GB2284743A

GB2284743A - Anti-ant bowl

Info

Publication number: GB2284743A
Application number: GB9325490A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Otto Wu
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-12-14
Filing date: 1993-12-14
Publication date: 1995-06-21
Also published as: CA2111748A1; GB9325490D0; FR2714586A3; FR2714586B3

Abstract

An anti-ant bowl (10) includes a bowl body defined by an inner circumferential side wall (2) formed on a bottom (4) to define a food containing space (5). An outer circumferential side wall (1) is mounted to the lower edge of and surrounding the inner circumferential side wall to define a circumferential groove (3) surrounding the food containing space for filling therein water to prevent ants from getting into the food containing space. The outer side wall has an outer surface which in inclined to diverge toward the top side of the bowl. <IMAGE>

Description

ANTI-ANT BOWL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates generally to a food container and in particular to a bowl having a circumferential groove for filling therein water to prevent ants from contacting the food preserved in the bowl.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Bowls or the like are widely used to contain food. One of the troubles in using the food containers without covers is that the food placed in the open food containers may attract insects, such as ants, especially when dinning outdoors. The ants that are attracted by the food may cause contamination to the food.

One way to prevent the ants from getting into the food containers is to cover the food inside the containers with plastic films. However, since such plastic films are in general not recycled, they may constitute a pollution to the environment and may be a waste of the resources that human beings have.

It is therefore desirable to provide a food container which has anti-ant means formed thereon to overcome the abovementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The principal objective of the present invention is to provide an anti-ant bowl which has a circumferential water groove formed thereon to surround the space which receives food therein so as to prevent the ants from getting into the food containing space.

To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, there is provided an anti-ant bowl comprising a bowl body defined by an inner circumferential side wall formed on a bottom to define a food containing space. An outer circumferential side wall is mounted to the lower edge of and surrounding the inner circumferential side wall to define a circumferential groove surrounding the food containing space for filling therein water to prevent ants from getting into the food containing space. The outer side wall has an outer surface which in inclined to diverge toward the top side of the bowl.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objectives and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an anti-ant bowl constructed in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the anti-ant bowl of Fig. 1; and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of an anti-ant bowl constructed in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference to the drawings and in particular to FIGS.

1 and 2, wherein a first embodiment of an anti-ant bowl constructed in accordance with the present invention, generally designated with'the reference numeral 10, is shown, the anti-ant bowl 10 comprises a circular bowl body having a bottom plate 4 on an upper surface of which an inner circumferential side wall 2 is formed and extending upward to define therein a first food containing space 5 having a wide top opening 6 for preserving therein food or the like (not shown).

The inner circumferential side wall 2 has an outer surface 7 which is preferably inclined in such a way to convergent toward the top opening 6.

A circumferential skirt 8 is formed on a lower surface of the bottom 4 as an extension of the inner circumferential side wall 2 to provide a support of the bowl 10 on a support surface (not shown) . The skirt 8 has an outer surface extending from the outer surface 7 of the inner circumferential side wall 2 to provide a continuous inclined outer surface.

An outer circumferential side wall 1 is mounted to the lower edge of the skirt 8 in such a way to diverge toward the top side of the bowl 10 so as to define a circumferential groove 3 between the inner and outer side walls 2 and 1 within which water or other suitable fluid 9 (Fig. 2) may be filled to prevent ants (not shown) to get into the first food containing space 5.

The skirt 8 depending from the lower surface of the bottom 4 of the bowl 10 further defines a second food containing space 10 with the lower surface of the bottom 4 which second food containing space may be used to receive and preserve food (not shown) therein, if the bowl 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is placed up-side-down.

Preferably, the outer circumferential side wall 1 is substantially lower than the inner circumferential side wall 2, as best seen in FIG. 2, so that when the bowl 10 is used in an upper-side-down manner, only the top opening 6 of the first food containing space 5 contacts the support surface (not shown) and the distance between the support surface and the second food containing space 10 is elongated to help preventing ants from getting into the second food containing space 10 easily.

It is understood, although the anti-ant bowl 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has a circular configuration, other shapes may also be adapted, such as a rectangular one shown in FIG. 3.

The structure of the rectangular bowl 10' shown in FIG. 3 is similar to that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, namely, a circumferential groove 3' defined by an inner and an outer circumferential side walls 2' and 1 is provided around a food containing space 5' defined inside the side walls 2' and 1'.

Water (not shown in FIG. 3) may be filled in the circumferential groove 3' to prevent ants from getting into the containing space 5'.

It is apparent that although the invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art may make changes to certain features of the preferred embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS

1. An anti-ant bowl comprising a bowl body having a bottom on an upper surface of which an inner circumferential side wall is formed and extending toward a top side of said bowl body to define a first food containing space, an outer circumferential side wall mounted to and surrounding said inner circumferential side wall to define a circumferential groove therebetween to surround the first food containing space for filling therein n fluid which prevents ants from getting into the first food containing space.

2. An anti-ant bowl as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said outer side wall has an outer surface which is inclined to diverge toward the top side of said bowl body.

3. An anti-ant bowl as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said inner side wall comprises a circumferential skirt extending downward from said bottom, opposite to said inner side wall, to define a second food containing space with a lower surface of said bottom, opposite to the upper surface thereof, said skirt having a lower edge to which said outer circumferential side wall is mounted and extending toward the top side to an altitude lower than said inner side wall so as to define said circumferential groove therebetween.

4. An anti-ant bowl as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said fluid filled in the circumferential groove comprises water.

5. A bowl substantially as described herein with reference to or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.