DE20002121U1 - Device for the playful administration of small pieces of food and / or treats to small animals living in the household, such as cats and dogs - Google Patents

Description

*1.*·&idigr;·. *..**..* Axel M. Krämer

Device for playfully administering small pieces of food and treats to small animals living in the household, such as cats and dogs

The invention relates to a device for playfully administering small pieces of food and treats to small animals living in the household, such as cats and dogs, in order to enable them to be rewarded in a more measured manner in the form of a toy ball, in a healthier way through movement and in a more appropriate way through the extension of the feeding time.

It is well known that in German households, many millions of cats and dogs live in very close company with their respective owners. This means that people give their beloved pets far too many treats, sometimes even with their own lunch. The problem arises: obesity, lethargy and begging. 20

Usually, just so that you can eat in peace, you just feed the animal from the table or give it a treat. But it only takes a few seconds and the game starts again. You're sure to feel guilty, because you only want the best for health reasons too.

The invention is based on the object of proposing a device for the dosable, appropriate, delayed and playful administration of food and treats so that small pets such as dogs and cats can be rewarded in a healthier way and without a guilty conscience.

As my research has shown, the utility model documents with the reference numbers 299 09 112.0 and 297 08 195.0 are particularly suitable for comparison. While the invention underlying the reference number 297 08 195.0 differs from mine due to its local nature and non-applicability to human food leftovers such as cooked ham, tartar or similar, a more differentiated description of the disadvantages of the

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the invention underlying the file number 299 09 112.0 in comparison with the invention filed herewith:

The most important and most serious difference is in the way the food is dispensed. In the researched feeding and play bowl for animals, food is released in doses through an opening when the animal moves the bowl. This would of course result in the bowl becoming dirty in the home. It would also be unthinkable to give a piece of cooked ham when begging at the table, for example, as this would stick to the inside of the ball. The food is essentially scattered passively. Another disadvantage of the researched bowl is that it is a partially rounded hollow body, which makes cleaning the inside difficult. The solutions of the application filed here are clear from these disadvantages of the researched application, which also has other advantages.

This task is solved by two half-shells with several openings, which are connected to a kind of ball/grid ball using a bayonet or threaded closure. One of the half-shells contains the slide for attaching the food or treat, while the other has a larger opening through which the animal can reach its treat or food when the ball is closed. This leads to an active pursuit of the reward,

The device is advantageously made of plastic, wood or other suitable food-friendly and easy-to-clean material. The surface can also be covered with artificial fur or similar for better acceptance. The slide advantageously has small hooks or clips for attaching the food or treat in order to achieve a delayed release of the food depending on the degree of attachment. Further possibilities for slide design are described in the claims. The half-shell containing the slide is heavier than the other, which means that the large opening of the other half-shell is always on top when the animal tries to get to the contents of the ball when the ball is rolled.

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This results in an uneven rolling, which further stimulates the play instinct and leads to more movement and longer engagement with a piece of food or treat. A surface that is flattened in some places is also conceivable, which causes slower rolling.

An embodiment of the device according to the invention is explained and described in more detail with reference to the drawings. 10

Show it:

Figure la the heavier half-shell with openings in top view Figure Ib the same half-shell turned by 90 degrees

Figure 2a the light half-shell with openings, one of them large

Figure 2b the same half-shell rotated by 90 degrees 20

Figure 3 shows the two half shells screwed together to form a sphere in top view.

Figure 4 the same sphere in transparency, dashed the slide, dotted the rear part of the left half-shell

Figure 5 shows the slide enlarged and in side view

Figure 6 shows the slide enlarged and in plan view with small hooks

Figure 7 the opened sphere in perspective view with flattened surfaces
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Figure 8 the closed half shells in transparency

The heavier half-shell 1 shown in Figure la can contain several openings 2, which are, however, sized so that, depending on the animal, the ball can roll

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is guaranteed, and on the other hand a view of the interior is possible. A threaded 3 or bayonet catch is attached to the edge for connection. The object carrier Figure 4,4 is located inside this half-shell. The weight is designed by material thickness or similar measures so that it is more than that of the other, lighter half-shell in Figure 2a. The half-shell 1 shown in Figure 2a can contain several openings 2 which can be modeled on those of the other half-shell, but with the difference that a large opening 2g is dimensioned, depending on the animal, so that the tip of the mouth opening and/or the paws/claws can find access to the object carrier 4 through these 2g. On this object carrier 4, shown as dashed in Figure 4 and enlarged in Figure 5, there can be small hooks 5 into which the food/treat is screwed for quick and uncomplicated attachment. Depending on the strength of the twisting of the food/treat, it can be determined whether the animal gets to the desired item faster or slower.

Another possibility for attachment would be small clamp-like pliers, which hold the food or treat more or less firmly.

Claims (8)

1. Device for playfully administering small pieces of food and/or treats to small animals living in the household, such as cats and dogs, characterized in that the device consists of two half-shells ( 1 ) which can be joined together to form a sphere having several openings ( 2 ), of which a larger opening ( 2 gr) allows access to a slide ( 4 ) located in the heavier half-shell, to which the pieces of food and/or treats can be attached. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the weight of the half-shell is achieved by different material, material thickness or shifting the center of gravity under the slide compared to the other half-shell. 3. Device according to claim 1 and 2, characterized in that the heavy half-shell has several openings which, depending on the size of the animal, do not allow access to the interior. 4. Device according to claims 1-3, characterized in that the object carrier ( 4 ) located inside the heavier half-shell is arranged centrally and is cylindrical, cuboid-like or otherwise geometrically shaped. 5. Device according to claims 1-4, characterized in that small hooks, needle-like pins, worm-like threads or clamp-like components for picking up and securing the food are present at the end of the slide. 6. Device according to claims 1-5, characterized in that the lighter half-shell contains one or more openings, one of which, depending on the size of the animal, allows the tip of the mouth and/or the paws to penetrate to remove the food attached to the slide. 7. Device according to claims 1-6, characterized in that the two half-shells are connected with a thread, bayonet lock or by pressure. 8. Device according to claims 1-7, characterized in that the surface of the two half-shells can be designed with fur or fur-like material, flattened surfaces, dents and elevations.