WO2013140407A1

WO2013140407A1 - Behavioral accessory

Info

Publication number: WO2013140407A1
Application number: PCT/IL2013/050265
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gal KATAV
Original assignee: Katav Gal
Priority date: 2012-03-19
Filing date: 2013-03-19
Publication date: 2013-09-26

Abstract

A behavioral accessory for preoccupying and feeding animals that comprises a cylindrical container having a container hole; an installed selector ring having a plurality of installed ring holes of various sizes and/or shapes; wherein the selector ring is rotatably engaged with the container such that rotation of the selection ring allows alignment of the container hole with one of the installed ring holes. The behavioral accessory can comprise a cylindrical container having a plurality of container holes of various sizes and/or shapes.

Description

BEHAVIORAL ACCESSORY

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to accessories for feeding and modifying behavior of animals.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There is an unmet need for an accessory, which will satisfy pets' natural need preoccupation on a daily basis, rather than an accessory used merely for solving behavioral problems.

Wild animals, in particular hunting animals such as wolves, perform vigorous thinking and physical activity to get their food. At the end of these activities there is a reward or a possibility for a reward. They sniff and follow a potential prey, lie in ambush and chase to exhaust the animal (wolves can even chase a buffalo for a very long distance to wear it out). In contrast, pets typically do very little to obtain their food. Usually they just approach their bowl and eat from it.

Dogs and cats have similar instincts, which can be put to practice through a suitable eating accessory. When the brain is busy thinking, the body is busy taking out energy, and this is a gratifying way - both physically and mentally - for the pets.

There is need for a simple apparatus that can be controlled to predictably release food, for example by manipulation including rolling in a certain direction, can easily be adjusted according to an animal's learning how to procure food from the apparatus, and is tamper proof. SUMMARY

According to one aspect, a behavioral accessory for preoccupying and feeding animals is provided, the accessory comprising:

a cylindrical container having a container hole;

an installed selector ring having a plurality of installed ring holes, of various sizes and/or shapes;

wherein the selector ring is rotatably engaged with the container such that rotation of the selection ring allows alignment of the container hole with one of the installed ring holes.

According an alternative aspect, a behavioral accessory for preoccupying and feeding animals is provided, the accessory comprising:

a cylindrical container having a plurality of container holes of various sizes and/or shapes;

an installed selection ring having an installed ring hole;

wherein the installed selection ring is rotatably engaged with the container such that rotation of the installed selection ring allows alignment of the one of the container holes with the installed ring hole.

Preferred embodiments further comprise ridges jutting from the container, the ridges configured to facilitate rolling the accessory and dispensation of food when food is placed in the accessory and the accessory is rolled.

Some embodiments further comprise at least one article, wherein the articles are selected from a group comprising covers and handles, wherein removal of the cover allows introduction of food into the container, and wherein the handle allows an animal to relocate the accessory when the accessory cannot roll.

The covers and/or covers may comprise said ridges. Any of the behavioral accessories above preferably further comprise a notched ring having at least one notch, the installed selector ring further comprising at least one tooth, the notches engageable with the teeth, such as to prevent an animal from rotating the installed selector ring but allow a person to easily rotate the installed selector ring.

The behavioral accessories alternatively preferably further comprise a toothed ring having at least one tooth, the installed selection ring further comprising at least one notch, the notches engageable with the teeth, such as to hinder an animal from rotating the installed selector ring but allow a person to rotate the installed selector ring.

Any other arrangement that allows to similarly lock in place the selection ring is considered to be within the scope of the invention, such as a ball and a matching groove, a screw and a hole with a matching thread etc. All such means are collectively referred to herein as "tooth" and "groove".

Some embodiments further comprise at least one motion-sensitive shutter, opening when the accessory is moved and closing when it is at rest, thereby helping to keep food placed within the accessory fresh.

In preferred embodiments the container has sloped internal walls, the slopes helping to dispense food placed within the container.

The container may comprise transparent walls.

According to another aspect, a kit is provided comprising: any of said behavioral accessories, and at least one spare selector ring with spare selector holes, wherein the spare selector holes are different in size and/or in shape from the installed selector holes. According to yet another aspect, food for any of the behavioral accessories defined above is provided, the food comprising animal food nuggets, wherein the shape and/or size of the nuggets are configured to prevent quick dispensation of the nuggets installed in the accessory.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES In order to better understand the present invention and appreciate its practical applications, the following Figures are attached and referenced herein. Like components are denoted by like reference numerals.

It should be noted that the figures are given as examples and preferred embodiments only and in no way limit the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended Description and Claims.

Figure 1 illustrates in perspective view a behavioral accessory, in accordance with some embodiments; illustrates the same accessory in another perspective view; shows in perspective view a selector ring of the accessory depicted in Figures 1 and 2; shows in perspective vie a container of the accessory depicted in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 5 shows in perspective view an adjusting ring of the accessory depicted in Figures 1 and 2; Figure 6 presents a cross-section of the accessory, wherein interior walls of the container are sloped toward the selector ring.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention relates to food delivery accessories for animals. Figures 1 and 2 show for clarity two different perspective views of an accessory 100. The accessory 100 includes: a container 1 10 which can be filled with food, and at least one hole passing throughout the container 1 10, that is suitably sized to allow an animal to be preoccupied for a substantial amount of time in active procurement of food placed within the container 1 1 0.

The amount of time is dependent upon the size and/or shape of the hole relative to the food - the smaller the hole and/or the more form-fitting the hole is to the size and/or shape particles of the food, the longer it will take the animal to remove the particles out from the container 1 10.

The amount of time may span several hours for example, to keep the animal busy and out of trouble while the owner is not at home, or to stimulate the interest and learning skills of the animal. The animal may learn to more easily extract the food from the accessory, so that it will take less time to extract the food as time goes by. In some embodiments (not shown), the hole may be covered, for example a patch may be glued on the hole, and another hole may be made on the container, smaller and/or more form-fitting. However, preferred embodiments are prepared before use with various holes to allow ease of use. An exemplary embodiment is the accessory shown in Figures 1 and 2, as will be further explained below. The food may be periodically replenished into the container, for example through the holes, or as in embodiment 100 there is at least one opening (not shown) with a removable cover 130that can cover the opening. Food may be introduced into the container through the opening, after which the cover 130 is used to seal the opening.

The container 1 10 is preferably cylindrical, in which case the animal learns to roll the container 1 10, to allow the holes to face towards a floor upon which the accessory 1 10 lies, thereby food drops out.

Referring to figures 1 and 2 and additionally Figure 3, the accessory 100 further includes: a rotatable selector ring 120 comprising holes of various sizes. When first using the accessory 100, cover 130 is removed or at least partially removed, and animal food is inserted. The selector ring 120 is typically rotated so that at least the largest hole 120a in the selector ring is brought into alignment with a hole 1 12 (see Figure 4) in the container 1 10, thus providing a hole that goes throughout the accessory and allows food out of the container 1 10. The animal, such as a pet dog, is then allowed to play with the accessory 100. The dog learns to roll the accessory 100, since the food will only come out of the accessory 100 by the rolling. As the dog learns how to extract food out of the accessory 100, the selector ring 120 is rotated to cover the largest hole 122a and expose the at least the second largest hole 122b and so forth, such as to provide the dog with a new and more difficult challenge as the dog learns how to extract food out of the larger hole. Similarly, in some embodiments, the holes may first be circular or square for example, such as to allow food particles relatively easy passage through. More "advanced" holes more closely conform with the actual shape of the food particles, to provide more challenge to the dog. When the shape of food is flat, a star-shaped or cross-shaped hole may provide the animal with a challenge to extract the food. The hole itself may be a slit, to provide an ever higher challenge. It is important to select judiciously the size and/or shape of the hole, such that the extraction of food is neither frustrating nor trivial, according to the level of learning the dog has attained. A desirable time frame for the animal to work to be sated is roughly an hour to an hour and a half. According to another aspect, replacement selector rings are provided that allow replacing the current selector ring with a new selector ring having different sizes and/or shapes.

As best shown in Figure 3, the selector ring 120 also has a tooth 124. The accessory further comprises a notched ring 150, best shown in Figure 5, positioned under selector ring 120. The tooth 124 can engage the notched ring 150, such as to prevent the animal from rotating the selector ring 120 but allowing a person to easily rotate it. The feed opening cover 130 is preferably screwable to prevent the animal from spilling the food at once out of the container 1 10.

At least a portion of the container 1 10 is preferably transparent to help a caregiver of the animal assess the amount of food remaining as well as enticing the animal.

Cover 130 and handle 140, help to allow the food come out, as do the slopes 170a-d inside the container 1 10, shown in the cutout of the container 1 10 in Figure 6. The cover 130 and the handle 140 also help to allow the accessory 100 to roll. The cover 130 and the handle 140 preferably similarly jut out from the container 140 and jut out a few mm more than the selection ring 120 does, so that there is a gap between the selection ring 120 and the surface, into which the food may fall. Similarly, in other embodiments, instead of or in addition to a handle/cover jutting out, there are ridges jutting to facilitate rolling and dispensation of food. In yet other embodiments there may be less ridges and/or slopes.

Handle 140 also allows the dog to salvage the accessory from places where it got stuck, such as under cabinets, refrigerators etc., by for example pulling on the handle. Another aspect is food that is suitable in size and/or shape to the various holes. Some embodiments may comprise food particles of uniform size and shape; some may comprise an assortment of sizes and/or shapes and/or flavours and/or nutritional contents. The size and shape of the food preferably prevent quick dispensation of the food, and typically it will take the animal several hours to empty the accessory from food.

Typically, to need to prevent the dog from finishing the food quickly serves not merely to occupy the dog while the master is away from home, but also to prevent it from bingeing. The accessory and/or food may also allow keeping a dog in a yard while the master is away overnight, the accessory 100 providing sufficient food for sustenance during the absence of the owner, instead of the dog finishing outright the food as soon as the master leaves and then being hungry the day after. The accessory 1 00 is completely safe and will not react violently to being pushed over.

It is stressed that the accessory is suitable for all kinds of animals. The accessory may serve a number of animals, such as a dog and a cat, by means of for example exposing more than one hole, each hole suitable for the food of one animal, or different individuals of various sizes of a same species. Alternatively, each species of animal may have an accessory more suitable to itself, such as a small size for small caged pet birds, with small holes for small food, and a large size accessory for a large dog. The apparatus is particularly suitable for active four-legged animals such as dogs, cats, and weasels, and parrots and other intelligent and active birds. All parts of the accessory are preferably durable, non-toxic, and preferably are resistant to chewing, and/or dishwasher, and/or forceful blows and/or abrasion.

According to another aspect, a kit is provided, comprising at least one accessory 100 and a guide teaching how to use the accessory 100, for example a DVD containing a video (not shown) showing how to fill the accessory 100 and how to adjust it as the animal improves its ability to extract food from the accessory 100. The accessory may also include a diaphragm or a shutter, such as a shutter that is motion-sensitive, opening when the accessory is moved and closing when it is at rest. Such shutters may help keep the food within the accessory fresh.

Claims

A behavioral accessory for preoccupying and feeding animals, the accessory comprising :

a cylindrical container having a container hole;

an installed selection ring having an installed ring hole;

wherein the installed selection ring is rotatably engaged with the container such that rotation of the installed selection ring allows alignment of the one of the container holes with the installed ring hole. The behavioral accessory of claim 1 or 2, further comprising ridges jutting from the container, the ridges configured to facilitate rolling the accessory and dispensation of food when food is placed in the accessory and the accessory is rolled.

The behavioral accessory of claim 1 or 2, further comprising at least one article, wherein the articles are selected from a group comprising covers and handles, wherein removal of the cover allows introduction of food into the container, and wherein the handle allows an animal to relocate the accessory when the accessory cannot roll.

5. The behavioral accessory of claim 4, wherein the covers and/or covers comprise the ridges of claim 3.

6. The behavioral accessory of claim 1 or 2, further comprising a notched ring having at least one notch, the installed selector ring further comprising at least one tooth, the notches engageable with the teeth, such as to prevent an animal from rotating the installed selector ring but allow a person to easily rotate the installed selector ring.

7. The behavioral accessory of claim 1 or 2, further comprising a toothed ring having at least one tooth, the installed selection ring further comprising at least one notch, the notches engageable with the teeth, such as to hinder an animal from rotating the installed selector ring but allow a person to rotate the installed selector ring.

8. The behavioral accessory of claim 1 or 2, further comprising at least motion-sensitive shutter, opening when the accessory is moved and closing when the accessory is at rest, thereby helping to keep food placed within the accessory fresh.

9. The behavioral accessory of claim 1 or 2, wherein the container has sloped internal walls, the slopes helping to dispense food placed within the container.

10. The behavioral accessory of claim 1 or 2, wherein the container comprises transparent walls.

1 1 .A kit comprising: The behavioral accessory of claim 1 or 2, and at least one spare selector ring with spare selector holes, wherein the spare selector holes are different in size and/or in shape from the installed selector holes.

12. Food for the behavioral accessory of claim 1 or 2, the food comprising animal food nuggets, wherein the shape and/or size of the nuggets are configured to prevent quick dispensation of the nuggets installed in the accessory.