Patent Application
20220322635
The present disclosure generally relates to pet feeding devices. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a pet feeding bowl that improves a pet's mealtime and digestion. More particularly still, the present disclosure relates to a pet feeding bowl that improves the pet's hygiene, mealtime and digestion.
People generally love and have pets, such as dogs and cats. The pets are fed with solid food placed into feeding bowls. Some conventional pet feeding bowls are constructed with a maze to slow down the pets' feeding pace. The slowdown increases the amount of time of a pet's meal, i.e., improve the pet's mealtime. The increased feeding time helps digestion, prevents gulping, bloat and canine obesity, and promotes fun of feeding. However, the convention feeding bowls fail to provide a hygienic feature for the pets, such as a feature for keeping the pets' teeth clean. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved pet feeding device that slows down the feeding pace, promotes healthy feeding, is fun, and keeps their teeth clean.
Generally speaking, pursuant to the various embodiments, the present disclosure provides a hygienic slow feeding bowl. The hygienic slow feeding bowl includes a container in a shape of a frustum incorporating a base; an outer wall extending upward from the base and having a top edge enclosing a top opening; and an inner wall extending downward from the top edge, forming a cavity exposed by the top opening, and incorporating a set of apertures. The hygienic slow feeding bowl further includes a set of dividers disposed within the cavity and resting on a bottom surface of the inner wall, each divider within the set of dividers incorporating a set of spikes extending away from at least one flat surface of the divider, each spike within the set of spikes incorporates a conic head; and incorporating a set of fasteners extending away from a bottom surface of the divider, each fastener within the set of fasteners incorporating a neck and a head larger than the neck, the head adapted to be inserted through a corresponding fastener within the set of fasteners, the neck adapted to be disposed within a corresponding fastener within the set of fasteners, adjacent dividers within the set of dividers forming a space adapted to receive some amount of pet food. The set of dividers includes a first divider with two side surfaces and two corresponding set of spikes extending away from the two side surfaces respectively. The set of dividers includes a first divider with a single side surface from which a set of spikes extends from.
Further in accordance with the present teachings is a hygienic slow feeding bowl. The hygienic slow feeding bowl includes a container incorporating a base; an outer wall extending upward from the base and having a top edge enclosing a top opening; and an inner wall extending downward from the top edge, forming a cavity exposed by the top opening, and incorporating a set of apertures. The hygienic slow feeding bowl further includes a set of dividers adapted to be disposed within the cavity and rest on a bottom surface of the inner wall, each divider within the set of dividers incorporating a set of spikes extending away from at least one surface of the divider; and incorporating a set of fasteners extending away from a bottom surface of the divider for attaching the divider to the inner wall, adjacent dividers within the set of dividers forming a space adapted to receive some amount of pet food. Each spike within the set of spikes incorporates a conic head. The set of dividers includes a first divider with two side surfaces and two corresponding set of spikes extending away from the two side surfaces respectively. The two side surfaces of the first divider are flat or curved. The set of dividers may also include a first divider with a single side surface from which a set of spikes extends from and the single side surface is flat or curved, The container is a frustum, a cylinder or a prism. Each fastener within the set of fasteners incorporating a neck and a head larger than the neck. The head is adapted to be inserted through a corresponding fastener within the set of fasteners while the neck is adapted to be disposed within the corresponding fastener within the set of fasteners. In one implementation, the outer wall is part of the inner wall. The outer wall and the inner wall join at the top edge.
Although the characteristic features of this disclosure will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself, and the manner in which it may be made and used, may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views and in which:
Turning to the figures, and to
The container 101 includes an outer wall 102, a base 103 and a top opening exposing a cavity 104 of the container 101. The outer wall 102 extending upward from the base 103. In one implementation, the base 103 is the bottom edge of the outer wall 102. The cavity 104 is formed by an inner wall 172. The inner wall 172 and the outer wall 102 merge at the top to form a top edge. The top edge encloses a top opening. The inner wall 172 extends downward from the top edge of the cavity 104. In one implementation, the outer wall 102 is slanted. Accordingly, the base 103 is bigger than the top. The bigger base 103 causes the hygienic slow feeding bowl 100 to be more stable. In such a case, the container 101 is a conic frustum. Alternatively, the frustum container 101 is constructed in the shape of, such as, a square or a rectangular frustum. In the illustrative embodiment, the inner wall 172 and the outer wall 102 join at the top edge. The top edge encloses the top opening.
The dividers 106-114 are disposed inside the cavity 104. The dividers 106-114 each incorporate a plurality of spikes 116. The spikes 116 protrude away from the surfaces of the dividers 106-114 in a horizontal orientation. In one implementation, the spikes 116 is in the shape of a frustum shown in
Food for a pet (such as a dog or a cat) is placed in the spaces between the dividers 106-114 and rests on the top surface 152 (indicated in
In one implementation, the dividers 106-114 and the spikes 116 are made of natural rubber or flexible silicone. In a different implementation, the dividers 106-114 each are made of hard plastic with a layer of silicone forming the spikes 116 and the fasteners 132 (shown in
To maximize the effectiveness of cleaning, the spikes 116 on a surface of a divider are arranged in horizontal rows and vertical columns. Alternatively, they are arranged in horizontal rows and slanted columns, As yet another alternative, they are arranged in a random manner on the surface. With the cavity 104 being circular, the dividers 106 and 114 each incorporate the spikes 116 on one side with the other side fitting the inner surface of the cavity 104 snuggly.
Referring to
A top view of the hygienic slow feeding bowl 100 is shown in
The shape of the container 101 can be different from a frustum. In an alternate embodiment, the container is a prism, which is shown and generally indicated at 600 in
Obviously, many additional modifications and variations of the present disclosure are possible in light of the above teachings. Thus, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the disclosure may be practiced otherwise than is specifically described above. In the illustrative embodiment, the dividers 108-112 each incorporate two flat side surfaces from which the spikes 116 extend from. They further vertically rest on the bottom of the cavity 104. Alternatively, the dividers 108-112 incorporate one or two curved side surfaces. As yet another alternative, the outer wall 102 and the inner wall 172 are the same wall. As still another example, the container, the spiky dividers and the spikes are integrally formed.
The foregoing description of the disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise form disclosed. The description was selected to best explain the principles of the present teachings and practical application of these principles to enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the disclosure in various embodiments and various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It should be recognized that the words “a” or “an” are intended to include both the singular and the plural. Conversely, any reference to plural elements shall, where appropriate, include the singular.
It is intended that the scope of the disclosure not be limited by the specification, but be defined by the claims set forth below. In addition, although narrow claims may be presented below, it should be recognized that the scope of this invention is much broader than presented by the claim(s). It is intended that broader claims will be submitted in one or more applications that claim the benefit of priority from this application. Insofar as the description above and the accompanying drawings disclose additional subject matter that is not within the scope of the claim or claims below, the additional inventions are not dedicated to the public and the right to file one or more applications to claim such additional inventions is reserved.
