FR2778891A3 - Disposable pet food bowl containing one portion of food for the animal - Google Patents

Abstract

The bowl (1) comprises a smooth inner surface with its' size and shape adapted for each animal concerned e.g. cat or dog. One portion of pet food (4) is packaged within the bowl and is sealed by a removable seal (7) such as a tear off film. The bowl is mounted on a non slip base (9). Alternatively, the bowl can be placed in a separate support.

Description

Disposable tray adapted to contain food for an animal of

  company The present invention boncerne a disposable tray adapted to contain a food for an animal of

  company, especially for a cat or a dog.

  The present invention also relates to a ration of a pet food, contained

  in a disposable tray of the aforementioned type.

  There are known disposable trays adapted to contain a food, comprising a hollow body forming a container defining a cavity adapted to receive a predetermined quantity of said food and limited by a peripheral wall which has at its upper part a substantially flat peripheral edge adapted to receive a film. detachable fixed along said edge for

  sealingly close said cavity.

  Known disposable trays are adapted to contain, for example, food for babies or children, especially of the compote type. Other known disposable trays are suitable for containing a food, in particular of the mash type, for a pet,

especially for a cat.

  In known disposable trays, the quantity of food contained corresponds practically to the useful volume of the cavity. In the case of a food of the food type for a pet, the animal can take, with its tongue, only a part, generally small, of the food contained in the tray, because it can't grab a single piece of food with

his teeth.

  In general, pet food is marketed in closed packages filled to the brim, with the aim of minimizing both the price of the package and the volume occupied by it, which is important

2 2778891

  both for the transport and storage of this packaging and for the presentation of the latter in

with a view to their marketing.

  For this reason of minimizing the cost and volume of the packaging, and for reasons related to the method of filling this packaging, foods of the mash type are often in the form of a compressed block. That the pet food is in the form of dry food, for example in the form of kibbles, or in the form of wet food, for example with pieces of meat and vegetables or cereals in a liquid of the type soup or porridge, or finally in dehydrated form to be rewetted before consumption, it is necessary to take a certain amount of food from the packaging and place it in a bowl to allow the animal to access the food as well with his tongue as with his teeth. It is therefore necessary to have an adapted instrument, spatula, spoon, fork, etc ... In the particular case of a relatively compressed and dense mash, it is necessary to take this mash so as to shape pieces of access more easy for the animal once they are arranged in a bowl. This also reduces the

compactness of the mash.

  Such a bowl is bulky, unattractive, and must be cleaned very frequently for reasons of hygiene. If the packaging corresponds to a quantity of food greater than a unit ration, this packaging remains open and also constitutes a bulky, unattractive object, possibly susceptible

  to give off unpleasant odors.

  Finally, when it is necessary to travel with a pet, in particular a cat or a dog, whatever the mode of locomotion used, train,

3 2778891

  automobile, coach or even plane, the obligation to take and use a bowl, on the one hand, on the other hand, a box containing the food provided, and an instrument to collect this food, imposes many constraints . There is therefore an increasingly acute need for a packaging likely to contain a ration of a food for a pet of predetermined type, this packaging being designed to contain, in a sealed manner, a food for pet and for serve as a bowl so as to allow said animal to consume the food contained in this packaging easily, completely and cleanly, the packaging

  being thrown away when the animal has finished its meal.

  According to the present invention, the disposable tray of the aforementioned type is characterized in that it is shaped internally like a bowl with a smooth inner surface, generally flared upward, without roughness or recesses, whose water capacity is , at least after tearing off the peelable film, substantially greater than the volume actually occupied by said food, in that it has dimensions adapted to the morphology of the animal concerned and to the corresponding predetermined quantity of said food, and in that 'it comprises at its lower part means forming a seat adapted to rest on a substantially flat ground or support, so that said tray constitutes a container adapted to contain a ration of food for a pet and to serve as bowl in which the animal concerned can eat easily, completely and cleanly said ration, the tray then being thrown ée. The water capacity of the tray being significantly greater than the volume actually occupied by the food concerned, the animal can put its nose to

4 2778891

  inside the tray without the risk of pieces of food being thrown outside the tray. This is particularly true in the case of a dry food in the form of kibbles, which are easily displaceable, or of a wet food comprising pieces in a more or less liquid bottom. If the food is in the form of a relatively dense mash, this can be arranged in a non-uniform manner, for example in the form of a food ball located in the center of the tray, so that the animal can access the food both with the teeth and with the tongue, on the top and on the sides

of this ball.

  The flared shape, and the absence of roughness or nooks, make the animal can easily consume

the whole ration.

  Thus, the tray according to the present invention, unlike the known packaging adapted to contain a food for a pet, constitutes a packaging which has a water capacity greater than the volume of the food concerned, and which occupies by itself, once stored, a unit volume much higher than that

of the food ration.

  This condition, which is necessary to enable the tray according to the invention to achieve the set goal, goes against the habits and customs which aim, in general, to minimize the cost and size of packaging, and obliges those skilled in the art to overcome the corresponding prejudice in order to dare to offer bulky packaging making it possible to satisfy the new need underlying

the present invention.

  Another aspect of the invention relates to a ration of a pet food, characterized in that it is contained in a

  tray according to the first aspect of the invention.

2778891

  This ration preferably constitutes a daily ration of a complete feed for an animal of

company of predetermined type.

  Other special features and advantages of

  present invention will appear in the description

detailed below.

  In the accompanying drawings, given only by way of nonlimiting examples: - Figure 1 is a schematic sectional view of a first embodiment of the present invention; - Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 of a second embodiment of the invention; - Figure 3 is a view similar to the figure

  1 of a third embodiment of the invention.

  There is shown in the figures a disposable tray 1, 21, 31 adapted to contain a food 4 for a pet of predetermined type, in particular

for a cat or for a dog.

  This disposable tray 1, 21, 31 comprises a hollow body 2 forming a container defining a cavity 3 adapted to receive a predetermined quantity, constituting a ration, of said food 4 and limited by a peripheral wall 5 which has at its upper part a peripheral edge 6 substantially flat adapted to receive a removable film 7 fixed along said edge 6 to seal the cavity 3. Such a removable film is known in itself and is welded or glued in a manner

  any known classic on the edge 6.

  According to the invention, the disposable tray 1, 21, 31 is shaped internally like a bowl with a smooth inner surface 8, generally flared upwards, without roughness or recesses, whose water capacity is, at least after uprooting of the

6 2778891

  peelable film 7, substantially greater than

  volume actually occupied by the food 4.

  The disposable tray 1, 21, 31 has dimensions adapted to the morphology of the animal concerned and to the corresponding predetermined quantity

food 4.

  The disposable tray 1, 21, 31 comprises, at its lower part, means forming a seat 9 adapted to bear on a ground 10 or on a support

substantially planar.

  Thus, said tray 1, 21, 31 constitutes a container adapted to contain a ration of a food 4 for a pet of predetermined type, and to serve as a bowl in which this animal can easily, completely and cleanly eat said ration. , the

  tray 1, 21, 31 then being discarded.

  In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the tray 1 constitutes a container of clearly flared shape upwards, the peripheral wall 5 ending upwards by a peripheral rim 6 having in cross section a concave shape whose concavity is turned down. The rim 6 is sufficiently flat to be adapted to receive a tear-off film 7 provided with a free tab 7a

  which is seized to tear off the film 7.

  In this embodiment, the interior volume of the tray 1 is significantly greater than the volume

  actually occupied by the food 4.

  The seat 9 of the tray 1 is constituted by the substantially flat bottom 11 of said tray. This seat 9 comprises non-slip means 12 which here consist of a double-sided adhesive, one face of which is applied to at least part of the bottom 11 of the tray 1 adapted to rest on the substantially flat ground 10, and the other side is covered with

peelable film 13.

7 2778891

  It is then sufficient to remove the peelable film 13 and to place the tray 1 by its bottom 11 on the ground so that this bottom adheres to the ground so as to oppose a predetermined resistance to a push tending to move the tray 1 on the substantially flat ground. 10

on which it is placed.

  The double-sided adhesive 12 could be replaced by means forming suction cups, protected if necessary.

  if necessary by a peelable film.

  The tray 1 shown schematically in Figure 1 lends itself to a simple and economical and easy to use. It is adapted to contain a food in any form. Since there is no subjection linked to the volume, this food will advantageously be uncompressed, preferably with pieces coated in a sauce, so that the animal can directly eat this food in the state in which it is in the tray, without preparation

neither manipulation nor intervention.

  The tray 21 shown schematically in Figure 2 comprises a first portion of flared peripheral wall 5 which is extended by a peripheral edge 6 substantially planar and parallel to the bottom 11. This edge 6 is adapted to receive a peelable film 7 which tightly covers the food 4 deposited in the

  cavity 3 under this removable film 7.

  The peripheral edge 6 is extended outwards and upwards by a second part 22 of peripheral wall ending in a second edge

rounded 23.

  In this embodiment, the edge 6 can have a minimum radial or transverse dimension just necessary for bonding or welding the

peel-off film 7.

  The second peripheral wall portion 22 limits a second cavity 24 which remains open towards the

S 2778891

  top and which can, for example, receive the bottom 11 of a

  another similar container 21 stacked on the first.

  When the peelable film 7 is removed, the animal can come to eat the food 4 located in the lower cavity 3: any part of the food 4 leaving the lower cavity 3 remains in the second cavity 24. The animal can thus eat cleanly and completely the food 4 contained in the cavity

lower 3.

  In this embodiment, the means forming the seat 9 of the tray 21 constituted by the respective lower surfaces of the bottom 11, of the peripheral wall 5 and of the peripheral edge 6 are adapted to be received in means complementary to a suitable support 25 to receive the tray 21 stably and to rest stably on the ground substantially

plan 10.

  In this example, the support 25 has a bottom 26, a peripheral wall 27 and a peripheral edge 28 substantially matching the shape of the lower surfaces.

above from the tray 21.

  In the example shown, the bottom surface of the bottom 26 of the support 25 carries pads 29 in

  rubber acting as non-slip means.

  In the example shown schematically in Figure 3, the tray 31 is similar to the tray 1 of Figure 1, and is shaped so as to substantially cover the support 32, which has a bottom 33 and a peripheral wall 34 flared towards the top 34 receiving respectively the bottom 11 and the peripheral wall 5 of the tray 31. The peripheral wall 34 ends at its upper part by a convex peripheral edge 35 which is extended downwards by a peripheral wall 36 flared downwards. The wall 36 is itself extended by an edge 37 adapted to rest on the ground 10, where appropriate by means of

9 2778891

  rubber pads 38, the edge 37 extending outward and may be continuous or discontinuous to

form separate feet.

  In this example, the removable film 7 is placed on the outer peripheral edge 6, which is here flat, of the tray 31. The bottom 33 can rest or not

not rest on the ground 10.

  This makes it possible to place in the cavity 3 of the tray 31 a compact mash in the shape of a food ball whose external surface 39 in the shape of a dome can be attacked by an animal as well with

her lips than with her teeth.

  In the three embodiments which have just been described, the body 2 of the tray 1, 21, 31 is advantageously made of a plastic material or

thermoformed composite.

  The tray 21, 31 substantially covers the corresponding support 25, 32 which thus remains clean after the animal's meal and can therefore be recovered and

  stored without special precautions.

  We have thus described a disposable tray constituting a simple and economical solution to the problem underlying the present invention. The ration contained in this tray is advantageously designed to constitute a daily ration of a complete food for a pet of predetermined type. Of course, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments which have just been described, and many changes and modifications can be made to them without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, the structural elements described above can be combined with one another in different ways.

2778891

Claims (10)

  1. Disposable tray (1, 21, 31) adapted to contain food (4) for a pet, in particular for a cat or for a dog, comprising a hollow body (2) forming a container defining a suitable cavity (3) to receive a predetermined quantity of said food (4) and limited by a peripheral wall (5) which has at its upper part a peripheral edge (6) substantially flat adapted to receive a tear-off film (7) fixed along said edge (6) for sealingly sealing said cavity (3), characterized in that it is internally shaped like a bowl with a smooth internal surface (8), generally flared upward, without roughness or recesses, the capacity of which water is, at least after tearing off the peelable film (7), substantially greater than the volume actually occupied by said food (4), in that it has dimensions adapted to the morphology of the animal concerned and to the corresponding predetermined quantity of said food (4), and in that it comprises at its lower part means forming a seat (9) adapted to bear on a ground (10) or support (25, 32) substantially planar, so that said tray (1, 21, 31) constitutes a container adapted to contain a ration of a food (4) for a pet and to serve as a bowl in which the animal concerned can easily, completely and cleanly eat said ration , the tray (1, 21, 31) then being thrown away.   2. Tray according to claim 1, characterized in that the seat means (9) are adapted to oppose a predetermined resistance to a push tending to move said tray (1, 21, 31) on the ground (10) substantially flat on which said tray (1, 21, 31) is placed.   1 'i 2778891 3. Tray according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the seat means (9) comprise non-slip means (12), for example rubber pads (29, 38).   4. Tray according to claim 3, characterized in that the non-slip means comprise a double-sided adhesive (12) one side of which is applied to a bottom part (11) of the tray (1) adapted to rest on said floor. (10) substantially planar, the other of which is covered with a peelable film (13).   5. Tray according to claim 3, characterized in that the non-slip means comprise means forming a protected suction cup, the case   if necessary, with a peelable film.   6. Tray according to claim 1, characterized in that the seat means (9) are adapted to cooperate with complementary means of a support (25, 32) adapted to receive the tray (21, 31) stably and to rest so   stable on substantially flat ground (10).   7. Tray according to claim 6, characterized in that it is shaped so as to   substantially cover said support (25, 32).   8. Tray according to any one of   previous claims, characterized in that the   body (2) is made of a plastic material or thermoformed composite.   9. Ration of a pet food, characterized in that it is contained in a tray (1, 21, 31) according to any one of previous claims.   10. Ration according to claim 9, characterized in that it constitutes a daily ration of a complete feed for an animal of predetermined type.