Abstract:
An animal feeder includes a storage region having a bottom wall, and sidewalls extending upwards from the bottom wall. The animal feeder further comprises a cover with at least one depression in the cover to receive a feeding bowl. The cover forms an airtight with the storage region. The feeding bowl is isolated from the storage region when it is seated in the depression.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/893,452 filed Mar. 7, 2007 and entitled “Raised Dog Food Bowl with Integrated Food Storage”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention generally relates to the field of animal feeders and, more particularly, to raised dog food bowls for taller dogs, having a food storage compartment. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Veterinarians recommend a raised bowl for taller dogs. Many digestive problems in dogs are caused by taller dogs having to bend their head down to eat or drink. A raised bowl provides an ergonomically correct eating position for taller dogs. This elevated feeding position also alleviates pain for dogs suffering from arthritis. 
         [0004]    While there are structures known in the prior art which provide an elevated feeding position, these structures have significant disadvantages. The disadvantages include animal feeders whose food storage containers are not sealed airtight from the surrounding environment. This lack of proper sealing exposes the stored food to bacterial contaminants, which results in a loss of freshness. 
         [0005]    Additionally, feeders known in the prior art are also disadvantaged in that the food storage compartments are not completely sealed off from the food bowl. Users of these feeders run the risk of accidentally spilling food or water into the food storage compartment when they refill the food bowl. 
         [0006]    Thus there is a need to provide an animal feeder that elevates the feeding bowl, provides an airtight food storage compartment and completely seals off the food bowl from the food storage compartment. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    Embodiments of the present invention generally provide a raised animal feeder with an integrated food storage container which seals airtight. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the elevated dog food bowl according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the elevated dog food bowl; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the elevated dog food bowl; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is another side view of the elevated dog food bowl; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a bottom view of the elevated dog food bowl; 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the elevated dog food bow; 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the cover for the elevated dog food bowl; 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a partial enlarged view of a sealing mechanism; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  is an exploded perspective view of the elevated dog feed bowl. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0017]    While embodiments of this invention can take many different forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and will be described herein in detail with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention, as well as the best mode of practicing same, and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiment illustrated. 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the elevated dog food bowl  10  having an integrated storage region  32 , which can be best seen in  FIG. 6 . A base  30  forms the storage region  32  and can hold multiple items such as dog food. A cover  20  can be positioned on top of the base  30 . Latches  22  on the cover  20  releasably lock the cover  20  to the base  30  to provide an airtight seal between the cover  20  and the base  30 . 
         [0019]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the elevated dog food bowl  10 . A container  40  is shown sitting within a depression  14 . The container  40  is removable from the cover  20  to enable a user to clean and refill it without having to expose the food storage compartment  32  in the base  30 . Indentations  12  in the cover  20  aid in removal of the container  40  when it is seated within the depression  14 . 
         [0020]      FIGS. 3 and 4  show varying side views of the dog food bowl  10  with the integrated food storage compartment  32 . As can be seen in the figures, the base  30  and the cover  20  elevate a removable food or water container  40  off of the ground. Elevated dog food bowls are recommended for large dogs so they do not have to stoop to eat. Elevated dog food bowls aid in swallowing and digestion. 
         [0021]    As can be seen from  FIG. 5 , non-skid rubber feet  24  can be affixed to or molded onto the bottom  34  of the base  30  to help prevent the base  30 , cover  20 , and container  40  from being pushed across the floor by a dog while he/she eats. The interior of the container  40  is hollow, and may retain a large quantity of dog food. The weight added by the dog food helps weigh down the elevated dog food bowl  10  and further helps to prevent the base  30 , cover  20 , and container  40  from being pushed. 
         [0022]    As can be seen from  FIG. 6 , the container  40  sits within a depression  14  in the cover  20 . When the container  40  is removed from the cover  20 , the food storage compartment  32  in the base  30  remains fully enclosed by a planar member  20 - 1  formed in the cover  20 , keeping the airtight seal intact. Depressions are formed within opposing sidewalls of the base  30  to form hand holds  18 . 
         [0023]    The top of the base  30  has a vertical protrusion  26  which interlocks with a depression  28  in the bottom of the cover  20 . The vertical protrusion  26  and depression  28  combine within a tight tolerance, using a “tongue in groove” design to form an airtight seal. The outside edge of the vertical protrusion  26  is slightly angled in order to lead the vertical protrusion  26  into the depression  28  in the bottom of the cover  20 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 7  shows the container  40  seated in the cover  20 . The container  40  is preferably formed from stainless steel. Stainless steel dog food bowls are recommended by veterinarians since they do not harbor bacteria and are easy to clean. 
         [0025]      FIG. 8  shows a close-up view of an exemplary latch  22 . The sealing function provided by a mechanism such as a latch is used to further enhance the airtight seal and keep the dog food in the storage region  32  fresh. As the exemplary latch  22  is swung closed, a ramp-like feature  16  on the exemplary latch  22  engages the hand-hold  18  on the base  30  and draws the cover  20  down until it touches the base  30 . This forcing of the cover  20  onto the base  30  ensures that the seal is airtight. Alternative forms of a sealing mechanism may include a rotatable latch, a twist lock mechanism, or interlocking threaded fasteners between the cover and the base. 
         [0026]      FIG. 9  shows one embodiment of the invention in which the base  30  and cover  20  are completely detachable from each other. In another embodiment of the invention, the cover  20  is connected by a hinge to the base  30  and the container  40  is removably attached to cover  20  while in the depression  14 . This allows for the cover  20  to act as a cap for the base  30 , while also preventing the container  40  from falling out when the cover  20  is opened. 
         [0027]    From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred. It is, of course, intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.