Abstract:
A pet food dish having three separate compartments, including a central compartment for holding food, an inner surround compartment and an outer surrounding compartment. The inner surrounding compartment, which surrounds the central compartment, catches food which a pet may inadvertently remove from the central compartment and promptly drop. The outer surrounding compartment, which surrounds the inner surrounding compartment, holds water to deter pests from getting to the pet food. The three compartments are separated by upstanding walls sufficiently high to minimize the accidental exchange of material between compartments by passage over the top of the separating compartment walls.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to food dishes, and in particular to a food dish for pets. 
     Pet food dishes, in nearly all cases, are used for the feeding of pets such as dogs and cats. The dishes are typically placed on the floor adjacent to an external wall where they are especially accessible to crawling insects, such as ants, which have a propensity for seeking a supply of food. These insects will not only contaminate the pet food, but also cannot be tolerated in human habitats. Even if the insects cannot get into the dish, they will seek out food dropped by the pets from the food dish. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a three compartment food dish comprising a central compartment and two successively surrounding compartments. Pet food is placed into the central compartment. The inner of the surrounding compartments catches food the pet may spill, and the outer compartment holds water, which prevents insects from getting into either spilled food in the inner compartment, surrounding compartment or the central compartment. 
     The food dish is efficient in use, economical to manufacture, capable of a long operable life, and particularly adapted for the proposed use. These and other features, advantages and objects of the present invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, claims and appended drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a food dish embodying the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a top view of the food dish embodying the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a side view of the food dish embodying the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the food dish embodying the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of the food dish embodying the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “right,” “left,” “rear,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as orientated in FIG.  1 . However, it is to be understood that the invention may assume various alternative orientations, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise. 
     The reference number  10  (FIG. 1) generally designates a food dish embodying the present invention. In the illustrated example, the food dish  10  includes an inner compartment in the shape of a concave hemispherical central bowl  12  adapted to hold food, the central bowl  12  including a bottom portion  16  and an upwardly sloping sidewall  18  integral with a periphery  20  of the bottom portion  16 . The food dish  10  also includes a substantially concentric outer bowl  22  including a bottom floor  24 , a first substantially vertical inner side wall  26  and an outer side wall  28 , with the first substantially vertical inner side wall  26  integral with the upwardly sloping side wall  18  of the concave hemispherical central bowl  12 . The substantially concentric outer bowl  22  includes a concentric rib  30  extending upward from the bottom floor  24 , dividing the substantially concentric outer bowl  22  into an inner surrounding compartment  32  adjacent the concave hemispherical central bowl  12  and an outer surrounding compartment  34  distal the concave hemispherical central bowl  12 . The concentric rib  30  of the substantially concentric outer bowl  22  has a height configured to retain water in the outer portion  34  of the substantially concentric outer bowl  22  between the outer side wall  28  and the concentric rib  30  and to keep the water in the outer portion  34  upon movement of the food dish  10  by a pet in order keep pests from the inner portion  32  of the substantially concentric outer bowl  22  and the concave hemispherical central bowl  12 . Although the illustrated concave hemispherical central bowl  12  and the substantially concentric outer bowl  22  have a circular configuration, the concave hemispherical central bowl  12  and the substantially concentric outer bowl  22  can have a square, rectangular or any other configuration. As explained in more detail below, the substantially concentric outer bowl  22  is used to protect the food in the concave hemispherical central bowl  12  and to save food dropped from the concave hemispherical central bowl  12 . 
     In the illustrated example, the food dish  10  also has a support wall  36  integral with and depending downward from the outer side wall  28  and the concentric rib  30  of the substantially concentric outer bowl  22  to a horizontal plane equal with the bottom floor  24 . The support wall  36  steadies the concave hemispherical central bowl  12  and keeps the concave hemispherical central bowl  12  upright. The inner portion  32  of the substantially concentric outer bowl  22  of the illustrated food dish  10  preferably has a greater width than the width of the outer portion  34  of the substantially concentric outer bowl  22 . The food dish  10  could also have a bottom plate (not shown) attached to or integral with the concave hemispherical central bowl  12 , the bottom floor  24  of the substantially concentric outer bowl  22  and the support wall  36 . It is contemplated that the food dish  10  could also have sand or other weights placed within the food dish  10  between the outer side wall  28  and the support wall  36  in order to steady the food dish  10  and to keep the food dish  10  upright. It is believed that the design of the food dish  10  as illustrated is unique. 
     The illustrated food dish  10  saves food dropped from the concave hemispherical central bowl of the food dish  10 . The food dish  10  is used to feed pets by placing pet food in the concave hemispherical central bowl  12  of the food dish  10 . The pets then eat the food by taking the food  14  out of the concave hemispherical central bowl  12  with their teeth. However, when the pet picks up food from the concave hemispherical central bowl  12  of the food dish  10 , some of the food  14  drops directly outside of the concave hemispherical central bowl  12 . When the food drops, the dropped food is captured within the inner portion  32  of the substantially concentric outer bowl  22  between the inner side wall  26  and the concentric rib  30  of the substantially concentric outer bowl  22 . The larger width of the inner portion  32  of the substantially concentric outer bowl  22  facilitates the capture of the food within the inner portion  32 . The food dish  10  therefore saves money by recovering food that would be lost. Furthermore, ants and other pests typically eat food dropped from prior art food dishes. Therefore, the food dish  10  also keeps ants and other pests away from the food dish  10  because the food will be trapped in the substantially concentric outer bowl  22  and the ants and other pests will not have access to the food. 
     The illustrated food dish  10  is also used to keep ants and other pests out of the food in the concave hemispherical central bowl  12  and the inner portion  32  of the substantially concentric outer bowl  22  by placing water  40  in the outer portion  34  of the substantially concentric outer bowl  22  between the outer side wall  28  and the concentric rib  30  of the substantially concentric outer bowl  22 . Therefore, when the ants or other pests climb up and over the outer side wall  28  of the substantially concentric outer bowl  22 , moving towards the concave hemispherical central bowl  12 , they will get trapped in the water placed in the outer portion  34  of the substantially concentric outer bowl  22 . The ants or other pests also will not be able to get to the food dropped in the inner portion  32  of the substantially concentric outer bowl  22 . 
     In order to retain and keep the water in the outer portion  34  of the substantially concentric outer bowl  22 , the height of the concentric rib  30  is preferably greater than half of the height of the first substantially vertical inner side wall  26  and the height of the outer side wall  28  of the substantially concentric outer bowl  22 . Therefore, the water will be retained in the outer portion  34  of the substantially concentric outer bowl  22  upon large movements of the pet dish  10  by the pet. Furthermore, the height of the concentric rib  30  of the substantially concentric outer bowl  22  is preferably shorter than a height of the first substantially vertical inner side wall  26  and the height of the outer side wall  28  of the substantially concentric outer bowl  22  in order to have easy access to the food that falls into the inner portion  32  of the substantially concentric outer bowl  22 . 
     The above description is considered that of the preferred embodiment only. Modification of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art and to those who make or use the invention. Therefore, it is understood that the embodiment shown in the drawings and described above is merely for illustrative purposes and not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the following claims as interpreted according to the principles of patent law, including the doctrine of equivalents.