GB2441855A

GB2441855A - Bowl holder

Info

Publication number: GB2441855A
Application number: GB0716177A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Russell John Hawkins; Dawn Lesley Hawkins
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-09-14
Filing date: 2007-08-20
Publication date: 2008-03-19
Anticipated expiration: 2027-08-20
Also published as: GB0716177D0; GB0618142D0; GB2441855B

Abstract

A bowl holder 10 comprises a bowl support platform 12, a splash back member 14, a front guard member (16, fig 3), a spillage tray 18 and a back plate (20, fig 3). Apertures (22, 24, fig 2) are provided through the surface of the bowl support platform for receiving the body of a bowl 26. The underside of the rim (28, fig 1) of each bowl rests on the upper surface of the bowl support platform. The bowl holder can be mounted on a wall thus allowing the device to be held at specific heights depending on the size of the animal using it. The bowl holder is a one pieces plastics construction and may house one or two bowls.

Description

2441855

Bowl Holder

The present invention relates to a bowl holder and more particularly but not exclusively to a bowl holder for holding animal feeding bowls.

Domestic pets come in many different shapes and sizes. Larger pets, for example dogs such as Great Danes and German Shepherds find it difficult to eat or drink from a feeding bowl placed at floor level, because of the distance that they have to bend down to reach the bowl. This places a strain on their joints and muscles whilst eating. This can be painful, particularly for an elderly, handicapped or injured animal. Ideally, an animal feeding bowl should be positioned at a height that allows the animal to feed with minimal movement, thus allowing the animal to stand normally without straining its muscles. This makes it easier for the animal to swallow.

This problem has already been addressed to some extent in GB 2272356, in which a free standing bowl support is disclosed. This free standing bowl support attempts to address the problem of an animal having to bend, but is limited, because it is not adjustable in height. Furthermore, a free standing bowl support is susceptible to tipping, unless it is fastened to a floor or wall.

Wall mounted bowl supports are also known, for example as disclosed in US 5144912, in which a bowl support platform is removably supported by a fixed wall plate. This addresses the problem of providing a feeding bowl at a desired height, because the support can be mounted at any desired height, but it does not solve the problem of cleaning the bowl, or bowl support. Furthermore bowls supported on a platform are susceptible to being knocked over as the animal eats.

It is an object of the invention to provide a bowl holder for mounting to a wall which is easy to clean, can support conventional bowls, and which prevents or substantially prevents an animal from tipping the or each bowl.

According to the first aspect of the present invention there is provided a bowl holder comprising a bowl support platform and a substantially planar member disposed

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spaced from the bowl support platform, in use, the substantially planar member being disposed underneath the bowl support platform.

The substantially planar member acts in part to prevent an animal accessing the underside of the bowl support platform, which reduces the risk of spillage from the bowls supported by the platform. It also acts as a spillage tray.

Preferably the bowl support platform and substantially planar member are integral.

The bowl holder is preferably formed as a one piece integral moulding. The bowl holder may be formed from a single sheet of plastics, metal or composite material.

The plastics material may be transparent.

Preferably the substantially planar member is disposed at an angle relative to the bowl support platform, providing for run off of liquid spillage.

Preferably a splash back member is disposed along an edge of the bowl support platform and extends substantially perpendicularly therefrom.

Preferably the splash back adjoins the bowl support platform in a smooth curve. This provides for easy cleaning, ie without inaccessible corners.

Preferably a guard member is disposed along an edge of the bowl support platform. The guard member may extend between the bowl support platform and the substantially planar member.

It is an advantage of the guard member, that it prevents an animal from accessing the underside of a bowl supported by the bowl support platform from the front of the bowl holder. This further prevents an animal from tipping a bowl supported by the bowl support platform.

Preferably a back plate extends from the substantially planar member towards the bowl support platform.

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Preferably the back plate adjoins a lower edge of the substantially planar member in a smooth curve. As well as enabling easy cleaning, ie without inaccessible corners, the curved portion may collect any spillage caught by the substantially planar member.

The back plate preferably extends behind the splash back member.

Preferably aligned apertures for receiving fixing screws are provided through the splash back member and the back plate.

It is an advantage of the bowl support that it can be fastened through the splash back and back plate. This increases the strength of the bowl support in use, because both free ends of the integral design are held firmly to a supporting structure.

The bowl support platform has at least one aperture formed therein for receiving a part of a bowl.

The bowl support platform may have two or more apertures formed therein, each for receiving a part of a bowl.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a wall mountable kit comprising a bowl holder as claimed in any preceding claim and at least one bowl adapted to be supported by the bowl holder.

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a schematic front view of a bowl holder of the invention for supporting a pair or bowls;

Figure 2 shows a plan view from above of the bowl holder of Figure 1;

Figure 3 shows an end view of the bowl holder of Figure 1;

Figure 4 shows an end view of the bowl holder of Figure 1 mounted to a wall;

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Figure 5 shows a schematic front view of an alternative bowl holder of the invention for supporting a single bowl;

Figure 6 shows an end view of the bowl holder of Figure 5; and Figure 7 shows a plan view from above of the bowl holder of Figure 5.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 to 3, a bowl holder is indicated generally at 10. The bowl holder 10 comprises a bowl support platform 12, a splash back member 14, a front guard member 16, a spillage tray 18 and a back plate 20. The bowl support platform 12 is a substantially planar surface and a pair of circular apertures 22, 24 are provided through the surface of the bowl support platform 12 for receiving the body of a bowl 26 in each, as indicated in dotted outline in Figures 1 and 3. The underside of the rim 28 of each bowl rests on the upper surface of the bowl support platform 12, as viewed. The aperture may be any desired shape, with a correspondingly shaped bowl. The bowl holder 10 is moulded or formed integrally from a single sheet of plastics, metal or composite material and smooth curves are formed between each of the adjoining parts.

The splash back member 14 extends substantially perpendicularly away from a rear edge of the bowl support platform 12, and they are adjoined by a smooth curved region 30. The curve facilitates easy cleaning of the bowl support platform 12 and splash back 14, because there are no sharp corners or gaps into which food and drink spillages could collect.

The spillage tray 18 is a substantially planar member disposed underneath the bowl support platform 12, in use and as viewed in the Figures, and is angled with a slope towards the rear of the bowl support. The slope is typically around 10° from the horizontal. The spillage tray 18 adjoins the back plate 20 in a smooth curved region 32, which acts as a trough for collecting run-off of spillages. Again the smooth curve also allows easy cleaning, for example, with a cloth. The back plate 20 extends upwards from the spillage tray 18, behind the splash back 14.

Aligned fixing apertures 34 are provided through the splash back 14 and back plate 20, enabling the bowl support to be fastened to a substrate, such as a wall, using screw fixings.

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The guard member 16 is disposed at the front of the bowl support 10 and extends between and connects the bowl support platform and spillage tray 18. The guard member 16 obscures the body 26 of each of the bowls, but also prevents an animal from gaining access to the underside of the bowls and tipping them over.

Referring to Figure 4, the bowl support 10 is shown in use attached to a wall 36. Fixings, indicated schematically at 38 pass through the apertures 34. The bowl support platform 12 is set in a horizontal plane a distance A above the ground C suitable for the animal or animals being fed from the bowls 26. The bowls 26 can be freely lifted in and out of the apertures for filling and cleaning. Multiple bowls can be provided with each bowl support

An alternative embodiment of bowl support is indicated at 40 in Figures 5 to 7. The bowl support 40 is similar to the bowl support 10, save that it only has one aperture 42 for supporting a single bowl 26 (indicated in dotted outline). Common reference numerals have been used to designate parts in common between the bowl supports 10,40.

The bowl supports 10, 40 are advantageous because they can be set and fixed at any desired height above the ground for a particular animal. This enables the animal to eat and drink in a relaxed stance without putting undue stress on its joints and muscles. The upright position of the animal also makes swallowing easier. The bowls are held firmly in the apertures and do not readily tip over. Furthermore, the underside of the bowls cannot be pushed upwards by an animal, because they are protected by the guard member 16 and the spillage tray 18. The bowl supports 10,40 can be securely fixed to a wall or other structure, and hence there is no risk of the supports 10,40 being pushed over. All of the food and drink contained in bowls, side by side, can be consumed comfortably by an animal, substantially without wastage and mess. The smooth curves of the bowl supports allow easy cleaning with a cloth.

The bowl supports 10,40 can be made to receive bowls of any reasonable size, for example, up to around 0.3m diameter, and the bowl supports can be made in any desired length to support a desired number of bowls.

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Claims

1. A bowl holder comprising a bowl support platform and a substantially planar member disposed spaced from the bowl support platform, in use, the substantially planar member being disposed underneath the bowl support platform.

2. A bowl holder as claimed in claim 1, in which the bowl support platform and substantially planar member are integral.

3. A bowl holder as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the bowl holder is formed as a one piece integral moulding.

4. A bowl holder as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the bowl holder is formed from a single sheet of plastics.

5. A bowl holder as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the substantially planar member is disposed at an angle relative to the bowl support platform, providing for run off of liquid spillage.

6. A bowl holder as claimed in any preceding claim, in which a splash back member is disposed along an edge of the bowl support platform and extends substantially perpendicularly therefrom.

7. A bowl holder as claimed in claim 6, in which the splash back adjoins the bowl support platform in a smooth curve.

8. A bowl holder as claimed in any preceding claim, in which a guard member is disposed along an edge of the bowl support platform.

9. A bowl holder as claimed in claim 8, in which the guard member extends between the bowl support platform and the substantially planar member.

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10. A bowl holder as claimed in any preceding claim, in which a back plate extends from the substantially planar member towards the bowl support platform.

11. A bowl holder as claimed in claim 10, in which the back plate adjoins a lower edge of the substantially planar member in a smooth curve.

12. A bowl holder as claimed in claim 11, when dependent on claim 6, in which the back plate extends behind the splash back member.

13. A bowl holder as claimed in claim 12, in which aligned apertures for receiving fixing screws are provided through the splash back member and the back plate.

14. A bowl holder as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the bowl support platform has at least one aperture formed therein for receiving a part of a bowl.

15. A bowl holder as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the bowl support platform has two apertures formed therein, each for receiving a part of a bowl.

16. A wall mountable kit comprising a bowl holder as claimed in any preceding claim and at least one bowl adapted to be supported by the bowl holder.

17. A bowl holder substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.

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