Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates generally to feeding bowls, and, more particularly, to a feeding stand for a packaged food product.  
           [0002]    Regular feeding of household animals, such as dogs and cats, can be a messy and time consuming task. Conventionally, domestic animals are fed by placing a portion of pet food from a bag, can, or other container into a feeding bowl for consumption by the pet. Like other food serving containers, pet food bowls require regular washing to prevent unpleasant odors and insect infestation, as well as to maintain an acceptable animal hygiene. Washing pet food bowls, however, is not an enjoyable task, and, for obvious reasons, pet food bowls are often cleaned separately from household dishes with separate washing tools, rags, etc. Cleaning of the bowl is more difficult if not promptly cleaned after an animal is fed, especially when wet pet foods are fed to the animal. Busy pet owners, however, do not always have time to immediately clean up feeding bowls after feeding their pets.  
           [0003]    Additionally, pet foods, particularly wet foods, are typically served into a feeding bowl with a utensil. The serving utensil must be cleaned and maintained in addition to the feeding bowl after the animal is fed. Still further, it is sometimes difficult for owners to feed a pet without themselves or their clothes becoming soiled by the pet food. At times, this can be a considerable inconvenience to busy pet owners.  
           [0004]    The inconveniences of pet feeding bowls are experienced daily, and sometimes more than once a day, by a large number of pet owners.  
         BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    In one aspect, a feeding stand for a packaged food product is provided. The stand comprises a body comprising a bowl-shaped base defining a dish receptacle therein, said receptacle comprising a first rim support having a first diameter for supporting the dish, and a second rim support having a second diameter, said second diameter less than said first diameter.  
           [0006]    In another aspect, a feeding stand for a pre-packaged pet food dish including first, second and third portions is provided. The stand comprises a body defining a dish receptacle therein, said receptacle comprising an outer rim support having a first diameter for receiving the first portion of the dish, an intermediate rim support having a second diameter for receiving the second portion of the dish, and an inner rim support having a third diameter for receiving the third portion of the dish, said first diameter greater than said second diameter, said second diameter greater than said third diameter.  
           [0007]    In another aspect, a pet feeding apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises a pre-packaged pet food dish, and a feeding stand comprising a dish receptacle, said dish extending through said dish receptacle, said receptacle configured to lockably engage to said dish.  
           [0008]    In another aspect, a pet feeding apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises a pre-packaged, disposable pet food dish comprising a peel back lid, and a feeding stand configured to lockably engage to said dish and to position said dish so that said lid is substantially flush with a top surface of said base.  
           [0009]    In another aspect, a method for hygienic feeding of a pet animal is provided. The method comprises providing a pet food container with a removable lid, the container including a pet food product, providing a feeding stand configured to lockably receive the container, inserting the container into the stand, removing the container lid to expose the food product, and serving the food product to the animal while the container is located in the stand.  
           [0010]    In another aspect, a method for hygienic dispensing of a food product is provided. The food product is packaged in a container with a removable lid and the method utilizes a feeding stand comprising a receptacle to lockably receive the container. The method comprises locking the container into the stand receptacle, removing the container lid to expose the food product, and serving the food product. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pet feeding apparatus.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a cross sectional schematic view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is a perspective view-of the stand shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a feeding apparatus  10  including a feeder base or stand  12  and a packaged food dish  14  coupled thereto that has been found particularly advantageous for feeding pets. As explained in detail below, feeding apparatus  10  is well suited for convenient feeding of dogs and cats, for example, while eliminating time consuming cleanup and associated difficulties of conventional animal feeding bowls. It is recognized that feeding apparatus  10  may be utilized for feeding of other animals as well, and it is further contemplated that the feeding apparatus described herein may find general utility in serving of foodstuffs for human consumption as well. Therefore, the illustrative embodiments and contexts described herein are set forth for purposes of illustration rather than by way of limitation.  
         [0015]    Feeder stand  12  includes a body  14  including an outwardly sloping side surface  16  extending between a footing  18  and a head portion  20 . As described further below, stand head portion  20  includes a packaged dish receptacle (not shown in FIG. 1) that receives and engages dish  14  to stand  12  with locking engagement for secure positioning of dish  14  for feeding of a pet. As illustrated in FIG. 1, feeding stand  12  has a continuous curved side surface  16  extending outwardly from stand head portion  20  to stand footing  18  to provide stand  12  with a generally frustaconical or inverted bowl shape. That is, stand outer surface  16  of body  14  generally increases in diameter from stand head portion  20  to stand footing  18  in a funnel or cone shaped fashion. It is contemplated, however, that other shapes of feeder stand body  14  may be employed in alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention, including but not limited to rectangular shapes, oval shapes, and shapes including both straight sides and curved sides.  
         [0016]    Stand body  14 , in one embodiment, is integrally formed from a known sturdy, durable material according to a known method. In a particular embodiment, body  14  is fabricated from aluminum and finished with a rugged, polished surface. In the illustrated embodiment, stand body  14  includes an inwardly depressed band  22  separating body head portion  20  from body side surface  14 . It is understood however, that a variety of other materials are suitable for use in fabricating feeding stand  12  according to known methods and techniques, including but not limited to molded plastic materials.  
         [0017]    Also in an illustrative embodiment, footing  18  is separately fabricated from a known resilient material, such as rubber in a particular embodiment, and is fitted onto a lower portion of stand side surface  16 . Footing  12  substantially prevents stand  12  from sliding across a floor when a pet is feeding, and prevents nicks, scratches and scuffs to the floor surface as stand  12  is used. In alternative embodiments, footing  18  is fabricated from other known materials in lieu of rubber, such as known plastic materials for example, and in a further alternative embodiment, footing  18  may be fabricated integrally with stand body  14 .  
         [0018]    Packaged food dish  14 , in one embodiment, is a container including a pre-packaged food. The container is securely coupled to feeding stand  12 . When used as a pet feeding device, dish  14  contains a serving portion of a known pet food product, and the shape of the container facilitates interlocking engagement with feeder stand  14 . As illustrated in FIG. 1, packaged food dish  14  includes a substantially circular peel back lid  24  that is easily removed with a tab handle  26  as is known in the art. Dish lid  24  is positioned substantially flush with a top surface  28  of feeding stand head  20 , and when food dish lid  24  is removed, the food product in dish  14  is exposed for consumption.  
         [0019]    Feeder stand head portion  20  forms a slight rim  28  around food dish  14  to contain the food product as it is consumed. After consumption, food dish  14  is removed from feeding stand  12  and disposed of or recycled. Exemplary pet food dish packages having such features are commercially available from Friskies Petcare Company, Inc. of Glendale Calif. It is noted, however, that packaged food dish  14  may contain a wide variety of food product, including human food, in alternative embodiments.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 2 is a cross sectional schematic view of feeding apparatus  10  illustrating packaged food dish  14  located above feeding stand  12  (shown in cross section) so that the interlocking engagement of dish  14  and stand  12  may be seen, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of feeding stand  12  with dish  14  removed so that features of stand  12  may be better appreciated.  
         [0021]    Packaged food dish  14  includes a container body  40  forming an enclosure for the food product (e.g., pet food product) beneath removable lid  24 . Container body  40  includes several distinct portions that cooperate with a dish receptacle  42  formed in feeder stand body  14  within stand body head portion  20 . Specifically, container body  40  includes a top rim  44  to which removable lid  24  is attached, a nested cover rim  46  extending from top rim  44 , and a stand engagement section  48  depending downwardly from cover rim  46 . In an exemplary embodiment, stand engagement section  48  is substantially cylindrical in shape, although it is appreciated that other shapes of engagement section  48  may be employed in alternative embodiments. Container body  40  further includes a rounded lower end section  50  depending downwardly from stand engagement section  48 .  
         [0022]    Container body  40  is sized and dimensioned to create a specified volume therein to contain a predetermined portion or serving of food product. It is contemplated that the dimensions of food dish  14  may vary for different types of food product (e.g., pet food formulations for dogs or cats and dry or wet food formulations). It is further noted that dimensions of food dish  14  may vary according to recommended serving size of the food product (e.g., pet food serving for particular sizes, ages or breed of a particular animal). Dimensions of dish rims  44 ,  46 , and dish engagement section  48  are selected in conjunction with dish receptacle  42  of feeder stand  12 .  
         [0023]    Feeder stand dish receptacle  42  is generally complementary in shape to pet food container body  42  to facilitate an interlocking arrangement described below. Specifically, feeder dish receptacle  40  includes a slightly sloped dish rim surface  52  depending inwardly (i.e., toward a center of stand  10 ) from a top surface of stand head portion  20 . A substantially horizontal or level dish lid rim support  54  depends inwardly from dish rim surface  52 , and a dish cover rim support  56  depends inwardly from dish lid rim  54 . A generally cylindrical container body support  58  depends inwardly from cover rim  56 . Each of cover rim surface  52 , dish lid rim support  54 , and cover rim support  56  in the illustrated embodiment are substantially annular surfaces formed into dish receptacle  42 , and are connected by substantially vertical support sections formed into dish receptacle  42 .  
         [0024]    Moreover, as best illustrated in FIG. 2, dish rim surface  54  of feeder stand dish receptacle extends at a first diameter D, dish lid rim support extends at an inner diameter D 1 , dish cover rim support  56  extends at an inner diameter D 2 , and container body support extends at an inner diameter D 3 . Each diameter D, D 1 , D 2 , D 3 , is successively smaller than the preceding diameter, thereby providing dish receptacle  42  with an inwardly stepped configuration. By selecting diameter values of D 1 , D 2 , D 3  approximately equal to or slightly less than respective outer diameters of food dish rims  44 ,  46 , and dish engagement section  48 , dish  14  may be securely received in feeder stand dish receptacle  42  with an interference fit. Secure interlocking engagement of dish  14  and dish receptacle  42  is therefore obtained when container body  40  is inserted into dish receptacle  42  while allowing food dish  14  to be removed from feeder stand  12  without excessive difficulty.  
         [0025]    While apparatus  10  is illustrated and described with specific shapes of food dish  14  and complementary-shaped stand dish receptacle  42 , it is understood that other complimentary shapes may be employed to achieve interlocking engagement of dish  14  and feeder stand  12 .  
         [0026]    Footing  18  is fitted over flared ends  60  of stand body outer surface  16 . Footing  18  extends over a lower outer circumference of stand body  14 , thereby stabilizing stand  12  and preventing stand  12  from sliding over a smooth flat surface, such as a floor or tabletop surface when stand  12  is used.  
         [0027]    Dish  14  may be engaged to feeder stand  12  by positioning dish lower end  50  within receptacle  42  and lowering dish into and through receptacle  42 . When dish engagement section  48  contacts container body support  58 , some force must be exerted in a downward direction (i.e., toward footing  18 ) to fully engage dish  24  to receptacle  42  with an interference fit. Once fully engaged, cover lid rim  44  rests upon dish receptacle dish lid support  54 , dish cover rim  46  rests upon dish cover rim support  56 , dish engagement section  48  is engaged to and surrounded by container body support  58 , and dish lower end  50  extends through stand container body support  58 . As such, dish  14  is supported and retained in both vertical and horizontal axes, and apparatus  10  may be picked up, moved, and even turned upside down without dish  14  dislodging from stand  12 . By removing lid  24  from dish  14  after dish  14  is engaged to stand  12 , the food product in dish  14  is ready for consumption. Pet food may therefore be served without external utensils and in a reduced time in comparison to conventional feeding bowls.  
         [0028]    A user may remove dish  14  from feeding stand  12  by turning apparatus  10  upside down, engaging dish lower end  50  with a thumb of each hand, and exerting a force on dish lower end  48  toward stand body head  20  until dish  14  is dislodged and ejected from dish receptacle  42 . Dish  42  may be ejected into a garbage can or recycling bin without touching dish  14  from the top side where food product was consumed. By attaching another packaged food dish  14  into stand  12 , and removing lid  24 , more food product may be consumed.  
         [0029]    By now it should be appreciated that food product can be served and dispensed quickly and conveniently with feeding apparatus  10  in a reduced period of time and with little to no cleanup either before or after food is consumed by virtue of removable food package  14 . The food product need not be transferred from an external container to a location where it may be served, but is rather served directly from a packaged container. Serving utensils are substantially eliminated as the product may be consumed substantially from dish  14 . Overfeeding is substantially eliminated with predetermined sizes of food dish packages  14 , and feeder stand  12  is stable to prevent tips and spills during food consumption. Feeding apparatus is therefore will suited for hygienic feeding of pets.  
         [0030]    While the invention has been described in terms of various specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the claims.

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