Abstract:
The device is a Pet Dish for holding Disposable Liners. The dish is durable and washable, but the liner can be disposable, in a form that is conventionally available from a number of pre-existing supply sources. The dish is aesthetically pleasing. The dish and liners cooperate so that the liner inserted into the dish will not inadvertently be forced out by the eating pet, nor should the liner be allowed to spin within the dish. The dish and liners are also configured so that a stack of liners can be held conveniently within a single dish. The dish may resemble the face of a pet, such as a cat or dog.

Description:
[0001]     This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 11/150,704, filed Jun. 10, 2005, now pending. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     This invention relates generally to pet products and, more specifically, to a Pet Dish and Disposable Liner.  
         [0004]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0005]     Pet food and water dishes are available in virtually all shapes and sizes, and typically present a common problem for the pet caretakers—they become soiled and are very undesirable to clean once in that condition.  
         [0006]     Several inventions have sought to solve this problem using a variety of techniques. Birnie, U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,110 discloses a “Pet Feeding System with Disposable Inserts.” The Birnie device is a semi-spherical bowl having a stack of disposable bowl liners within it. The liners each have an adhesive tab to hold them in their place in the stack. Each liner further has a thumb notch to assist the caretaker in removing the soiled liner for disposal. Another device is the Jordan “Combined Pet Food Bowl and Disposable Liner,” U.S. Pat. No. D330,785. The Jordan device is a cylindrical bowl having a similarly-shaped liner; the liner has a protruding tab that presumably aids in the removal of the liner from the bowl. Another device is the Budd “Disposable Pet Food Dish,” U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,845. It is a bowl having a pair of rectangular bowls formed within it; each bowl has one or more dimples or “raised portions” in their walls to hold the liners in the bowls while in use to provide food and water to the pet. Koch, U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,325 is a “Feeding Bowl and Liner Therefor,” is a bowl/liner combination with horizontal and vertical recesses to retain the liner within the bowl and to aid the caregiver in pulling the liners out of the bowl. The Boehlert “Disposable Feeding Dish and Its Complementary Receptacle,” U.S. Pat. No. 3,698,594 is a cylindrical bowl having a liner, where the liner is adhered to the bowl with a temporary adhesive to prevent its pulling out while the pet is feeding. Brown “Disposable Insert Containing Pet Dish Apparatus”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,644,241 does disclose a dish and liner combination for pet feeding, however, it fails to disclose a retainer structure for holding the stack of liners from popping out. Rinally, the Bates “Dish or Plate,” U.S. Pat. No. 730,082 is simply a plate having disposable liners; there is no aesthetic value to the Bates device, and it will not work with standard disposable liners.  
         [0007]     None of the numerous aforementioned attempts at solving the soiled food dish problem has truly provided a desirable solution. Notably lacking is a bowl/liner combination that has any aesthetic attractiveness. Furthermore, the only prior devices that included the capacity to hold a stack of liners required adhesive between each liner; making these approaches undesirable from the perspective of manufacturing, storage and shipping. Furthermore, to prevent spinning (a common problem with the basic bowl-and-liner design), these prior devices either require adhesive, or if they do have some other approach, this other approach is limited to a non-stacked liner arrangement and/or it is very difficult to overcome the anti-spin element so that the liner can be removed.  
         [0008]     As discussed above, the instant disclosure is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 11/150,704 (&#39;704). The invention of the &#39;704 application sought to solve the aforementioned problems by providing a combination decorative pet dish that was configured to accept disposable liners within it. That device solved all of these prior art problems very well. Once issue that it did not adequately address, however, is the substantial cost involved to provide the custom-shaped liners described in that disclosure. This is the primary objective of the present invention, namely, to provide a pet dish and liner combination that is aesthetically pleasing, accepts readily-available liners, while also including anti-spin features, and further permitting a stack of liners to be held within the bowl without the need for supplemental adhesive or some sort of tool to remove the liners from the bowl.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     In light of the aforementioned problems associated with the prior devices, it is an object of the present invention to provide a Pet Dish and Disposable Liner. The dish should be durable and washable, but the liner should be disposable, in a form that is conventionally available from a number of pre-existing supply sources. The dish should be aesthetically pleasing. The dish and liners should cooperate so that the liner inserted into the dish will not inadvertently be forced out by the eating pet, nor should the liner be allowed to spin within the dish. The dish and liners should also be configured so that a stack of liners can be held conveniently within a single dish. The dish would be particularly attractive if it resembled the face of a pet, such as a cat or dog.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]     The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, of which:  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the pet dish of the present invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a conventional bowl liner suitable for use with the dish of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the dish of  FIG. 1  and a stack of the liners of  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0014]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  are perspective and side views, respectively, of the movable liner retaining element of the dish of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  is a partially exploded perspective view of the pet dish of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 6  is a partial cutaway side view of the dish of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0017]      FIG. 7  is another partial cutaway side view of the dish of  FIG. 1 ; and  
         [0018]      FIGS. 8A-8C  are cutaway side views and a front view of the clip element of the dish of  FIG. 1 .  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0019]     The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventors of carrying out their invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic principles of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to provide a Pet Dish and Disposable Liner.  
         [0020]     The present invention can best be understood by initial consideration of  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the pet dish  10  of the present invention. As discussed above, the dish  10  of the present invention has many of the general attributes of the invention that is the subject of the &#39;704 application, with the added benefit of being design to accept conventional (usually circular) disposable liners.  
         [0021]     The dish  10  defines a substantially hemispherical recessed portion  12  that is bounded by the interior wall  14 . The interior wall  14  extends up the sides of the recessed portion until it reaches the top wall  16 . The top wall  16  is a generally flat, peripheral “shelf” that surrounds the recessed portion  12 . The transition between the interior wall  14  and the top wall  16  is defined as the inner edge  20 .  
         [0022]     The outer form of the dish  10  is defined by a side wall  22 . The side wall  22  may have a lower ridge (not numbered) where it reaches the bottom of the dish  10 . The ridge is provided to accept a non-skid ring or bottom cover thereon. The ring or cover (not shown) assists in preventing the pet from pushing the dish  10  around the floor during meals. The ring or cover is preferably a soft, pliable plastic or rubber material that could be snapped on or off of the bottom of the dish  10 , such as for cleaning or replacement.  
         [0023]     At its upper bound, the side wall  22  transitions to an outer edge  18 , which then leads to the top wall  16 .  
         [0024]     The dish  10  has one, two or more liner retaining elements  24 A,  24 B, much like the device of the &#39;704 application. The first and second liner retaining elements  24 A,  24 B may be shaped to simulate the ears of a pet (somewhat triangularly-shaped, and defined by the recessed portions  26 ). One unique aspect here, however, is a movable liner retaining element  28 . The movable liner retaining element  28  acts as a clasp for the liners that are inserted into the recessed portion  12 . As its name suggests, the movable liner retaining element  28  is designed to pivot up and away from the depicted first (or down) position. When in the second (or up) position, the movable liner retaining element  28  is out of the way for installation or removal of the disposable liners. When the movable liner retaining element  28  is in the first position, it will clamp the liners in place, which (along with the first and second liner retaining elements  24 A,  24 B) will prevent the liners from popping out of the dish  10 , and further will assist in the prevention of the liners spinning do to forces created by the eating pets&#39; tongue. We will now turn to  FIG. 2  to briefly review the available liner design that will work with the dish  10 .  
         [0025]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a conventional bowl liner  30  suitable for use with the dish of  FIG. 1 . The liner  30  has a food receptacle  32  formed by the top surface of the bowl portion  34  of the liner  30 . The periphery of the upper rim of the food receptacle  32  is an outer rim portion  36 . These liners  30  are available in a wide variety of sizes and shapes from several different manufacturing sources. They are design to “nest” together in a liner stack  38 , as shown. This nesting capability not only allows for the compact storage of the liners  30 , but also cooperates with the design of the dish of the present invention to provide the easy removal of soiled liners  30 , and their replacement with clean ones. The specific interaction between these elements is more clearly depicted in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0026]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the dish of  FIG. 1  and a stack of the liners of  FIG. 2 . The dish  10  is shaped so that the outer rim portion  36  of the liners in the stack  38  will fit atop the top wall  16 , while the bowl portion (see  FIG. 2 ) of the liners in the stack  38  will fit into the recessed portion  12 . The outer rim portion  36  of the stack of liners will fit under the overhanging lip of the liner retaining elements (see  FIG. 1  for specifics). To install or remove one or more liners, the movable liner retaining element  28  is simply flipped up into the second position depicted here so that the bottom side of the outer rim portions  36  of the liners in the stack  38  will be released.  FIGS. 4A and 4B  depict the structural specifics of the movable liner retaining element.  
         [0027]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  are perspective and side views, respectively, of the movable liner retaining element  28  of the dish of  FIG. 1 . The element  28  comprises two major structures, the clip element  42  and the cover element  40 . The depicted embodiment of the cover element  40  is a decorative simulation of a tongue or a heart-shape; other shapes and styles may be desired, which is why the cover element  40  preferably detachably attaches to the clip element  42 .  
         [0028]     The clip element  42  is defined by a cantilevered section  48  which extends generally at a right angle to a first and second pivot legs  44 A,  44 B. The pivot legs  44 A,  44 B terminate adjacent to their distal ends in a opposing, inwardly-turned first and second pivot pins  46 A and  46 B. The movable liner retaining element  28  pivots (between a first and second position) around the pivot pins  46 A,  46 B.  
         [0029]     The cantilevered section  48  has a second prong  50 B extending downwardly from its bottom surface. The prong  50 B (which may actually be two or more downwardly-extending protrusions) serves to clamp the outer rim portion(s) of the liner(s) firmly to the top wall of the dish, in order to stabilize the liner(s) and resist spinning or other movement. Now turning to  FIG. 5 , we can continue to explore the features of this novel and nonobvious invention.  
         [0030]      FIG. 5  is a partially exploded perspective view of the pet dish  10  of  FIG. 1 . In this figure, the functionality of the movable liner retaining element is clearly depicted. The pivot pins  46 A,  46 B of the liner retaining element cooperate with first and second bores  54 A and  54 B formed in a hinge block  52 . The hinge block  52  is formed in the upper portion of the outer wall of the dish  10 .  
         [0031]     As also shown here, the cover element  40  slides or otherwise attaches to the top of the clip element  42  so that, when assembled, it will appear as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 . Finally, we will turn to  FIGS. 6 and 7  to examiner additional specifics related to the structure of the two types of liner retaining elements.  
         [0032]      FIG. 6  is a partial cutaway side view of the dish of  FIG. 1  depicting the first liner retaining element  24 A (which is essentially identical to the second liner retaining element). The liner retaining element  24 A comprises a body  55  extending upwardly and radially outward from the top wall  16  of the dish. As depicted, the body  55  may extend past the outer edge  18  and partially down the side wall  22  of the dish in order to provide additional strength and durability to the structure. The body  55  extends upward to terminate in a retaining lip  56 , which cantilevers over the top of the top wall  16 . The inner (radially-speaking) surface of the body  55 , referred to here as the retaining wall  58 , serves to center and stabilize the outer rim portions of the liner(s) when they are resting in the recessed portion of the dish. As shown here, there is enough vertical spacing between the bottom surface of the retaining lip  56  and the top surface of the top wall  16  to allow enough room for a stack of liners to fit therebetween.  
         [0033]     The movable liner retaining element  28  depicted in  FIG. 7  is in the “first position,” as also shown in  FIG. 1 . In this position, the prong  50  is juxtaposed atop the top wall  16 . As should be appreciated, when in this position, a stack of liners would be clamped between the prong  50  and the top wall  16 . A functional feature of the present invention remains to be discussed; as shown in  FIGS. 8A-8C .  
         [0034]      FIG. 8A  is a cutaway side view of the clip element  48  of the dish of the present invention. This view provides additional detail regarding the mechanism by which the movable retaining element remains “locked down” atop the stack of liners inserted into the recessed portion of the dish. As shown in this  FIG. 8A , the inside-facing surface of the first pivot leg  44 A (i.e. the side facing the other pivot leg) has a first tab  60 A protruding inwardly therefrom.  FIG. 8B  depicts a front view of the clip element  48  so that the first tab  60 A on the first pivot leg  44 A, and the second tab  60 B on the second pivot leg  44 B can be clearly seen. It is noted that both of the two prongs  50 A and  50 B can also be seen in this front/end view of the clip element  48 .  
         [0035]     As shown in  FIG. 8C , the hinge block  52  has a pair of notches (the second notch  62 B shown here) on opposing sides of the block  52 . These notches (e.g.  62 B) are positioned and sized to cooperate with the aforementioned tabs  60 A,  60 B, such that when the movable liner retaining element (see  FIG. 1 ) is placed in its “down” position (i.e. rotated clockwise in this  FIG. 8C ), the tabs  60 A,  60 B will engage their respective notches (e.g.  62 B), and the clip element  48  (and the entire movable liner retaining element) will be held in that down position. As mentioned above, when in the “down” position, the clip element  48  exerts clamping pressure atop the outer rim portion (see  FIG. 2 ) of the liner stack, so that the liner(s) do not pop up and out of the recessed portion of the dish.  
         [0036]     Since the liner retaining elements ( 24 A,  24 B—see  FIG. 1 ) do not hold down the liner(s) when they are resident within the recessed portion of the dish, the movable liner retaining element ( 28 —see  FIG. 1 ) is the mechanism that clamps or releases the stack. To add or remove liner(s), simply flip up the movable liner retaining element and liners can easily be slipped in or out from under the liner retaining elements ( 24 A,  24 B—see  FIG. 1 ). It is preferred that the tabs  60 A,  60 B be constructed from a somewhat pliant material so that they might be engaged and disengaged from the notches  62 A,  62 B without undue force being necessary.  
         [0037]     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiment can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.