Abstract:
The invention features pet feeder apparatus configured to reduce the stress on feline whiskers when the pet feeds on its food. The invention contemplates a first potion that may be spherically or concave indented and configured to supply and/or provide pet food access for a pet. In some aspects, the invention may also include a lower portion which is releasably engaged with the base of the first portion.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This Application claims the benefit of, and is related to, the following provisional patent application: U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/084,013 titled “PET FEEDER APPARATUS,” filed Nov. 25, 2014, which is incorporated herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates, in general, to a pet feeding apparatus, specifically one designed for the reduction of stress on cat whiskers while the cat is feeding. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Straight, high-sided cat food bowls can be harsh on cat whiskers and can lead to a condition called whisker fatigue or whisker stress. Cat whiskers, being ultra sensitive are forced into repeated contact with the straight, near-straight walls and/or tight spaces of the bowls whilst feeding. Such a stressful experience can range from being a daily nuisance to being extremely painful. As a result cats leave uneaten food in the bowl thereby leading to, in some instances, a famished cat, a cat that exhibits food aggression towards its peers (or owners), and/or a cat that picks up its food and eats it off the floor, creating a mess along the way. 
         [0004]    As such, there is a need to end or eliminate a cat&#39;s mealtime misery. An aspect of an embodiment of the present invention contemplates a wide but shallow dish or apparatus, which provides cats with easy, painless access to their food without requiring them to pull back their whiskers to avoid agonizing contact. Another aspect of an embodiment of the present contemplates a clean, simple design where the apparatus may be made of stainless steel which is easy to maintain and clean. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    An aspect of an embodiment of the present invention contemplates a pet feeder apparatus having two components or portions, including an upper portion which, in one aspect, may be a stainless steel bowl that nests nicely into the raised upper lip of a lower portion, which, in one aspect, may be a rubber mat. The pet feeder apparatus may, in another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, may feature a wide and shallow dish, which is configured/designed for cats to access their food without pulling back their whiskers to avoid agonizing contact. The bowl or upper portion, in one aspect, may nest nicely into the upper lip of the lower portion (the rubber mat, in one aspect) which prevents the bowl from sliding, scratching the floor, and helps level a slightly uneven floor. 
         [0006]    In an aspect of an embodiment of the present invention the pet feeder apparatus may include an upper portion, having a base, the upper portion having a spherically indented bowl portion where the spherically indented bowl portion may include an annular rim and an outer frame portion around the spherically indented bowl portion. In one aspect, the outer frame portion may extend from the annular rim down to the base of the upper portion and the spherically indented bowl portion may be structurally configured to receive and provide pet food access to a pet. The pet feeder apparatus may also include a lower portion which may be releasably engaged with the base of the upper portion. 
         [0007]    In an aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, the configuration of the lower portion may include a lip portion which prevents the upper portion from slipping on a surface and where the lip portion may be releasably engaged or coupled with the base of the upper portion. 
         [0008]    In an aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, the upper and lower portions may both be circular in shape. 
         [0009]    In an aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, the upper portion may include a spherically indented bowl portion having an annular rim and an outer frame portion around the spherically indented bowl portion. In one aspect, the outer frame portion may extend from the annular rim to the base of the upper portion. 
         [0010]    In an aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, the diameter of the outer frame portion may progressively taper from the base of the upper portion to the annular rim of the spherically indented bowl portion of the upper portion. 
         [0011]    In an aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, the radius range of the spherically indented bowl portion may be 117±20 mm. 
         [0012]    In an aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, the pet feeder apparatus may include a finger hole, with the finger hole being located on the upper portion of the apparatus. 
         [0013]    In an aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, the base of the upper portion may have a diameter larger than the diameter of the annular rim of the upper portion. 
         [0014]    In an aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, the annular rim may include a lip portion, where the lip portion may extend towards the center of the spherically indented bowl portion. In one aspect, the lip portion may extend towards the center of the spherically indented bowl portion at an angle. 
         [0015]    Another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention contemplates a pet feeder apparatus which may include a spherically indented bowl portion having an annular rim, where the spherically indented bowl portion may be configured to receive and provide access to pet food to a pet and an outer frame portion around the spherically indented bowl portion, where the outer frame portion may extend from the annular rim of the spherically indented bowl portion to a base of the outer frame portion. 
         [0016]    In an aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, the outer frame portion may be structurally configured to maintain a spherically indented bowl portion having a radius range of 117±20 mm and a depth range of 26±5 mm at the center point of the spherically indented bowl portion. 
         [0017]    In another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention the configuration of the base portion may include a friction inducing lip portion which prevents the apparatus from slipping on a surface. 
         [0018]    In another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, the base of the apparatus may have a diameter larger than the diameter of the annular rim of the spherically indented bowl portion. 
         [0019]    In another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention the diameter of the outer frame portion may progressively taper from the base of the outer frame portion to the annular rim of the spherically indented bowl portion. 
         [0020]    In yet another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention contemplates pet feeder apparatus which may include an upper portion, having a base and being configured to receive and provide access to pet food to a pet and where the upper portion may include a concave indented bowl portion having an annular rim and an outer frame portion around the concave indented bowl portion, the outer frame portion extending from the annular rim to the base of the upper portion and a lower portion releasably engaged with the base of the upper portion. 
         [0021]    In yet another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, the base of the upper portion may have a larger diameter than the diameter of the annular rim of the concave indented bowl portion. In one aspect, the diameter of the outer frame portion may progressively taper from the base of the upper portion to the annular rim of the concave indented bowl portion of the upper portion. 
         [0022]    In yet another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention the depth of the concave indented bowl portion of the pet feeder apparatus may be within the range of 26±5 mm at its center point. 
         [0023]    In yet another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention the configuration of the lower portion may include a lip portion which releasably couples with the base of the upper portion. 
         [0024]    In yet another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention the annular rim may include a lip portion, the lip portion extending towards the center of the concave indented bowl portion. 
         [0025]    In yet another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, the annular rim may include a lip portion, where the lip portion may be angled towards the center of the concave indented bowl portion. 
         [0026]    A further aspect of an embodiment of the present invention contemplates a pet feeder apparatus which may include a concave indented bowl portion having an annular rim, where the concave indented bowl portion may be configured to receive and provide access to pet food to a pet and an outer frame portion around the concave indented bowl portion, the outer frame portion extending from the annular rim of the concave indented bowl portion to a base of the concave indented bowl portion, where the base portion may be contiguous with the outer frame portion. In a further aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, the base may be configured to prevent the apparatus from slipping on a surface. In one aspect, this configuration of the base portion may include a lip portion which prevents the apparatus from slipping on a surface. In a further aspect, the apparatus may be circular in shape. 
         [0027]    Additional aspects, objectives, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0028]      FIGS. 1A-1C  illustrate the pet feeder apparatus, showing its components, assembly and different perspective views, according to aspect(s) of embodiment(s) of the present invention. 
           [0029]      FIG. 2A  illustrates a side perspective view of the pet feeder apparatus, according to aspect(s) of embodiment(s) of the present invention. 
           [0030]      FIG. 2B  illustrates a top view of the pet feeder apparatus, according to aspect(s) of embodiment(s) of the present invention. 
           [0031]      FIG. 2C  illustrates another side perspective view of the pet feeder apparatus, according to aspect(s) of embodiment(s) of the present invention. 
           [0032]      FIG. 2D  illustrates a bottom perspective view of the pet feeder apparatus, according to aspect(s) of embodiment(s) of the present invention. 
           [0033]      FIG. 3  illustrates a top view of a bottom portion of the pet feeder apparatus, according to aspect(s) of embodiment(s) of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0034]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1A-1C  pet feeder apparatus  100  according to aspect(s) of embodiment(s) of the present invention, is shown. Pet feeder apparatus  100  may include an upper portion  102  which may be structurally configured to releasably couple or mate with lower portion  104  as shown in  FIGS. 1B and 1C . Upper portion  102  also may have a portion which both acts as a receptacle for pet food while also providing access to the food by a pet such as a cat. 
         [0035]    Referring now to  FIGS. 2A-2D ,  FIGS. 2A through 2D  respectively show side, top, additional side and bottom views of pet feeder apparatus  100 , according to aspects of embodiments of the present invention. Upper portion  102  is further shown having base portion  116  which may be structurally configured, in one aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, to secure upper portion  102 ′s coupling with lower or bottom portion  104  of pet feeder apparatus  100 . Upper portion  102  may also include outer frame portion  106  which encircles food receptacle portion  108  into which pet food may be placed and eaten from by a cat. In one aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, food receptacle portion  108  may be spherically indented. In another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, food receptacle portion  108  may be concave indented. Food receptacle portion  108  may be structurally designed to prevent whisker fatigue or whisker stress. In one aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, a spherically indented food receptacle portion  108  may have a radius of 117 mm. In another aspect of embodiment of the present invention, the radius of spherically indented food receptacle portion  108  may be within the range of 117 mm±20 mm. While the contemplated aspects of embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this range of values, this range works towards the reduction or elimination of whisker fatigue or whisker stress on cats using pet feeder apparatus  100 . 
         [0036]    Upper portion  102  may include finger hole  110  which may be used to pick up or lift upper portion  102 . Finger hole  110  may also be used to detach upper portion  102  from bottom or lower portion  104  of pet feeder apparatus  100 . In one aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, finger hole  110  may have a circular shape. In another aspect, it may be parabolic. In yet another aspect, finger hole  110  may have any other shape. 
         [0037]    Upper portion  102  may also include annular rim  112  around the upper periphery of food receptacle portion  108  in aspects where it is spherically indented. Annular rim  112  may include a lip  114  around its edge which, in one aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, helps keep the food within food receptacle portion  108 . The depth of food receptacle portion  108  may be obtained by measuring the vertical height between the top of annular portion  112  to the center point bottom of food receptacle portion  108 . 
         [0038]    In another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, spherically indented food receptacle portion  108  may have a depth of 26 mm at the center point of the spherically indented bowl portion in order to reduce or eliminate the occurrence of whisker fatigue or whisker stress. In yet another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, the depth of a spherically indented food receptacle portion  108  may be within the range of 26 mm±5 mm. 
         [0039]    In an aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, lip  114  of annular rim  112  may be angled to the horizontal. In one aspect, the horizontal may be defined as the plane on or within which annular rim  112  lies. In one aspect, lip  114  may form angles of 5 degrees above or below the horizontal. In another aspect, lip  114  may form an angle of 0 degrees with the horizontal. In another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, lip  114  may extend a distance from annular rim  112  and towards the center of the food receptacle portion  108 . 
         [0040]    In one aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, the diameter of outer frame portion  106  may reduce as one proceeds from base portion  116  up to annular rim  112 . In one aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, base portion  116  may have a diameter of 171 mm while annular rim  112  may have a diameter of 150 mm. 
         [0041]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , a top view of bottom portion  104  of pet feeder apparatus  100 , according to aspect(s) of embodiment(s) of the present invention is shown. Bottom portion  104  of pet feeder apparatus  100  may be circular in design and may include a raised lip  118  around its circumference. Raised lip  118  may be structurally configured to releasably engage and receive base portion  116  of upper portion  102  in order to couple both upper ( 102 ) and bottom ( 104 ) portions of pet feeder apparatus  100 . In one aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, raised lip  118  may be beveled and structurally enabled to tighten itself against base portion  116  to ensure a secure coupling of both the upper and bottom portions of pet feeder apparatus  100 . In another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, bottom portion  104  may be made of rubber. Rubber ensures that pet feeder apparatus  100  does not slide across or scratch the floor surface upon which it is placed. In yet another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, raised lip  118  may have a height ranging from  3 - 5  mm 
         [0042]    The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention.