GB2552942A

GB2552942A - Pet food and water bowls

Info

Publication number: GB2552942A
Application number: GB1613614.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael James Paul
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2016-08-09
Filing date: 2016-08-09
Publication date: 2018-02-21

Abstract

Disclosed is a bowl 1 for pet food or water, the bowl comprising an open top which can be releasably closed by an at least partially transparent lid 4. The lid 4 may be hinged and biased towards a closed position by means of a spring 7. The spring 7 may be a torsion spring. The lid closure bias may be achieved by limiting the extent to which the lid can be opened, allowing gravity to tend to close the lid 4. A locking element may also be provided, which may take the form of a pip 10 and detent 9. A lip 11 may also be provided on the lid 4 to allow the lid 4 to be raised by a hand or an animal snout. The lid 4 allows selective access to the food or water in order to reduce water evaporation and contamination by flies. Also disclosed is a retro-fit frame that includes a hinged lid (13, figure 2) for fitting to a bowl. The hinged lid may be provided with a lip (19, figure 2) to allow access to the bowl and includes a closing bias to allow selective access to the bowl.

Description

(54) Title of the Invention: Pet food and water bowls

Abstract Title: Bowl with biased and at least partially transparent lid (57) Disclosed is a bowl 1 for pet food or water, the bowl comprising an open top which can be releasably closed by an at least partially transparent lid 4. The lid 4 may be hinged and biased towards a closed position by means of a spring 7. The spring 7 may be a torsion spring. The lid closure bias may be achieved by limiting the extent to which the lid can be opened, allowing gravity to tend to close the lid 4. A locking element may also be provided, which may take the form of a pip 10 and detent 9. A lip 11 may also be provided on the lid 4 to allow the lid 4 to be raised by a hand or an animal snout. The lid 4 allows selective access to the food or water in order to reduce water evaporation and contamination by flies. Also disclosed is a retro-fit frame that includes a hinged lid (13, figure 2) for fitting to a bowl. The hinged lid may be provided with a lip (19, figure 2) to allow access to the bowl and includes a closing bias to allow selective access to the bowl.

/σ·<

Pet Food and Water Bowls

This invention relates to bowls for containing food or water for pets such as dogs and cats.

A well known problem with pet bowls is that they allow pet food to dry out or water to evaporate as well as, in each case, allowing access by house flies which therefore contaminate both food and water. To solve this problem pet bowls have been proposed having electrically operable lids which can be opened automatically via a radio frequency link on the collar of the pet, but this is quite an expensive solution even if the pet is prepared to tolerate the presence of such a collar.

The present invention ss derived from the realisation that there is a need for a simpler and cheaper solution to the problem of covering pet bowls when they are not In use but which can be easily opehable as required, even by the nose of the pet itself.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a pet food,''water bowl having an open fop releasably closable by an at least partially transparent lid, the lid being openabie against a closing bias, thereby allowing selective access to the pet food or wafer and subsequent closure of the hd.

Conveniently, the lid is hinged and biased to the closed position by means of a spring, such as a torsion spring. Alternatively, the lid closure bias may be achieved by limiting the extent of hinged movement of the lid such that even when fully open there is a tendency for it to close under gravity.

The invention also extends in a second aspect to a retro-fit frame incorporating a hinged lid for fitting to a bowl, such as a circular bowl, and opposite the hinge on the other side of the lid there is provided a radially extending formation such as a lip by which the hd may be lifted in order to gain access to the bowl, the lid including a dosing bias allowing selective access to the bowl and subsequent automatic closure of the lid.

Although It is anticipated that most pets will learn to lift the lid in order to gain access to the bowl, the lid may nevertheless be provided with a locking mechanism by which it remains open white the pet is using the bowl, whereafter the lid can be manually closed in order to prevent any unwanted access by e.g. house flies.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying ehaw ngs in which:

Figure 1 shows a pad-sectional side view of a pet bowl according to a first embodiment of the invention, and

Figure 2 shows a part-sectional view of a second embodiment of the invention.

Referring firstly to Figure 1 a pet food bowl shown generally at 1 comprises a food or water basin 2 contained within a bowl housing 3. Above the open end of the basin 2 Is two-part lid 4 of semi-spherical shape having a fixed half 5 and a swivelable half 6, either or both of which are transparent in order to provide a visual indication of the contents of the basin 2.

The swivelable half 6 of the hemispherical lid 4 is biased to the closed position shown by means of a torsion spring 7 operable around a pain of pivot pins 8 fixed at one end to the swivelable half 6 of the hemispherical lid 4 on opposite sides of the dm of the bowl 3. The swivelable half δ of the hemispherical

Hd 4 is therefore able to move in the direction arrowed against the bias of the torsion spring 7 when a lip 9 at the forward end ofthe swivelable lid half 6 is lifted, such as by a person filling the basin 2 or by the nose of a pet, such as a dog, taking food or wafer from the basin 2.

The swivelabie half 6 of the lid 4 also includes a detente 9 cooperabie with a pip 10 extending from the fixed half 5 of the lid 4 to thereby provide, If required, a temporary looking mechanism which holds the swivelabie half 8 of the lid 4 in an open position.

in operation, if will be apparent that the basin 2 can be filled with water or food, as necessary, and the swivelabie half ofthe lid 8 can be left In position if the pet is able to lift it via the lip 11, or instead the swivelabie half of the lid 6 may be rotated to a position in which the detente 9 aligns itself with the pip 10 oh the outside of the fixed half 5 of the lid 4, thereby temporarily allowing open accessto the basin 2 by the pet. In either event, on completion of feeding or drinking, the swivelable half 6 of the lid 4 can be automatically or manually returned to the closed position shown in Figure 1, thereby preventing any unwanted contamination or evaporation of food or water within the basin 2.

Whilst the embodiment shown if Figure 1 is particularly suited for manufacture as a bespoke article, it will be appreciated that this brings with if the risk of conventional pet. bowls becoming unfit for use where contamination or evaporation of food or water within the basin 2 is to be avoided. Accordingly, this problem is addressed by the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 2 in which a conventional circular pet bowl 12 is fitted with a one-piece hemispherical lid 13 mounted on an annular rim 14 via a hinge IS adjacent to which extends

A from the rim 14 a stop member 16 having a detent! 7 cooperable with a correspondingly shaped pp 18 in the lid 13by which it can he retained In the open position shown in broken outline after a lip 19 is lifted'

It is to be expected that a pet using the bowl 12 may learn to gain access 5 to and be comfortable with the lid 13 resting on Its snout or head.

The dm 14 may be fixed to the bowl in any convenient manner including by a suitable adhesive or adhesively coated strips of velcro ©. Whatever manner of fixing is chosen, It will be apparent that existing dog or cat bowls can be used without the need for them to be discarded. In order for the lid 13 to accommodate to different sizes of pet bowl 12 the rim 14 may include a number of under-hanging ridges each of d iameter corresponding to popular sizes of pet bowls.

The invention in its various embodiments therefore provides an elegantly simple solution to the problem of contamination of pet food or water from a pet bowl in a manner which allows the pet to obtain access to food or water which is thereafter substantially protected from contamination or evaporation.

Claims

1. A pet food/water bowl having an open top releasably closable by an at least partially transparent lid, the lid being openable against a closing bias, thereby allowing selective access to the pet food or wafer and subsequent closure of the lid.

2. A bowl according to Claim 1 wherein the lid is hinged and biased to the closed position by means of a spring,

3. A bowl according to Claim 2 wherein the spring is a torsion spring,

4. A bowl according to any proceeding claim wherein the lid closure IO bias is achieved by limiting the extent of hinged movement of the lid such that even when fully open there is a tendency for it to close under gravity.

5. A bowl according to any proceeding claim further Including means to releasably lock the lid in an open position.

6. A bowl according to Claim 5 wherein the lock is provided by a pro IS and detent arrangement.

7. A bowl according to any proceeding claims wherein the lid includes an outwardly extending lip by which it may be raised by hand of by the snout of a dog.

8. A retro-fit frame Incorporating a hinged fid for fitting to a bowl, such 20 as a circular bowl, and opposite the hinge on the other side of the lid there is provided a radially extending formation such as a lip by which the lid may be lifted In order to gain access to the bowl, the lid Including a closing bias allowing selective access to the bowl and subsequent automatic closure of the lid.

Θ, A pet bowl substantially as described with reference to Figure 1.

Figure 2.

Intellectual

Property

Office

Application No: GB1613614.5 Examiner: Mr David Smitten