Abstract:
An apparatus and method of supplying liquid consumable substances to animals using a dispenser device, including storing a volume of viscous fluid in a storage chamber of the dispensing device, capturing a roller ball in a flanged opening at an open end of the dispensing device such that a first surface of the roller ball communicates with the storage chamber, communicating at least a portion of the stored volume to the first surface such that a quantity of the stored volume adheres to the first surface, and exposing a second surface of the roller ball to an animal&#39;s tongue such that when the animal licks the second surface, the roller ball rotates with respect to the flanged opening to deliver at least a portion of the adhered quantity to the animal as a reward for a desired exhibited behavior of the animal.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present general inventive concept relates generally to an apparatus and method of dispensing consumable food supplements to animals, and more particularly, to a portable handheld apparatus to evenly and cleanly dispense liquid treats to animals to reward and/or refresh the animal. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Pet owners routinely encounter a variety of issues when engaging their pets in activities away from the home. For example, dog owners encounter issues associated with satisfying a dog&#39;s thirst and/or providing a treat to the dog as a reward for a desired exhibited behavior when the dog and owner are engaged on a walk or in other athletic or recreational activity. Efforts have been made to develop dispensing devices and/or systems to provide fluid refreshment to pets while the pet is in a cage or away from naturally occurring sources of fluid refreshment, but such known devices are typically inconvenient, messy, unhealthy, and/or impractical to be portably carried by the pet owner to train or refresh the pet during activities away from the home, and are less than satisfactory in portably and repetitively dispensing relatively small portions of a consumable substance for training purposes without satiating the animal. Moreover, current treats and dispensers are typically messy (oily or crumbly), smelly, high in calories, expensive, are not easily accessible or portable. Current treats can also lack uniform size and can be filling to the animal when repetitively offered to the animal, causing lethargy and lack of interest in the animal, thus limiting the number of training/reward opportunities available during a particular activity. Such high calorie and filling treats are typically kept in the home, and are cumbersome to transport away from the home, reducing the number of training opportunities available when the pet and owner are away from the home. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present general inventive concept provides an apparatus and method of dispensing liquid treats to animals using a handheld dispenser including a roller ball that can pick up a predetermined amount of a liquid treat to supply the treat to the animal when the animal licks an exposed surface of the ball. 
     Additional features and embodiments of the present general inventive concept will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the general inventive concept. 
     Example embodiments of the present general inventive concept can be achieved by providing a method of supplying liquid treats to animals using a dispensing device, including providing a storage chamber in the dispensing device to store a volume of liquid treat therein, rotatably capturing a roller ball in a flanged opening at an open end of the dispensing device, and providing a passageway between the roller ball and the storage chamber to communicate at least a portion of the stored volume to a first surface of the roller ball such that as the roller ball rotates with respect to the flanged opening, a predetermined amount of the communicated portion adheres to the first surface and becomes exposed to an outside of the dispensing device. 
     The method can include forming a gap between an inner surface of the flanged opening and the roller ball to enable the roller ball to rotatably float within the flanged opening such that a width of the gap determines the amount of the adhered portion exposed to the outside of the device. 
     The method can also include installing a cap over the roller ball to drive the roller ball toward the storage chamber to create a seal between the roller ball and the passageway to prevent rotation of the roller ball. 
     The amount of liquid treat exposed to the outside of the device can be determined based on at least one of a texture of the first surface, a diameter of the ball, and a viscosity of the liquid treat. 
     When the open end of the hand-held dispenser is oriented substantially downward, it is possible that at least a portion of the stored volume can continuously communicate with a surface of the roller ball to repetitively adhere a predetermined quantity of liquid treat to the roller ball and can expose the predetermined quantity to the outside of the dispensing device as the roller ball rotates with respect to the flanged opening. 
     Example embodiments of the present general inventive concept can also be achieved by providing a method of training an animal using a dispensing device, including storing a volume of viscous fluid in a storage chamber of the dispensing device, capturing a roller ball in a flanged opening at an open end of the dispensing device such that a first surface of the roller ball communicates with the storage chamber, communicating at least a portion of the stored volume to the first surface such that a quantity of the stored volume adheres to the first surface, and exposing a second surface of the roller ball to an animal&#39;s tongue such that when the animal licks the second surface, the roller ball rotates with respect to the flanged opening to rotatably expose the first surface to the animal&#39;s tongue to deliver at least a portion of the adhered quantity to the animal as a reward for a desired exhibited behavior of the animal. 
     The method can include communicating another portion of the stored volume to the second surface such that another quantity of the stored volume adheres to the second surface, wherein when the animal licks the first surface, the roller ball rotates with respect to the flanged opening to rotatably expose the second surface to the animal&#39;s tongue to deliver another portion of the another adhered quantity to the animal as a reward for the desired exhibited behavior of the animal. 
     The method can further include repeating the communicating and exposing operations to train the animal to perform the exhibited behavior without satiating the animal. 
     When the animal repetitively licks an exposed surface of the roller ball, it is possible that a predetermined amount of liquid treat can be delivered to the animal&#39;s tongue with each lick. 
     Example embodiments of the present general inventive concept can also be achieved by providing a portable device to supply a liquid consumable substance to an animal, including a storage chamber to store a volume of liquid consumable substance therein, a flanged opening disposed at an open end of the portable device, a roller ball rotatably captured in the flanged opening, and a passageway disposed between a first surface of the roller ball and the storage chamber to communicate at least a portion of the stored volume to the first surface such that as the roller ball rotates with respect to the flanged opening, a predetermined amount of the communicated portion adheres to the first surface and becomes exposed to an outside of the portable device. 
     The device can include a gap between an inner surface of the flanged opening and the roller ball to enable the roller ball to rotatably float within the flanged opening such that a width of the gap determines the amount of the adhered portion exposed to the outside of the portable device. 
     The device can also include a detachable cap installed over the roller ball to drive the roller ball toward the storage chamber to create a seal between the roller ball and the passageway to prevent rotation of the roller ball when the cap is installed over the roller ball. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above-mentioned features of the present general inventive concept will become more clearly understood from the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an application of a liquid treat dispenser according to an example embodiment of the present general inventive concept; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an exemplary liquid treat dispenser according to an example embodiment of the present general inventive concept; 
         FIG. 3  is a detail view of the exemplary liquid treat dispenser according to an example embodiment of the present general inventive concept; and 
         FIG. 4  is a detail view of the exemplary liquid treat dispenser with the cap installed according to an example embodiment of the present general inventive concept. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference will now be made to various embodiments of the present general inventive concept, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. The following description of the various example embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the present general inventive concept, its application, or uses. The example embodiments are merely described below in order to explain the general inventive concept by referring to the figures. 
     The following detailed description and claims may recite various descriptive terms such as horizontal, vertical, top, bottom, upward, downward, left, right, etc., when referring to the exemplary figures, but the present general inventive concept is not limited to any such terms or physical orientations. Such terms are used for convenience of description only, and could be reversed, modified, or interchanged without departing from the broader scope and spirit of the present general inventive concept. The present general inventive concept provides an apparatus and method of dispensing liquid treats to animals using a handheld dispenser including a roller ball that can pick up a predetermined amount of a liquid treat to supply the treat to the animal when the animal licks an exposed surface of the ball. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an application of a liquid treat dispenser  1  according to an example embodiment of the present general inventive concept. The exemplary liquid treat dispenser  1  is configured in a relatively small, handheld size to be handled by a person&#39;s hand, and can be easily carried by the pet owner, for example in a pocket or purse, when not in use, giving the pet owner ready access to the treat. The convenient structure of the liquid treat dispenser  1  will enable the owner to quickly and easily provide many more treat instances to the animal throughout the time the pet and owner are together, improving consistency and training of the animal. The exemplary liquid treat dispenser of the present general inventive concept can be fabricated from conventional materials of construction, such as plastic(s), rubber(s), synthetic(s), and the like, but the present general inventive concept is not limited to any particular material(s) of construction. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the liquid treat dispenser  1  includes a handle portion  2 , an annular flanged opening  4 , and a roller ball  8 . The annular flanged opening  4  is disposed at one end of the handle portion  2  to receive the roller ball  8  therein, and includes an inwardly curved surface configured in shape and size to rotatably capture, circumferentially, the roller ball  8  within the opening  4 . The roller ball  8  and flanged opening  4  are dimensioned such that the roller ball  8  can freely rotate within the flanged opening  4 , while remaining captured within the opening  4  to minimize axial movement of the roller ball  8 . Accordingly, based on the manner in which the roller ball  8  is captured within the flanged opening  4 , the roller ball  8  is capable of rotatable movement with respect to the flanged opening  4 , and limited axial movement relative to the handle portion  2 . The outside surface of the handle portion  2  can be contoured for gripping by the hand of the pet owner. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an example configuration of a roller ball  8  rotatably installed in the flanged opening  4  of the handle portion  2 . Referring to  FIG. 2 , an exposed surface (i.e., upper surface in  FIG. 2 ) of the roller ball  8  is configured to protrude beyond the end of the flanged opening  4 , i.e., beyond the centerline C of the roller ball  8  to facilitate capture of the roller ball  8  in the flanged opening  4 . For example, it is possible to capture the roller ball  8  in the flanged opening  4  by dimensioning the flanged opening to include an inwardly curved end extending slightly beyond the centerline C of the roller ball  8  such that the roller ball  8  is rotatably captured within the flanged opening  4 . The dispenser  1  can include a detachable cap  32  to cover the top end of the dispenser  1 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the liquid treat dispenser  1  can include a threaded cylindrical cap  32  to be detachably secured to the outside neck portion of the liquid treat dispenser  1  by threading the cap  32  onto the mating threads of the neck portion, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . An example operation of the threaded cap  32  will be described in more detail below in connection with  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 3  is a detail view of the exemplary liquid treat dispenser according to an example embodiment of the present general inventive concept. As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , a relatively narrow gap  31  can be provided between an inside surface  5  of the flanged opening  4  and the outside diameter of the roller ball  8 , with results being that the roller ball  8  is permitted to float slightly within the flanged opening  4  when the underside of the roller ball  8  is communicating with the liquid treat substance (not illustrated) stored inside the storage chamber  3 , as exemplified by the substantially continuous gap  31  disposed around the underside of the roller ball  8 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the handle portion  2  includes a hollow storage chamber  3  to store a quantity of liquid treat substance therein. The liquid treat substance can have a predetermined viscocity and/or can be a water-based substance having a flavor or scent that is appealing to the animal. For example, it is possible that the liquid substance could be water, grease, fats, or any other type of processed or naturally occurring fluid or gel to be consumed by the animal, and may include functional additives such as vitamins, herbs, electrolytes, and the like, to aid in the overall health of the pet, and may include multiple flavor offerings. However, the present general inventive concept is not limited to any particular type of fluid or liquid substance. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , an internal passageway  9  can be provided between the storage chamber and the flanged opening  4  to permit the flow of liquid treat from the storage chamber  3  to the underside of the roller ball  8 . The storage chamber  3  stores a volume the liquid treat substance, from which a predetermined amount can be delivered to the animal via the roller ball  8 . The diameter of the roller ball  8  and the size and shape of the flanged opening  4  can be configured to permit the roller ball  8  to rotate freely within the flanged opening  4 . In this configuration, the flow of liquid substance through the passageway  9  enables the roller ball  8  to pick-up a quantity of the liquid treat as the pet is licking the ball  8  to facilitate a smooth and even dispensing of the liquid to the animal with each lick. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , passageway  9  can facilitate fluidic communication between the storage chamber  3  and the underside of the roller ball  8  when the handle portion  2  is inverted due to gravitational forces, and the roller ball  8  can buoyantly float within the gap  31  as the liquid treat substance is communicating with the underside of the roller ball  8 . For example, when the liquid treat dispenser  1  is shaken or when the open end of the handle portion  2  is pointing in a downward direction (i.e. toward the ground), it is possible for the liquid treat substance stored in the storage chamber to flow through the passageway  9  such that the liquid treat can contact at least a portion of an underside of the roller ball  8  causing a gap  31  to form between the outer surface of the roller ball  8  and the inner surface of the opening  4 . Due to the physical and/or chemical characteristics of the liquid substance and roller ball  8 , such as viscosity, texture, and the like, a portion of the liquid treat can be coated or adhered to the underside of the roller ball  8  as the liquid treat contacts the underside of the roller ball  8 . The roller ball  2  may include a textured surface configured to facilitate adherence of the liquid treat substance to the surface of the roller ball  8  when the liquid substance contacts the roller ball  8 . In other example embodiments, it is possible that the handle portion  2  could be designed as a squeeze bottle, enabling a user to squeeze the handle portion  2  to create an internal pressure within the storage chamber  3  to force the liquid treat against the roller ball  8  to facilitate delivery of the liquid treat to the animal as the animal licks and rotates the roller ball  8 . 
     When the roller ball  8  of the liquid treat dispenser  1  is presented to the animal  10  as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the open end of the hand held dispenser and the exposed surface of the ball  8  are oriented substantially downward such that the animal can lick the exposed surface of the roller ball  8  with its tongue  12 . When the animal licks the exposed surface of the roller ball  8 , the animal&#39;s licking action can cause the roller ball  8  to rotate within the flanged opening  4 , with results being that a portion of the liquid substance can be delivered from the underside of the roller ball  8  through the gap  31  to the tongue of the animal, allowing the animal to consume the liquid treat, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . The size of the gap  31  can be dimensioned to permit a predetermined thickness of the adhered liquid treat to pass therethrough, facilitating smooth and even delivery of a predetermined quantify of liquid treat to the animal. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the gap  31  between the circumferential surface  5  and the roller ball  8  can facilitate a smooth and even dispensing of the liquid when the roller ball  8  is licked by the pet. That is, the gap  31  can be dimensioned to enable passage of only a predetermined thickness of the liquid substance adhered to the ball, to control the amount of liquid being delivered to the animal with each lick. Moreover, when the pet&#39;s licking action ceases, the gap  31  between the circumferential surface  5  and the roller ball  8  can be small enough to prevent undesired passage of viscous liquid when the roller ball  8  is not being rotated, thus minimizing undesired liquid dispersal through the roller ball  8 , even when the liquid treat dispenser  1  remains in an inverted orientation, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 4  is a detail view of the exemplary liquid treat dispenser with the cap  32  installed to cover the exposed surface of the roller ball  8  to prevent undesired liquid dispersal when the liquid treat dispenser  1  is not in use according to an example embodiment of the present general inventive concept. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the liquid treat dispenser  1  can include a threaded cylindrical cap  32  to be detachably secured to the outside neck portion of the liquid treat dispenser  1  by threading the cap  32  onto mating threads of the neck portion. As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , a protrusion  33  can be provided under the top surface of the cap  32  to contact the exposed surface of the roller ball  8  when the cap  32  is installed on the dispenser  1 . 
     For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the protrusion  33  can be dimensioned to press the roller ball  8  against a bottom surface of the flanged opening  4  when the cap  32  is installed over the roller ball  8 , enabling the underside of the roller ball  8  to contact and seal against the edges E of the passageway  9 , thereby creating a seal around the passageway  9  and preventing unwanted dispersal of liquid treat through the passageway  9  into the gap  31  when the cap  32  is installed on the dispenser  1 . The contacting force of the protrusion  33  against the top surface of the roller ball  8  inhibits the roller ball  8  from rotating with respect to the flanged opening  4 . 
     When the cap  32  is removed from the top of the dispenser, the roller ball  8  is free to rotate with respect to the flanged opening  4 . The amount of the liquid substance being picked up and delivered to the pet can be metered and controlled by the characteristics and dimensions of the ball, liquid, and openings. For example, when the open end of the handle  2  is fully or partially inverted as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the downward pressure of the liquid substance within the storage chamber  3  allows the liquid substance to continuously flow to the roller ball  8 . Accordingly, as the pet licks the ball  8 , a metered amount of the liquid substance can be consumed by the pet by licking and rotating the roller ball  8  based on the width of the gap  31 . It is also possible to dimension the diameter and texture of the ball to pick-up, or adhere, a predetermined amount of the liquid, according to the physical properties of the ball and the viscosity of the liquid. In this way, it is possible that the pet can be satisfied by the palatable taste of the liquid substance, yet the pet need not consume a large quantity of the substance to feel that a reward was given, thus reducing the amount of calories and cost of treats being delivered to the animal and preventing the animal from being satiated from multiple treats during training exercises. For example, the apparatus and techniques of the present general inventive concept make it possible to provide frequent, smaller size rewards to a pet to improve training opportunities, without satiating the animal and without creating a sense of bloating and/or lethargy in the animal which can result from the frequent ingestion of larger quantity solid or fattening treats. 
     Moreover, referring to  FIG. 3 , considering the physical characteristics and quantity of liquid treat that can be delivered by exemplary treat dispensers configured in accordance with the present general inventive concept, it is possible to design the shape and size of the roller ball  8 , gap  31 , and flanged opening  4  to establish a predetermined amount, or calorie per lick (calorie/lick), provided to the animal, based on the physical characteristics of the ball and liquid. For example, by adjusting the tolerances of the gap  31  between the roller ball  8  and the inner surface of the flanged opening  4 , it is possible to control the amount of liquid being delivered to the animal with each lick, as the size of the gap  31  can facilitate the smooth and consistent dispensing of a predetermined amount of liquid treat to the animal with each lick. The apparatus and techniques of the present general inventive concept also make it possible to provide various additives such as glucosamine, herbs, vitamins, electrolytes, and the like, and combinations thereof, to supplement the base liquid treat formula to aid in the overall health and frequent refreshment of the pet. It is also possible to provide an adjustment mechanism, such as a dial or switch mechanism, or other suitable adjustment mechanism chosen with sound engineering judgment, to facilitate adjustment of the amount of liquid treat being delivered to the animal with each lick, based on the size, breed, or other characteristic elements of a particular animal, to improve training capabilities. 
     The present general inventive concept is not limited to any particular type of cap, and many other types of caps may be used to provide a protective cover for the roller ball  8  when the liquid treat dispenser  1  is not in use. For example, the cap  32  may be configured with a snap or other mechanical mechanism or attachment device to enable easy, one hand removal and replacement from the ball  8  and dispenser  1 . It is also possible to configure the cap  32  to include a cleaning apparatus to contact the working surface of the roller ball and to keep the flange area of the dispenser clean. 
     As illustrated and described herein, example embodiments of the present general inventive concept can provide a liquid treat delivery system which utilizes a captured ball, or roller ball dispensing head using a roller ball, which seals against undesired spilling when the roller is withdrawn from the tongue of the pet. It is possible to configure the dimensions of the ball, the size of the gap between the ball and the flanged shoulder, and the viscosity of the liquid treat to assure a smooth and even dispensing of a predetermined amount of the liquid treat when the ball is licked by the pet. Accordingly, the size and shape of the delivery system can be configured to accommodate various sizes and types of animals, while maintaining a clean, convenient, consistent, healthy, and accessible system to store and deliver liquid food supplements to animals wherever and whenever the pet and pet owner spend time together without satiating the appetite of the animal, thus increasing the number of treats, refreshments, or rewards that can be provided to the animal over a given timeframe and/or to increase the number of training opportunities available for the animal and pet owner over the course of given activities. 
     While the present general inventive concept has been illustrated by description of example embodiments and while the illustrative embodiments have been described by referring to the drawings, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to the illustrative examples. It is noted that numerous variations, modifications, and additional embodiments are possible, and accordingly, all such variations, modifications, and embodiments are to be regarded as being within the spirit and scope of the present general inventive concept. The present general inventive concept in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and methods, and illustrative examples illustrated and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of applicant&#39;s general inventive concept.