Food tube for dogs

Abstract

A food tube for dogs, which contains treats for rewarding dogs for dosed delivery to dogs, with a flexible tube sleeve and a closure that can be connected to the sleeve, characterized in that a capsule made of largely bite-resistant material can be placed on the flexible tube sleeve instead of the closure.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a food tube for dogs, which contains treats for rewarding dogs for dosed dispensing to dogs.

[0002] Rewarding dogs with food plays a central role in dog training and is based on the principle of operant conditioning, in which dogs learn that their behavior has consequences. Rewarding dogs with food can reinforce a desired behavior. The dog learns that certain behavior has positive consequences and will therefore exhibit this behavior more frequently. Counterconditioning also plays an important role in dog behavior therapy. In this therapy, a stimulus that is negatively charged or perceived as threatening by the dog (e.g., a person wearing a hat, tick tweezers, etc.) is associated with a positive stimulus (e.g., food). The previously negative emotion is then replaced with a positive emotion. In the future, the dog will respond to the previously negative stimulus with joy.

[0003] High-quality treats are preferred for rewards. Tasty and attractive treats are particularly suitable for training, especially for new and difficult tasks. Treat rewards should be kept as small as possible to avoid overfeeding the dog and to allow for numerous repetitions of the training. Treats are also used for counter-conditioning.

[0004] Such treats can be given to dogs in various forms to meet the dog's needs and preferences, as well as the requirements of the training. A very common form of such treats is in the form of a paste. The advantage here is that such pastes are easy to dose. Examples of such treats include liver paste, cheese paste, and other paste-like dog snacks. Such treats also have the advantage that they can be administered in small doses and are easy to chew, thus not interrupting the flow of training during intensive training.

[0005] Paste treats can easily be delivered directly from tubes, so-called food tubes. To do this, hold the tube at the ready, and the dog can take a small amount of the treat paste directly into its mouth. The convenient administration of the treat is advantageous here. This is especially useful for a quick reward during training.

[0006] Such feeding tubes for administering treats are already well known. They usually consist of a flexible tube casing and a cap that can be connected to it. This cap is often screwed on as a lid. After unscrewing the cap, the tube is held out to the dog as a reward, and the corresponding strand of treat paste is placed in the dog's mouth. However, the dog will often bite down when administering the treat paste—especially when highly excited—and in the process damage the end of the tube, onto which the cap is supposed to be screwed back on. This regularly leads to the tube no longer being able to be closed, causing the treat paste to dry out, or to unintentional leakage of the paste when the tube is stored unsealed. Furthermore, it happens that the dog swallows small pieces at the end of the tube and vomits.

[0007] The object of the invention is therefore to further develop a commercially available food tube in such a way that it can no longer be damaged by biting when a treat is administered to the dog and no parts can be swallowed.

[0008] According to the invention, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a food tube for dogs, which contains treats for rewarding dogs for dosed dispensing, is further developed with a flexible tube sleeve and a closure that can be connected to the latter, in such a way that instead of the closure, a capsule made of largely bite-resistant material can be placed on the flexible tube sleeve.

[0009] According to the inventive solution, when administering the treat to reward the dog, the cap is removed or unscrewed, and a capsule made of a largely bite-resistant material is placed or screwed on in place of the cap. This protects the tube outlet, which usually contains the screw connection or other connection for attaching the cap.

[0010] Advantageous embodiments of the invention emerge from the subclaims following the main claim. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the capsule can have a mechanical device for easy attachment and removal from the tube. This could be, for example, a screw or click system.

[0011] This ensures that, when handling the food tube, the cap can be quickly exchanged between the solid capsule and the lid. Furthermore, the capsule sits firmly on the tube thanks to the mechanical connection, eliminating the risk of the capsule being separated from the tube by a dog bite during use.

[0012] The capsule advantageously has a shape that approximates a spherical cap. This geometric shape further enhances the bite resistance provided by the bite-resistant material. When the dog bites, the teeth slide off the rounded capsule. Furthermore, the shape makes it easier for the dog to lick the capsule to access the food paste.

[0013] The capsule can be manufactured cost-effectively from an injection-molded part. It is advantageously made from a thermoplastic material with a surface that is highly scratch- and abrasion-resistant.

[0014] Glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate (PET-G) is particularly suitable for this purpose. PET-G is a thermoplastic produced by modifying PET with glycol. This modification gives PET-G a number of properties that make it particularly suitable for this application. The capsule, made of PET-G, has high impact strength and thus a high bite resistance. It is chemical-resistant and easy to process because PET-G is easily thermoformed. A particularly advantageous feature of PET-G is that it is food-safe and can therefore be used in the production of food and beverage packaging, as well as medical devices.

[0015] According to another alternative embodiment, the capsule can also be made of copolymerized polyoxymethylene (POM-C). POM-C is a special type of polyoxymethylene (POM). This engineering thermoplastic exhibits excellent mechanical properties and, due to its particularly low friction and high wear resistance, provides a good bite-resistant material in this case.

[0016] Structurally, the capsule can advantageously consist of an outer skin, a central connecting part, and connecting ribs connecting these two parts. Alternatively, the capsule can also be designed as a solid part.

[0017] In addition to the food tube with a corresponding capsule, the subject of protection also includes an isolated capsule intended for use in a food tube for dogs.

[0018] Further details and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description of individual embodiments.

[0019] They show: Fig. 1 a perspective view of a food tube for dogs with a capsule attached according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 a capsule according to an embodiment of the present invention in different views and in a longitudinal section and Fig. 3 an alternative embodiment of a capsule according to the invention, also in different views and in a longitudinal section.

[0020] In Fig. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a food tube 10 for dogs. This tube typically consists of a flexible tube sleeve 12 and a screw-on closure (not shown in detail here). The tube contains a paste-like treat, such as liver paste or cheese paste, for administration to a dog. In the embodiment shown here, the closure can be designed as a screw-on cap.

[0021] In the representation according to Fig. According to one embodiment of the invention, the screw-on cap-shaped closure in Fig. 1 is replaced by a capsule 14 made of a largely bite-resistant material. The capsule 14 has a central opening 16 through which the paste-like treat can be dispensed in measured amounts by squeezing the tube sleeve 12.

[0022] The capsule 14 is approximately a spherical cap, i.e., it has a rounded, edge-free surface. A first embodiment of such a capsule 14 is shown in the illustration according to Fig. 2. Different views of the capsule are shown here. The capsule 14 according to this embodiment is shown as a solid injection-molded part, as shown in section AA. In the example shown here, the injection-molded part is made of POM-C. A thread 18 is provided in the cap for screwing onto the tube sleeve 12. A dispensing opening 16 is recessed at the upper apex.

[0023] A further embodiment of the bite-resistant capsule 14 results from Fig. 3. The capsule 14, which is also designed as an injection-molded part, is made of PRT-G. Here, too, a corresponding screw thread 18 is provided for screwing onto the tube casing 12. However, in contrast to the embodiment of the capsule 14 according to Fig.2, the present part is not solidly constructed, but consists of an outer skin 20, which has a surface configuration correspondingly approximating that of a spherical cap. This is then connected via connecting ribs 22 to the central connecting part, which is designed as a thread 18.

[0024] Advantageously, corresponding bite-resistant capsules 14 can be provided separately as retrofit parts in order to be used with commercially available food tubes during practical use, i.e. when dispensing treats to dogs.

Claims

[1] Food tube for dogs, which contains treats to reward dogs for dosed delivery to dogs, with a flexible tube cover and a closure that can be connected to it, characterized by that instead of the closure, a capsule made of largely bite-resistant material can be placed on the flexible tube shell. [2] Feed tube according to claim 1, characterized by that the capsule has a mechanical device for easy placement on and removal from the feed tube, such as a screw or click system. [3] Feed tube according to claim 1, characterized by that the capsule has a shape approximating that of a spherical cap. [4] Feed tube according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the capsule consists of an injection-molded part. [5] Feed tube according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the capsule is made of a thermoplastic material with high scratch and abrasion resistance of the surface. [6] Feed tube according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by that the capsule is made of glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate (PET-G). [7] Feed tube according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by that the capsule is made of copolymerized polyoxymethylene (POM-C). [8] Feed tube according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the capsule consists of an outer skin, a central connecting part and connecting ribs connecting these two parts. [9] Feed tube according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the capsule is designed as a solid part. [10] Capsule for a feed tube according to one of the preceding claims.

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