Patent ID: 8596220
Filing Date: 2013-12-03
Classification: A01K

Abstract:
1. A method of supplying liquid treats to animals, comprising: storing a volume of liquid treat in a storage chamber of a hand-held dispensing device; rotatably capturing a roller ball in a flanged opening of the device, the flanged opening having an inner surface extending beyond a centerline of the roller ball to facilitate the capturing of the roller ball within the flanged opening; providing a passageway in the device between the roller ball and the storage chamber to communicate at least a portion of the stored volume to a first surface of the roller ball such that as the roller ball rotates with respect to the flanged opening, a predetermined amount of liquid treat cooperates with a textured surface of the first surface to facilitate adherence of the predetermined amount of liquid treat to the first surface to form a continuous and substantially uniform gap between the first surface and the inner surface to enable the roller ball to rotatably float within the flanged opening and to deliver the predetermined amount of liquid treat to an animal when the animal licks the roller ball; forming the continuous and substantially uniform gap between the first surface and the inner surface by facilitating fluidic communication between the storage chamber and the first surface of the roller ball, the gap formed by the liquid treat and extending continuously over at least half the circumference of the roller ball from the passageway to an area beyond the centerline of the roller ball; and presenting a second surface of the roller ball to the animal such that when the animal licks the second surface, the roller ball rotates with respect to the flanged opening to rotatably expose the first surface to the animal's tongue to deliver an adhered quantity of liquid treat to the animal.