Abstract:
A food receptacle has a base and sidewall and, as a component or as a separate part, one or more impediments. The impediments are mounted on to the receptacle&#39;s base in order to provide a mechanical means to slow an animal&#39;s speed of eating once food has been dispensed into the receptacle. The impediment may have different shapes, and the impediment may be fixedly or slidingly mounted on to the base.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates to feeding receptacles and food access impediments for animals.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Animal owners, animal breeders, animal health care professionals, animal researchers and others who have an interest in the health and well being of animals, and dogs in particular, have long been concerned about a potentially fatal medical problem called gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) or, in dogs, canine gastric dilatation-volvulus (CGDV), also known as “bloat.” Additionally, pet owners are routinely annoyed by flatulence or gas in their animals. Bloat risk and gas are of such concern that there are numerous websites devoted to GDV and to gas/flatulence.  
           [0003]    A research program of risk factors for bloat in dogs, conducted by the Epidemiology Program Research Team of Purdue University&#39;s School of Veterinary Medicine at Purdue&#39;s West Lafayette, Ind. campus, has indicated that large and giant breed dogs with a history of belching or flatus are at a increased risk of bloat. Other veterinarians have also reported that belching and flatulence are considered to be potentially pre-bloat symptoms.  
           [0004]    Purdue&#39;s GDV research began in September 1991 and included several national health surveys. These surveys showed GDV to be the second leading cause of death following cancer, in large (50-99 pounds) and giant (&gt;99 pounds) breeds of dogs. However, because the results of these surveys were based on retrospective data, Purdue determined that a prospective study should be conducted to characterize the risk factors associated with bloat. The five-year prospective study began in 1994. Study findings identified risk factors associated with CGDV and a method, using these risk factors, for calculating a dog&#39;s lifetime risk of GDV. For both large and giant breeds (in other words, all dogs weighing 50 pounds or more), four risk factors were identified: age, chest depth/width ratio, first degree relative with GDV and eating from a raised food bowl. For large breed dogs, i.e., 50 to 99 pounds, a fifth factor, speed of eating, was identified. Indeed, eating speed as a precipitating factor in GDV was considered of sufficient significance that the research team, in its April 1996 “Bloat Notes” publication, included the following request:  
           [0005]    Wanted—Speed limit! How do you slow down a fast eater?? If you have found a practical method to slow your dog&#39;s rate of eating, we would like to hear about it. Also, please let us know if it is OK to publish your idea in a future issue of BLOAT NOTES. Write to: Diane Schellenberg, Bloat Research, VPTI 101, Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, West Lafayette Ind. 47907-1243.  
           [0006]    The single anomaly in the Purdue research was that speed of eating was not a bloat risk factor in giant dog breeds. While the Purdue study was limited to large and giant breeds, other information indicates that GDV has been reported in smaller dogs such as the Pekingese, Dachshund, and English Bulldog. Gastric dilatation also has been seen in domestic cats, foxes, mink, wild carnivores, rabbits, nutria, guinea pigs, rats, mice and monkeys.  
           [0007]    Regardless of whether or not a relationship exists between gas and GDV, both are problems. Gas, particularly flatulence which can be “so foul and offensive that people gag and run out of the room,” is an annoyance for most pet owners at one time or another irrespective of the animal&#39;s size and, for other pet owners, a nearly continuous annoyance. GDV, if not treated as a dire medical emergency, is usually fatal. Even when treated with immediate emergency care, GDV may still cause permanent harm to the animal&#39;s gastric system, which, in turn, increases the probability of future GDV attacks, unless gastroplexy, a surgical procedure is performed.  
           [0008]    The literature for addressing both gas and GDV includes several overlapping recommendations for prevention. A summary of prevention procedures is presented below:  
                                       Procedure Category   Gas   GDV                   Mechanical   Prevent the animal from   Prevent the animal from           swallowing or eating air, a   swallowing or eating air, a           behavior known as aerophagia   behavior known as aerophagia           that occurs when an animal   that occurs when an animal eats           eats too fast   too fast       Bio-chemical   1. Administer various over-   1. Administer various over-the-           the-counter preparations such   counter preparations such as           as antacids, activated   antacids, activated charcoal or           charcoal or other products   other products manufactured           manufactured specifically for   specifically for pets, e. g.,           pets, e. g., Curtail ™   Curtail ™           2. Change the animal&#39;s diet   2. Change the animal&#39;s diet               3. Increase gastric transit via a               pro-kinetic agent such as B-               Guard ™, a prescription               medication made of sub-               therapeutic doses of erythromycin               combined with a commercial               grade, high-viscosity soluble fiber,               B-Guard is not effective for dogs               with stomach muscles and nerves               damaged by bloat or other               disorders. Certain other medical               disorders, e. g., hypothyroidism,               must be corrected before use of B-               Guard.       Surgical       Gastroplexy                  
 
           [0009]    With the Mechanical Procedures, the following suggestions have been made to prevent or minimize aerophagia, behavior characterized by swallowing air when food is gulped.  
           [0010]    1. Feed several small meals a day rather than one large meal to reduce the amount of air swallowed at one feeding. This suggestion is inconvenient and cannot be carried out on a consistent basis as it requires owners either to stay at home throughout every day to provide the small meals, to interrupt activities, e.g., work, to return home to feed the animal, or to hire someone to perform the feeding.  
           [0011]    2. Minimize stress or excitement at feeding time. This suggestion is impractical as excitement at feeding time is one of the characteristics of enthusiastic or “greedy” eaters.  
           [0012]    3. Isolate “greedy” eaters at feeding time to minimize competition when multiple pets or animals are co-located. This suggestion is impractical if there are more than two animals to be fed as separate spaces capable of affording isolation may not be available. If multiple isolation areas are not available, then it is necessary to stagger feeding times, using scheduling as the means of isolation rather than physical space. Isolation via scheduling presents the same problems as feeding several small meals each day. Additionally, isolating an animal not otherwise isolated has the potential to introduce stress at feeding time, which is to be avoided.  
           [0013]    4. Place rocks or tennis balls, in the food receptacle to increase the time the animal takes to access and, thereby, eat its food. To be safe for inclusion with food in a food receptacle, the rocks need to be carefully inspected to ensure they are free of fractures (that would result in breakage, followed by ingestion and internal injury) and rough or sharp edges (that would result in lacerations to lips, gums and tongue or damage to the animal&#39;s teeth). Additionally, rocks must be of sufficient size to prevent outright ingestion with kibble and to discourage the animal from removing the rocks from the food receptacle. Rocks also must be of sufficient smoothness to ensure ease of cleaning after meals. Tennis balls, on the other hand, are easily removed by even small animals and are extremely difficult to adequately clean. The nap on tennis balls, once dampened by the mixture of food and animal saliva, quickly becomes a breeding ground for a variety of harmful bacteria, as well as bits of fermented food which in itself can result in digestive distress.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0014]    In accordance with the present invention a food receptacle comprises a base and sidewall and, as a component or as a separate device, one or a plurality of impediments. The impediments are fixedly mounted to the receptacle&#39;s base, slidingly mounted to the receptacle&#39;s base, removable as a separate modular unit, or fixedly or slidingly mounted to a base insert or integrally molded or stamped as a continuous feature of the insert base. In addition to the attributes described elsewhere in this patent, several objects and advantages of the present invention are:  
           [0015]    1. To provide a mechanical means to slow an animal&#39;s speed of eating once the food has been dispensed into the food receptacle;  
           [0016]    2. To provide a non-chemical and natural method to reduce or eliminate belching and flatulence in animals;  
           [0017]    3. To provide a non-chemical and natural method to mediate the speed of eating GDV risk factor;  
           [0018]    4. To eliminate the aggravation associated with isolating “greedy eaters” so as to reduce competition in settings where co-located animals are fed simultaneously;  
           [0019]    5. To provide impediments in the receptacle that can not be easily removed by the animal;  
           [0020]    6. To provide impediments having the purpose of minimizing harm to the animal&#39;s external and internal oral area and teeth;  
           [0021]    7. To provide impediments that are of a size that cannot be swallowed or ingested with the food;  
           [0022]    8. To provide a food receptacle wall-to-bottom angle that slows speed of eating and that, simultaneously, prevents the animal from tipping over the receptacle;  
           [0023]    9. To reduce the need to modify or change completely an animal&#39;s diet when flatulence and/or belching is a result of swallowing air while gulping food;  
           [0024]    10. To provide means to change animal eating behaviors, e.g., train an animal to eat more slowly;  
           [0025]    11. To provide ease of cleaning;  
           [0026]    12. To raise animal owner&#39;s awareness of the potential hazards of an animal&#39;s eating speed;  
           [0027]    13. To provide animal owner with “no-stress” method for dealing with animals that eat too fast; and  
           [0028]    14. To provide an easily understood method for slowing an animal&#39;s eating speed.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0029]    [0029]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the animal feeding receptacle invention.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 2 is a side elevation, cross sectional view of the receptacle shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 3 is a top elevation view of the animal feeding receptacle shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of an animal feeding receptacle in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 5 is an exploded, perspective view of a further embodiment of the animal feeding receptacle invention.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a still further embodiment of the present animal feeding receptacle invention.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a still further embodiment of the present animal feeding receptacle invention.  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an impediment in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of an impediment in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a still further embodiment of an impediment in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0039]    The invention is a food receptacle and one or a plurality of impediments to slow an animal&#39;s access to food. This invention is contrary to prior art teachings that reflect the conventional thinking that animal food receptacles should provide easy access to the food, thus encouraging animals to consume meals within a brief period of time. In fact, much advice has been given to pet owners regarding how to speed the eating rate of dogs that dawdle at the food bowl.  
         [0040]    [0040]FIGS. 1, 2, and  3 —Food Receptacle  
         [0041]    A preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3. An animal feeding receptacle  10  is shown. The edges  17  of food receptacle  10  are rounded, curved or beveled to prevent harm to the animal&#39;s external and internal oral area and the animal&#39;s teeth. The food receptacle  10  may be formed of smooth metal, ceramic, porcelain or any other material having properties that make it suitable for coming into contact with food and the animal&#39;s external and internal oral area and teeth, that facilitate cleaning, and that is minimally susceptible to being chipped, broken or fragmented.  
         [0042]    The base  11  of food receptacle  10  is connected all around to a sidewall  12  thus forming an opening. As shown best in FIG. 2, the angle formed by the base  11  and sidewall  12  is an acute angle, preferably in the range of 45° to 85°. The acute angle helps prevent tipping of the food receptacle  10  and further reduces ease of access by an animal to the receptacle&#39;s contents and hinders the animal from picking up the receptacle with its teeth. The overall size of the food receptacle  10  is of sufficient capacity to accommodate the intended quantity of its contents. For instance, it is common for larger dogs to eat from a 2-quart bowl, but any size is possible depending on the animal. The shape of food receptacle  10  is round. Alternative embodiments include geometrical shapes such as oval, hexagonal, square or rectangular as with food receptacle  20  shown in FIG. 4. In FIG. 4, the receptacle  20  is made up of a base  21 , sidewalls  22  and includes impediments  23 .  
         [0043]    [0043]FIG. 8—Impediment Preferred Embodiment  
         [0044]    [0044]FIG. 8 shows a preferred embodiment of the impediment  13 . One or a plurality of impediments  13  are placed in the receptacle  10 . The number of impediments  13  placed in the food receptacle  10  is dependent on the animal&#39;s enthusiasm for food. The impediments  13  are fruscoconically-shaped. The impediment top  14  and the impediment base  16  are both circular and are connected around by impediment sidewall  15 . The angle defined by the impediment sidewall  15  and the impediment base  16  is an acute angle. In the preferred embodiment shown, the acute angle defined by the impediment base  16  and sidewall  15  is the same acute angle as defined by the receptacle base  11  and sidewall  12 . (See FIG. 2).  
         [0045]    The overall size of the impediment is proportionate to the size of the intended food receptacle and the number of impediments intended for placement into the food receptacle. The height of impediment  13  is preferably sufficient to rise above the level of food placed in the food receptacle.  
         [0046]    The edges  18  of impediment  13  are rounded, curved or beveled to prevent harm to the animal&#39;s external or internal oral area and the animal&#39;s teeth. The impediment may be formed of smooth metal, ceramic, porcelain or any other material having properties that make it suitable for coming into contact with food and the animal&#39;s external and internal area and teeth, that facilitate cleaning, and that is minimally susceptible to being chipped, broken or fragmented.  
         [0047]    The impediment  13  mounted on the base  11  is not attached in any way to the base, so it may easily be added to or removed from the receptacle  10 . The impediment  13  is capable of sliding freely around on the food receptacle base  11  as the animal feeds. The fruscoconical shape of the impediment  13  offers the advantage of making it difficult to be removed or tipped over by the feeding animal. The removable (by the animal care provider) nature of the impediment  13  provides the advantage of allowing its use in any food receptacle having a base of sufficient area to accommodate one or a plurality of the impediments.  
         [0048]    Alternatively, the impediment  13  may be fixedly mounted to base  11  of food receptacle  10 . The impediment  13  may be welded, glued, nailed, screwed, etc. to fix it to the base  11 . If impediment  13  is used in its removable form, its base may be weighted to increase the difficulty of its removal by the animal from the food receptacle. Alternatively, a magnet (not shown) may be fixedly mounted onto or inside the impediment  13  to increase the animal&#39;s difficulty in removing the impediment from metal food receptacles. The impediment  13  itself may be magnetic. Still further, one or a plurality of magnets may be mounted to the underside of the base  11  of food receptacle  10  for use with metal impediments.  
         [0049]    [0049]FIG. 5—Base-Mounted Impediment Insert  
         [0050]    An alternative embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 5 wherein the angle defined by the base  61  and sidewall  62  of the food receptacle  60  may be acute, obtuse or a right angle. The only limitation is that the diameters of both base  61  and the opening formed by the top edge  63  of the sidewall  62  of food receptacle  60  be of sufficient size to accommodate the diameter of the base  51  of the impediment insert  50 . The base mounted impediment insert  50  comprises a base  51  and impediments  52 . The impediments  52  shown in FIG. 5 are mushroom or knob shaped but may be fruscoconically or cylindrical in shape and may be fixedly mounted to base  51  or may be mounted in such a way, for example on a post, as to be removable. Alternatively, the base  51  and impediments  52  that make up the insert  50  may be molded or stamped as a single unit out of a single piece of material at which point the impediments become immovable projections extending upward from the base of the insert. The number of impediments may range from one to a plurality. Further, the insert  50  may be fixed in a food receptacle or removably mounted or a slidable insert.  
         [0051]    The base-mounted impediment insert  50  may be formed of smooth metal, ceramic, porcelain, plastic or any other material having properties that make it suitable for coming into contact with food and the animal&#39;s external and internal oral area and teeth, that facilitate cleaning, and that is minimally susceptible to being chipped, broken or fragmented.  
         [0052]    [0052]FIGS. 6 and 7—Alternatively Shaped Impediment Embodiment  
         [0053]    The shape, angles and materials of food receptacle  30  in FIG. 6 and food receptacle  40  shown in FIG. 7 are the same as that described for food receptacle  10  shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and  3  and described above although any shaped food receptacle is sufficient. Bases  31  and  41  and sidewalls  32  and  42  are the same as base  11  and sidewall  12 . FIG. 6 shows a link chain impediment  33  that is an alternative embodiment to the fruscoconically-shaped impediment shown in FIGS.  1 , 2 , 3  and  8  and described above. FIG. 7 shows a bead chain impediment  43 . Both the chain link impediment  33  and the bead chain impediment  43  have edges that are rounded, curved or beveled to prevent harm to the animal&#39;s external or internal oral area and the animal&#39;s teeth. Both the chain link impediment  33  and the bead link impediment  43  may be formed of smooth metal, ceramic, porcelain, plastic or any other material having properties that make it suitable for coming into contact with food and the animal&#39;s external and internal oral area and teeth, that facilitate cleaning, and that is minimally susceptible to being chipped, broken or fragmented.  
         [0054]    If made of metal, the chain  33  or  43  may be magnetized to restrict ease of removal by the feeding animal. Regardless of the material used for the link chain  33  and bead chain  43 , the weight of the material should be such to discourage the impediment&#39;s removal from the food receptacle. Alternatively, the link chain  33  and bead chain  43  impediments may be attachable to the base of the food receptacle. The number of chain links and bead links is of sufficient quantity to impede ease of access to food in the receptacle.  
         [0055]    [0055]FIGS. 9 and 10—Alternatively Shaped Impediment Embodiments  
         [0056]    [0056]FIG. 9 shows a cylindrically-shaped impediment  80  wherein the base  81  and the top  83  are of equal diameter and are connected around by sidewall  82 . The edges  84  of impediment  80  are rounded, curved or beveled to prevent harm to the animal&#39;s external or internal oral area and the animal&#39;s teeth. The impediment may be formed of smooth metal, ceramic, porcelain or any other material having properties that make it suitable for coming into contact with food and the animal&#39;s external and internal oral area and teeth, that facilitate cleaning, and that is minimally susceptible to being chipped, broken or fragmented.  
         [0057]    As the cylindrical shape of impediment  80  makes it more susceptible to tipping and then removal by the feeding animal, impediment  80  is more functional if fixedly mounted to the food receptacle into which it is placed. Alternatively, impediment  80  may be placed in the food receptacle with sidewall  82  in contact with the base of the food receptacle. This position will make it easier to remove by the feeding animal, however this disadvantage can be mediated by positioning one or a plurality of magnets inside the impediment  80  and using the impediment in a metal food receptacle. Alternatively, one or a plurality of magnets may be mounted to the underside of the food receptacle for use with metal impediments.  
         [0058]    [0058]FIG. 10 demonstrates an inverted fruscoconically-shaped impediment  90  having a base  91  and top  93  connected by sidewalls  92 . In this embodiment, the impediment  90  is inverted as compared to the impediment  13  discussed in connection with earlier embodiments. The edges  94  of the impediment  90  are rounded, curved or beveled to prevent harm to the animal&#39;s external or internal oral area and the animal&#39;s teeth.  
         [0059]    As used throughout this description, an impediment is an upward projection from the base of a feeding receptacle that is adapted to slow an animal&#39;s eating. The impediment may be any shape that can be upwardly projecting from the base of a receptacle, but it must not be so small or so rough as to be easily grasped by an animal&#39;s mouth. In the event that the object chosen to be an impediment may be gripped by an animal, it is essential that the impediment be anchored or fixed in some fashion to the base of the receptacle. The available shapes for an impediment in accordance with the present invention are many. For instance, the frusconconical shape illustrated has straight sidewalls. Alternatively, the sidewalls of a frusconconical shape may be curved to form a more bullet or cone-shaped frusconconical object.  
         [0060]    Accordingly, the reader will see that the food receptacle and the impediments, whether the food receptacle and impediments are used together or the impediments are used alone with an existing receptacle, serve the need of slowing an animal&#39;s speed of eating, thereby reducing the amount of air swallowed and, in turn, reducing the consequent amount of gas in the gastroenteric system without the need to resort to chemicals whose means of action is via ingestion. Reducing the quantity of gastroenteric system gas has been demonstrated to reduce annoying belching and flatulence in animals and to reduce risks for GDV, a life threatening animal emergency.  
         [0061]    Although the description above contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. For example, the food access impediments can have other shapes such as round, knobby, conical, etc.; the food access impediments can be permanently attached to the receptacle, movable or removable; the number of food access impediments can vary; the placement and configuration of the food access impediments can vary in terms of space between impediments, space between the impediments and receptacle&#39;s walls; and the overall size and geometric shape of the receptacle can vary.  
         [0062]    Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.