CONTAINER FOR RECEIVING ANIMAL FEED

Abstract

A container for receiving animal feed, in particular wet feed, including a base surface and a lateral surface protruding from the circumference of the base surface such that animal feed is received in the receiving area formed by the base surface and the lateral surface and can be emptied through an opening formed by the lateral surface circumference facing away from the base surface. The base surface is operatively connected to an opening element for opening a hole in the base surface. Also provided is animal feed being received in the receiving area of a container, to a method for producing a container, and to a method for filling a container with animal feed and/or food.

Claims

1. A container for receiving animal feed, particularly wet feed, comprising: a base surface; a lateral surface protruding from the circumference of the base surface so that animal feed can be received in a receptacle space formed by the base surface and the lateral surface and emptied through an opening formed by the circumference of the lateral surface facing away from the base surface; and the base surface is operatively connected to an opening element for opening a hole in the base surface.

2. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the base surface has a hole, wherein the hole is closed with the removable opening element.

3. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the lateral surface has a cross section that increases in the emptying direction of the container.

4. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the lateral surface and the base surface essentially have the shape of the lateral surface and the top surface of a truncated cone.

5. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that an inner coating, preferably a primer and/or a non-stick coating, is applied onto the side of the base surface and/or the lateral surface facing the receptacle space, wherein the primer preferably comprises a polyester resin, particularly a modified and/or aluminum-pigmented polyester resin, and/or has a surface density between 9 g/m.sup.2 and 10 g/m.sup.2, and wherein the non-stick coating preferably comprises a polyester, a phenolic resin and/or a polyester-phenolic resin and/or has a surface density between 7 g/m.sup.2 and 9 g/m.sup.2.

6. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that a section of the base surface has an indentation in the direction of the receptacle space, wherein the indentation contains the hole to be opened, and wherein the opening element preferably lies within the indentation and/or has a smaller extent opposite to the emptying direction than a frontmost point or frontmost circumference of the lateral surface opposite to the emptying direction.

7. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the opening element has a flap, wherein the flap preferably lies in the indentation.

8. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the opening element comprises an elastic or viscoelastic material.

9. The container according to claim 2, characterized in that the opening element adheres to a side of the base surface facing away from the receptacle space or to an outer coating of this base surface and to a side of the base surface facing the receptacle space or to an inner coating of this side of the base surface or to a protective and/or adhesive coating that is applied onto this side of the base surface or optionally onto the inner coating in the surroundings of the hole to be opened, wherein the protective and/or adhesive coating preferably comprises an aluminum-pigmented epoxy resin and/or has a surface density between 7 g/m.sup.2 and 9 g/m.sup.2.

10. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that a lid is provided for closing the opening formed by the circumference of the lateral surface facing away from the base surface, wherein the lid preferably has an edge section, which is rigidly connected to the lateral surface, and a removable pull-off section, which is detachably connected to the edge section and preferably comprises aluminum and/or tinplate and/or a plastic and/or a plastic composite.

11. The container according to claim 10, characterized in that the edge section is on the side facing the opening aligned with the lateral surface in the emptying direction.

12. The container according to claim 1, characterized in that the base surface and/or the lateral surface comprise a metal.

13. A canned animal feed, characterized in that the animal feed is received in the receptacle space of a container according to claim 1.

14. The canned animal feed according to claim 13, characterized in that the animal feed essentially is separated from the lateral surface and the base surface by a separating agent, which is applied onto the side of the lateral surface and the base surface facing the receptacle space in the form of an aerosol, wherein said separating agent preferably comprises a mixture of between 0.1 and 10 mass percent xanthan and between 90 mass percent and 99.9 mass percent oil.

15. The canned animal feed according to claim 13, characterized in that the animal feed consists of two components that essentially are spatially separated, wherein the pH value of the two components preferably differs by less than 1, and/or the salt content of the two components preferably differs by less than 5 percent, and/or the water activity value of the two components preferably differs by less than 0.2.

16. A method for producing a container according to claim 11, wherein the method comprises the following steps: preferably applying an inner coating onto the side of the lateral surface and the base surface facing the receptacle space; and operatively connecting the base surface to an opening element for opening a hole in the base surface.

17. The method for producing a container according to claim 16, characterized in that the process of operatively connecting the base surface) to the opening element for opening a hole in the base surface comprises the following steps: preferably applying a protective and/or adhesive coating onto the side of the base surface facing the receptacle space in the surroundings of the hole; punching the hole into the base surface; applying the material composition of the opening element from the side of the base surface facing away from the receptacle space; and applying the material composition of the opening element from the side of the base surface facing the receptacle space.

18. A method for filling a container according to claim 1 with animal feed, particularly wet feed, characterized in that a separating agent is applied onto the side of the lateral surface and the base surface facing the receptacle space in the form of an aerosol, wherein said separating agent preferably comprises a mixture of between 0.1 mass percent and 10 mass percent xanthan and between 90 mass percent and 99.9 mass percent oil, and in that the animal feed is subsequently filled into the receptacle space or a first component of the animal feed is initially filled into the receptacle space and a second component of the animal feed is subsequently filled into the receptacle space.

Description

[0044] The invention is described in greater detail below with reference to the figures that show an embodiment and should not be interpreted in a restrictive sense with respect to the scope of protection. In the individual figures:

[0045] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an inventive container in the form of a cross section normal to the surface in the upright position of the container;

[0046] FIG. 2 shows a detail of the same embodiment as FIG. 1;

[0047] FIG. 3 shows the base surface of the same embodiment as FIG. 1 in the form of a bottom view;

[0048] FIG. 4 shows the same embodiment as FIG. 1 without opening means in the form of an oblique top view;

[0049] FIG. 5 shows the same embodiment as FIG. 1 without opening means in the form of an oblique bottom view;

[0050] FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of the inventive container with raised lid in the form of an oblique top view; and

[0051] FIG. 7 shows the same embodiment as FIG. 6 with raised lid in the form of an oblique bottom view.

[0052] FIG. 1 shows an advantageous embodiment of the inventive container 1 in the form of a cross section normal to the surface 2 in the upright position of the container 1. The container 1 has a base surface 3 and a lateral surface 4 protruding from a circumference of the base surface 3. The base surface 3 and the lateral surface 4 form a receptacle space 5, in which animal feed can be received in order to form canned animal feed. Furthermore, a circumference of the lateral surface 4 facing away from the base surface 3 forms an opening 6, through which the animal feed can be emptied from the container 1. In this embodiment, the opening 6 is closed with a lid 7. The lid 7 has an edge section 12 and a pull-off section 14. The base surface 3 and the lateral surface 4 of the container 1 essentially form the top surface and the lateral surface of a truncated cone, wherein the lid 7 essentially corresponds to the base surface of the truncated cone. The base surface 3 has a hole 10, which is closed by the removable opening element 9 operatively connected to the base surface 3, in the indentation 8 in the direction of the receptacle space 5. In this case, the opening element 9 adheres to the side of the base surface 3 facing the receptacle space 5, as well as to the side of the base surface facing away from the receptacle space 5. The hole 10 can be opened by removing the opening element 9 such that air can flow through the hole 10 and into the container 1, particularly between the base surface 3 and the animal feed, with which the container 1 can be filled.

[0053] The emptying direction 11 is indicated with an arrow that is drawn in the form of a partially dashed line. The lateral surface 4 has a cross section that increases in the emptying direction.

[0054] FIG. 2 shows a detail of the circumference of the lateral surface 4 facing away from the base surface 3 of the same embodiment as FIG. 1.

[0055] FIG. 3 shows the base surface 3 of the same embodiment as FIG. 1 in the form of a view in the emptying direction 11. The opening element 9, which is operatively connected to the base surface 3 and closes the hole 10, lies in the indentation 8 in this case. The opening element 9 is therefore realized in the form of a removable seal that closes the hole 10. In addition, the opening element 9 has a flap 13, wherein the opening element 9 can either be removed with the flap 13 or simply by moving against/underneath the opening element 9.

[0056] An alternative embodiment of the container 1 once again has a base surface 3 and a lateral surface 4 protruding from a circumference of the base surface 3. The base surface 3 and the lateral surface 4 form a receptacle space 5, in which animal feed can be received. Furthermore, a circumference of the lateral surface 4 facing away from the base surface 3 forms an opening 6, through which the animal feed can be emptied from the container 1. An opening element 9 for opening a hole 10 in the base surface 3 is operatively connected to the base surface 3. The container 1 consists of two parts in this embodiment, wherein the first part is formed by the base surface 3 and the lateral surface 4. The second part essentially has the shape of the circumference of the lateral surface 4 facing away from the base surface 3. If the lateral surface 4 essentially has the shape of the lateral surface of a truncated cone, the second part essentially has the shape of a ring with essentially the same diameter as the circumference of the lateral surface 4 facing away from the base surface 3. For example, the second part is connected to the first part by means of flanging, folding, gluing or welding. The second part may have a protruding edge that serves as a contact surface 12 for a pull-off lid 7. The second part may alternatively also be realized in the form of a continuous surface, wherein the circumference of the surface essentially corresponds to the circumference of the lateral surface 4 facing away from the base surface 3. In this case, the surface of the second part may contain a partial milled recess along a loop, wherein the partial surface within the milled recess can be pulled off, e.g. with a sealing ring; the partial surface therefore forms the pull-off lid 7 in this embodiment.

[0057] FIG. 4 shows the same embodiment of the container 1 as FIG. 1 in the form of an oblique top view, wherein the opening means 9 is respectively removed or not shown. FIG. 5 likewise shows the same embodiment as FIG. 1 without opening means in the form of an oblique bottom view. These figures particularly show the hole 10, which is closed by the opening means 9 prior to its removal, and the indentation 8 (in the direction of the receptacle space 5), within which the (not-shown) opening means 9 lies on the base surface 3 of the container 1.

[0058] FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of the inventive container 1 with raised lid 7 in the form of an oblique top view. FIG. 7 shows the same embodiment as FIG. 6 with raised lid 7 in the form of an oblique bottom view. The lid 7 comprises the edge section 12 and the pull-off section 14. In this case, the edge section 12 usually is rigidly connected to the circumference of the lateral surface 4 that forms the opening 6, e.g. by means of folding or flanging. The container 1 can be opened by removing the pull-off section 14 from the edge section 12. The opening means 9 can be removed with the flap 13 such that an (invisible) hole in the base surface 3 is opened.