portion and for a medicinal pill (and method thereof).
It is known to feed a pet (such as a dog) a medicinal pill by forcing the pet to open the mouth, and popping the medicinal pill into the mouth of the pet.
It will be appreciated there exists a need to mitigate (at least in part) at least one problem associated with existing ways for feeding a medicinal pill into a pet's mouth. After much study of the known systems and methods with experimentation, an understanding of the problem and its solution has been identified and is articulated as follows:
Sometimes, a pet, such as a dog, is required to consume a medicinal pill. The problem associated with the known technique of wrapping the medicinal pill in a cheese slice and then feeding it to your pet (such as, a dog) is that this may inadvertently fatten the pet. As well, another known technique requires the user to manually insert or stick a finger down the throat of the pet in order for the pet to receive the medicinal pill.
To mitigate, at least in part, at least one problem associated with existing ways for getting a medicinal pill into a pet's mouth, there is provided (in accordance with a major aspect) an apparatus. The apparatus is for a meat-sausage portion and for a medicinal pill. The meat-sausage portion has an internal-core portion. The apparatus includes an elongated handle assembly configured for user manipulation. An elongated shaft longitudinally extends from the elongated handle assembly. The elongated shaft is configured to: (A) be insertable and extendable into the meat-sausage portion; (B) operatively receive the internal-core portion once the elongated shaft is positioned into the meat-sausage portion to do just so; (C) retain the internal-core portion of the meat-sausage portion for a case where the elongated shaft is operatively rotated; and (D) be retractable along with the internal-core portion from the meat-sausage portion along with the internal-core portion.
Other aspects are identified in the claims.
Other aspects and features of the non-limiting embodiments may now become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following detailed description of the non-limiting embodiments with the accompanying drawings.
The non-limiting embodiments may be more fully appreciated by reference to the following detailed description of the non-limiting embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
The drawings are not necessarily to scale and may be illustrated by phantom lines, diagrammatic representations and fragmentary views. In certain instances, details unnecessary for an understanding of the embodiments (and/or details that render other details difficult to perceive) may have been omitted.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several figures of the Drawings. Elements in the several figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not been drawn to scale. The dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be emphasized relative to other elements for facilitating an understanding of the various disclosed embodiments. In addition, common, but well-understood, elements that are useful or necessary in commercially feasible embodiments are often not depicted to provide a less obstructed view of the embodiments of the present disclosure.
100 apparatus
102 elongated handle assembly
104 elongated shaft
106 shaft end portion
108 internal shaft cavity
110 cavity entrance
112 leading circumferential meat-cutting edge
114 outer longitudinally-extending surface
116 longitudinally-extending access groove
118 plunger assembly
120 plunger extension
900 meat-sausage portion
901 knife
902 internal-core portion
904 medicinal pill
906 internal meat void
The following detailed description is merely exemplary and is not intended to limit the described embodiments or the application and uses of the described embodiments. As used, the word “exemplary” or “illustrative” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described as “exemplary” or “illustrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. All of the implementations described below are exemplary implementations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to make or use the embodiments of the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. The scope of the invention is defined by the claims. For the description, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “left,” “rear,” “right,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the examples as oriented in the drawings. There is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory in the preceding Technical Field, Background, Summary or the following detailed description. It is also to be understood that the devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification, are exemplary embodiments (examples), aspects and/or concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise. It is understood that the phrase “at least one” is equivalent to “a”. The aspects (examples, alterations, modifications, options, variations, embodiments and any equivalent thereof) are described regarding the drawings. It should be understood that the invention is limited to the subject matter provided by the claims, and that the invention is not limited to the particular aspects depicted and described.
In accordance with the embodiment depicted in
In accordance with the embodiment depicted in
In accordance with a first embodiment depicted in
The apparatus 100 includes an elongated handle assembly 102 configured for user manipulation. The apparatus 100 also includes an elongated shaft 104 longitudinally extending from the elongated handle assembly 102.
The elongated shaft 104 is configured to be insertable and extendable into the meat-sausage portion 900. The elongated shaft 104 is also configured to operatively receive the internal-core portion 902 once the elongated shaft 104 is positioned into the meat-sausage portion 900 to do just so. The elongated shaft 104 is also configured to retain the internal-core portion 902 of the meat-sausage portion 900 for a case where the elongated shaft 104 is operatively rotated. The elongated shaft 104 is also configured to be retractable along with the internal-core portion 902 from the meat-sausage portion 900 along with the internal-core portion 902.
A technical effect of the apparatus 100 is that with the medicinal pill 904 once inserted into the meat-sausage portion 900, a pet (such as, a dog) is more easily motivated to consume the medicinal pill 904, and the apparatus 100 makes it easier for the dog to receive the medicinal pill 904 with less effort and frustration.
In accordance with a second embodiment depicted in
The elongated shaft 104 is further configured to retain the internal-core portion 902 of the meat-sausage portion 900 for a case where the elongated shaft 104 is operatively rotated to separate an end wall of the internal-core portion 902 from the meat-sausage portion 900.
The elongated shaft 104 is further configured to be retractable along with the internal-core portion 902 from the meat-sausage portion 900. This is done in such a way that the meat-sausage portion 900 defines an internal meat void 906. The internal meat void 906 is positioned where the internal-core portion 902 was operatively removed from the meat-sausage portion 900. The internal meat void 906 is configured to operatively insertably receive the medicinal pill 904 for the case where the internal-core portion 902 is removed from the interior of the meat-sausage portion 900 (by removal of the shaft end portion 106).
In accordance with third embodiment depicted in
The apparatus 100 further includes a leading circumferential meat-cutting edge 112 extending from the shaft end portion 106 of the elongated shaft 104. The leading circumferential meat-cutting edge 112 surrounds, at least in part, the cavity entrance 110 leading into the internal shaft cavity 108. The leading circumferential meat-cutting edge 112 of the shaft end portion 106 is configured to be insertable and extendable into the meat-sausage portion 900. This is done in such a way that the leading circumferential meat-cutting edge 112, once inserted, operatively cuts and separates side walls of the internal-core portion 902 from the meat-sausage portion 900. The cavity entrance 110 and the internal shaft cavity 108 operatively receives the internal-core portion 902 for a case where the leading circumferential meat-cutting edge 112 is operatively inserted into the meat-sausage portion 900 (that is, once the leading circumferential meat-cutting edge 112 is positioned in the meat-sausage portion 900 to do just so).
The cavity entrance 110 and the internal shaft cavity 108 is configured to retain the internal-core portion 902 of the meat-sausage portion 900 for a case where the elongated shaft 104 and the shaft end portion 106 are operatively rotated to separate an end wall of the internal-core portion 902 from the meat-sausage portion 900.
The leading circumferential meat-cutting edge 112 of the shaft end portion 106 is retractable from the meat-sausage portion 900. This is done in such a way that the meat-sausage portion 900 defines an internal meat void 906 for the case where the shaft end portion 106 is retracted away from the meat-sausage portion 900 to do just so.
The internal meat void 906 is positioned where the internal-core portion 902 was operatively removed from the meat-sausage portion 900. The internal meat void 906 is configured to operatively insertably receive the medicinal pill 904 for the case where the internal-core portion 902 is removed from the interior of the meat-sausage portion 900 (by removal of the shaft end portion 106).
In accordance with a fourth embodiment depicted in
In accordance with a fifth embodiment depicted in
The elongated shaft 104 includes an outer longitudinally-extending surface 114. The elongated shaft 104 includes an outer longitudinally-extending surface 114. The elongated shaft 104 defines a longitudinally extending longitudinally-extending access groove 116 extending between the shaft end portion 106 along a length of the outer longitudinally-extending surface 114. The longitudinally-extending access groove 116 radially extends between, at least in part, the internal shaft cavity 108 and the outer longitudinally-extending surface 114. The longitudinally-extending access groove 116 is configured to permit access to the internal-core portion 902 that is lodged in the internal shaft cavity 108 at the shaft end portion 106. The plunger extension 120 extends radially from the plunger assembly 118 through the longitudinally-extending access groove 116. Once the plunger assembly 118 is moved, the plunger assembly 118 moves the internal-core portion 902 away from the shaft end portion 106.
Referring to
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.
It may be appreciated that the assemblies and modules described above may be connected with each other as required to perform desired functions and tasks within the scope of persons of skill in the art to make such combinations and permutations without having to describe each and every one in explicit terms. There is no particular assembly, or component that may be superior to any of the equivalents available to the person skilled in art. There is no particular mode of practicing the disclosed subject matter that is superior to others, so long as the functions may be performed. It is believed that all the crucial aspects of the disclosed subject matter have been provided in this document. It is understood that the scope of the present invention is limited to the scope provided by the independent claim(s), and it is also understood that the scope of the present invention is not limited to: (i) the dependent claims, (ii) the detailed description of the non-limiting embodiments, (iii) the summary, (iv) the abstract, and/or (v) the description provided outside of this document (that is, outside of the instant application as filed, as prosecuted, and/or as granted). It is understood, for this document, that the phrase “includes” is equivalent to the word “comprising.” The foregoing has outlined the non-limiting embodiments (examples). The description is made for particular non-limiting embodiments (examples). It is understood that the non-limiting embodiments are merely illustrative as examples.
