The present invention relates generally to a stand or support device for deterring crawling insects such as ants from infesting another object, such as a pet food bowl, food storage reservoir, planter, or the like, and more particularly to a stand having a leg comprising a repellant to deter ants from ascending the legs.
Insect infestations are a common problem to many households and restaurants. Once insects such as ants infiltrate a space it can be most difficult to get rid of the ants once and for all, particularly where food is stored. For restaurants, food is typically stored in the same place making it easy for insects to return. In domestic locations, food is also normally stored in pantry that ants can enter and bring back food for its queen. Other sources of food include pet bowls that are placed on the ground, sometimes outside or in the kitchen area, which attracts ants and bring the ants to other sources of food. Plants, particularly those with sweet flowers, can attract ants that then spread to neighboring areas.
Numerous attempts have been made to help prevent ants from infesting food storage containers and, in particular, pet food dishes. One such approach is shown in the Anderson patent. U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,531. This device provides a container resting on a frame, which has support legs. Each of the support legs has a moat cup. A fluid is placed in the moat cup and provides a barrier to the passage of crawling insects. The filling of the moat cups would be a tedious step and in the event the frame is knocked over, the cups would become empty and require refilling.
Another approach is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,626 to Haake, Sr. This device is an insect barrier. It utilizes a spongy member disposed under a protective cover or under a peripheral ring surrounding a dish. This device requires a specially made dish to support a center post or the peripheral ring.
The Byer patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,749 shows a dish supported off a floor by a plurality of pillars. Each pillar has a down-sloping hemispherical shaped collar, which is said to prevent the passage of ants.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,506 to Sanders utilizes an annular moat containing a sticky substance for trapping insects. The Walker patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,619,952 shows an animal feeder, which utilizes a moat with a liquid or a cartridge or pad containing an insect repellent. Once again, a specially formed dish is required. The Frank patent U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,428 shows a pet dish with an insect barrier. The barrier is a recess near the bottom of the dish and includes a surrounding strip containing an insecticide. Once again, a specially formed dish is required.
The present inventor developed a unique solution to the shortcomings of the above-identified offerings, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,735,901, the contents of which are fully incorporated herein by reference. Entitled Ant Repellant Stand, the apparatus comprised a stand for affixing to and supporting a container or structure that enclosed substances that attract ants. The stand had an inverted cup with a base having an upwardly facing attachment surface that could be used to couple the stand to the associated container, and a downwardly depending peripheral side wall forming a cavity. A support post is affixed to the base and extends downwardly past the lower edge of the side wall. An ant repellant ring or treated fibrous material is supported within the cavity above the lower edge of the peripheral side wall. The ants climb up the support post, but are deterred by the repellant ring or fibrous material and thus they are repelled or exposed to the insecticide.
The present inventor has developed some additional improvements to the ant repellant stand that are incorporated into the present invention. The present invention is a pet food bowl stand, or mounting device, that can repel the insurgence of ants or crawling insects on low lying open containers, bowls, or trays. The stand or mounting device has an inverted cup structure and includes a peg that quickly snaps into the base of the bowl at a fitted hole, and the cup itself has a hole that receives the mating peg of a leg member. The inner surface of the cup, or the peg (or both), is coated with an ant repellant, forcing an insect to have to traverse the peg and cup across the repellant in order to climb up the bowl. The modular system with plug-in pegs allows for easy replacement and quick installation, so the stands can be exchanged when they lose their effectiveness if any, and further allows handling of the stands via the outer surface of the cup. The modular system allows the stand to be removed completely so that the container/bowl/tray can be cleaned such as in a dishwasher.