GB2304273A - Bowls with liners - Google Patents

Abstract

To improve the hygiene of animal (or human) feeding bowls, an inner liner (2) of plastics material or paper is mounted within the bowl (1) before each feed and is removed and disposed of after the feed, thus avoiding the need to clean the feeding bowl itself. The liner and bowl may have complementary locating means (3,4) to secure them together and prevent undesired relative rotation or other movement.

Description

FEEDING BOWLS This invention relates to feeding bowls.

Primarily, it relates to feeding bowls for domestic animals such as cats or dogs but the invention is also applicable more widely to feeding bowls, for example infants feeding bowls.

It is important that feeding bowls, whether for domestic animals or humans, are kept clean and hygienic, to avoid or reduce contamination by bacteria or spoilt food. Feeding bowls and plates used by humans are generally cleaned after each use by either hand washing or by washing them in a dish washer. Many people are, however, reluctant to apply the same cleaning methods to pet food bowls in view of the perceived increased "dirtiness" of the animal. In particular, people are often reluctant to put pet bowls into a dish washer alongside the family's utensils and therefore the pet's bowls tend to be given a more cursory handwash. This increases the risk of residues being left on the bowl after washing and thus contamination.

The present invention arose in an attempt to provide a more hygienic solution to pet feeding.

According to the present invention there is provided a disposable liner for a feeding bowl, the liner being shaped so as to conform with at least part of the internal surface of the feeding bowl.

The liner is preferably prefabricated of a paper or plastics material for example and is constructed of sufficiently cheap materials that after the liner has been used once it can be disposed of, thus avoiding the need for cleaning the bowl. Each time the pet is fed, a new disposable liner is used.

In a preferred embodiment, location means are provided respectively on the bowl and the liner, which means serve to locate the liner and prevent it from moving and rotating with respect to the bowl. These means may comprise protrusions on one or other of the bowl and liner and cooperating slots, through-cuts or grooves on the respective other one. In a preferred embodiment, the locating means comprises one or more protrusions having an enlarged head, associated with the bowl and a cut or cross-cut made in the liner through which the protrusion extends so that the liner is held on by the enlarged head of the protrusion.

In one embodiment the pet food is dispensed into a liner at time of manufacture, before or after cooking.

A lid, eg a peel-off lid of foil or a plastics material is then applied in a sterile environment. The sterile package, comprising liner, food product and lid, is then sold and the whole product need only be placed in a pet feeding bowl and the lid removed before the pet can eat the food. After use, the liner/food container is disposed of.

In a modification, the liner is provided in a generally flat configuration but has means to enable it to be shaped to conform to a feeding bowl. This may comprise a corrugated portion of the liner or other means.

The liner may be used for pet feeding bowls or for human feeding bowls or other bowls.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows respectively a feeding bowl and a liner in schematic plan views; Figure 2 shows a detail of a locating stud; Figure 3 shows the liner mounted upon the bowl; Figure 4 shows a detail of part of a second embodiment of liner; and Figures 5 shows a liner used as a food container.

Referring to Figures 1 and 3, there is shown in plan view a conventional pets feeding bowl 1 and a disposable liner 2. The liner is shaped to generally conform to the internal shape of bowl 1 so that it will fit within it, as shown generally at Figure 3. Bowl 1 will usually be of rigid moulded plastics material or metal for example. The liner 2 may be formed of a light plastics material or of a cellulosic material such as paper, eg recycled paper, which is cheap and relatively easy to manufacture. In a simple embodiment, the liner 2 may be merely placed inside bowl 1. After feeding, the liner 2 is removed and a new liner put in position for the next feed.

There are however several drawbacks with this.

The liner will tend to rotate and otherwise displace from the bowl 1 during feeding. Also, some animals, upon the bowl starting to displace, may tend to gnaw or even to eat the liner itself with consequent adverse affects to their health and digestion. Thus, means are most preferably provided for locating the liner with respect to the bowl to avoid undue displacement or rotation thereof. As shown, these may comprise protrusions 3 provided on the bowl and associated locating means 4 on the liner. Any number of protrusions may be provided. In this case, two are provided mounted on diametrically opposed faces of the ledge 5 of bowl 1. The corresponding location means on the liner 2 comprise cross-cuts 4 made in the liner which receive protrusions 3. The protrusions 3 may have an enlarged head as shown in Figure 2 in which the protrusion has an arrow head 3a on a stem 3b.The protrusion fits through a corresponding cross-cut 4 in the liner and the enlarged head position prevents the liner from displacing accidentally. This is shown more clearly in Figure 3 where the protrusion 3 is shown extending through slot 4.

The head portion 3a stops accidental vertical movement of the liner 4. The liner 4 can easily be removed by a user when desired.

It is advantageous to supply the liners in a flat configuration, for ease of carriage and package.

Figure 4(a) shows a modification in which the liner is provided in a flat or generally flat disposition.

This is enabled by having a radial portion 6 which is corrugated. When the liner is to be used it is placed over a bowl and the inner part 7 is pushed downwards as indicated by arrow A. This enlongates portion 6 by straightening out its corrugations so that portion 6 forms sloped side walls of the liner between a ledge 8 and base 7. Other means of enabling the liner to be supplied generally flat will be apparent.

A further advantage of the corrugated type of structure is that a single shape of liner may fit different shaped bowls by only partially straightening out the corrugated portion. An example of this is shown at Figure 4(c) where the corrugations have only been partially straightened out. The effect of this is that the base portion 7 extends to a greater diameter than in Figure 4(b) although the liner is of reduced depth. This effect is seen by comparing diameter d of Figure 4(b) with diameter D of Figure 4(c).

Figure 5 shows an alternative embodiment in which a sterile package is produced at the time of manufacture, which package comprises a liner 2, a food product 9 and a lid 10. The food product is placed inside the liner, either before or after the cooking and sterilizing process and then the lid is secured under sterile conditions. The lid is preferably a peel-off type lid which may be of foil or of a plastics material for example. Alternatively, the lid may be of metal or other material. The entire sterile food package may then be placed inside a pets feeding bowl and the lid removed.

After use, the package is removed and a further package is then inserted for the next feeding. Locating means will preferably also be provided on the embodiment of Figure 5 for cooperating with protruding means on a bowl.

The embodiments of the invention described all share the feature that a disposable liner is used for each feed and is then removed. Thus, the main part of the bowl should not need any substantial cleaning between feeds.

The only parts that may require cleaning are the actual protrusions which extend through the locating slots of the liner. However, a quick sterile wipe may usually prove adequate. Where the liner is of plastics material, instead of cross-cuts, blind holes may be provided in the underside of the liner which receive protrusions 3 from the bowl.

Alternatively, of course, protrusions may be mounted on the liner and cooperating locating means provided on the bowl. Other means then cooperating protrusions, holes/slots, etc, may be used. For example, enlarged wing portions may be provided on one or other of the bowl or liner which fold around the other respective part to hold it in place. Clips, or spring-loaded clips, may also be used to hold the components together. Other means will be apparent.

A further advantage of a disposable liner for a pet feeding bowl is that since the need for washing the bowl in a kitchen sink is avoided, there is no chance of particles of pet food lodging in the sink, or drain, and causing bacterial contamination there.

Claims (13)

1. A disposable liner for a feeding bowl, the liner being shaped so as to conform with at least part of the internal surface of the feeding bowl.

2. A liner as claimed in Claim 1, including means for locating the liner with respect to the bowl and substantially preventing undesired relative movement between them.

3. Feeding apparatus comprising a feeding bowl and a disposable liner, the liner being shaped to conform with at least part of the internal surface of the feeding bowl, and including means for locating the liner with respect to the bowl.

4. Feeding apparatus as claimed in Claim 3, including complementary location means on the bowl and liner.

5. Feeding apparatus as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the location means including complementary protrusions and protrusion-receiving means.

6. Feeding apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the liner is of paper or plastics material.

7. Feeding apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the liner is conformable from a generally flat disposition to one in which it conforms with at least part of the internal surface of the or a feeding bowl.

8. Feeding apparatus as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the liner has a radial portion which is corrugated in its flat disposition.

9. Feeding apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the liner forms part of a food container comprising the liner, a foodstuff and a lid.

10. A method of feeding an animal or human comprising the steps of providing a feeding bowl, mounting within the bowl a liner shaped to conform with at least part of the internal surface of the feeding bowl, placing food in the liner and allowing the animal or human to feed, wherein, after feeding, the liner is removed.

11. A method as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the liner and/or bowl are provided with means for locating the liner with respect to the bowl to substantially prevent undesired relative movement between them, the method further comprising engaging the locating means.

12. Feeding apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated by, the accompanying drawings.

13. A method of feeding an animal or human, which method is substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.