Feeding bowl assembly

Abstract

A feeding bowl assembly (1) for feeding small animals. The feeding bowl assembly (1) comprises a feeding bowl (2) and a base (3). The feeding bowl (2) is releasably mounted to the base (3) in a locked orientation and an unlocked orientation. The feeding bowl (2) comprises one or more connectors (6) and the base (3) comprises one or more complimentary connectors (12). The locked and unlocked orientations are formed by engagement of the one or more connectors (6) with the one or more complimentary connectors (12).

Claims

1. An animal feeding bowl assembly comprising: a feeding bowl comprising one or more connectors; and a base comprising one or more complementary connectors, and one or more abutment portions each including an indent, wherein the feeding bowl is releasably mountable to the base in a locked orientation and an unlocked orientation relative to the base, and the one or more connectors and one or more complementary connectors are arranged such that: in the locked orientation: the one or more connectors and the one or more complementary connectors are aligned, and the one or more abutment portions are not aligned with the one or more connectors, wherein the feeding bowl is retained on the base by at least one of the one or more connectors engaging with at least one of the one or more complementary connectors as the feeding bowl slides onto the base so that the feeding bowl is locked to the base, and, in the unlocked orientation: the feeding bowl is rotated relative to the locked orientation so that the one or more connectors and the one or more complementary connectors are not aligned, and the one or more abutment portions are aligned with the one or more connectors, wherein the one or more connectors are received by sliding into respective indents of the one or more abutment portions to be seated therein as the feeding bowl slides onto the base so that the feeding bowl is secured to, but not locked to, the base.

2. The animal feeding bowl assembly according to claim 1, wherein the feeding bowl is formed from a resilient material.

3. The animal feeding bowl assembly according to claim 1, wherein the feeding bowl comprises an even number of connectors.

4. The animal feeding bowl assembly according to claim 1, wherein each connector comprises an engagement portion for engaging with a complementary connector on the base.

5. The animal feeding bowl assembly according to claim 4, wherein each engagement portion is planar.

6. The animal feeding bowl assembly according to claim 1, wherein the base comprises a reservoir and an opening for allowing the reservoir to be filled with a substance and wherein the substance is a weight or ballast and the assembly further comprises a closure for opening and closing the reservoir, operated separately from the feeding bowl.

7. The animal feeding bowl assembly according to claim 1, wherein the base comprises an outer rim formed around its circumference and the outer rim provides a step formation for abutting with the feeding bowl.

8. The animal feeding bowl assembly according to claim 1, wherein the base comprises an even number of complementary connectors.

9. The animal feeding bowl assembly according to claim 1, wherein each complementary connector comprises one of a notch or an indent in a wall of the base that projects towards a center of the base.

10. The animal feeding bowl assembly according to claim 1, wherein each one of the one or more connectors comprises an engagement portion for engaging with a respective one of the one or more complementary connectors on the base and wherein each of the one or more complementary connectors comprises an engagement portion for engaging with the engagement portion of the respective one of the one or more connectors on the feeding bowl.

11. The animal feeding bowl assembly according to claim 10, wherein the base comprises a reservoir, and wherein each engagement formation of the one or more complementary connectors project towards a center of the reservoir.

12. The animal feeding bowl assembly according to claim 1, wherein the base includes one or more abutment portions, each of the one or more abutment portions has a varying depth over its surface area and the varying depth is greater at a bottom of the abutment portion than at a top of the abutment portion.

13. The animal feeding bowl assembly according to claim 1, wherein the base includes one or more abutment portions, each of which comprises a planar surface for contacting with a respective one of the one or more connectors and allowing the connector to slide thereon and wherein the one or more abutment portions are arranged to contact with a respective one of the one or more connectors when the feeding bowl is mounted in its unlocked orientation on the base.

14. The animal feeding bowl assembly according to claim 1, wherein the feeding bowl assembly comprises more than one engaging set of connectors and complementary connectors; each set is of a different size and wherein the sets of connectors and complementary connectors are arranged to engage with different locking strengths.

15. The animal feeding bowl assembly according to claim 1, wherein the feeding bowl assembly comprises more than one engaging set of connectors and complementary connectors; each set is of a different shape and wherein the sets of connectors and complementary connectors are arranged to engage with different locking strengths.

16. The animal feeding bowl assembly according to claim 1, wherein in the locked orientation the locking is effected by the one or more connectors flexing outwardly with respect to the base as the feeding bowl is slid onto the base.

17. The animal feeding bowl assembly according to claim 1, wherein in the unlocked orientation the bowl is secured to the base by the connectors flexing with respect to the base as the feeding bowl is slid onto the base to form an interference fit with the indents of the one or more abutment portions.

18. The animal feeding bowl assembly according to claim 1, wherein the base includes upstands to prevent the feeding bowl from being slid beyond the locked and unlocked orientations.

19. The animal feeding bowl assembly according to claim 1, wherein the base has an outside surface having a bottom, and the base includes a pair of handles formed on the bottom of the outside surface of the base.

20. The animal feeding bowl assembly according to claim 1, wherein the base includes ramp portions and each of the one or more connectors includes an engagement portion, and wherein, in the locked orientation, engagement portions of the one or more connectors contact the ramp portions as the feeding bowl slides onto the base, causing the one or more connectors to flex outwardly as the one or more connectors pass over the ramp portions before flexing inwardly to lock against the complementary connectors.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(1) In order that the invention may be more clearly understood an embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

(2) FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a feeding bowl assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the feeding bowl assembly shown in FIG. 1, in which the feeding bowl has been mounted to the base;

(4) FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the feeding bowl assembly shown in FIG. 2; the cross-section being at line Y in FIG. 2; and

(5) FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the feeding bowl assembly shown in FIG. 2; the cross-section being at line X in FIG. 2.

(6) FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of the feeding bowl.

(7) FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view of the feeding bowl assembly in the secured, but unlocked orientation.

(8) FIG. 6A is a magnified view of the circular portion labeled 6A in FIG. 6.

(9) Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, a feeding bowl assembly 1 comprises a feeding bowl 2 that is releasably mountable on a base 3. The feeding bowl 2 and base 3 both have substantially the same length and width.

(10) The feeding bowl 2 comprises a substantially cuboidal body 4 having a substantially square cross section. The body 4 has rounded edges and comprises a cylindrical cavity 5 formed concentrically within the body 4. The body 4 comprises a lower edge 20 at the base of its walls.

(11) The feeding bowl 2 comprises a pair of connectors 6 formed on opposing inside surfaces of the walls of the body 4. Each connector 6 is a formation having a planar engagement portion 7 that projects inwardly towards the centre of the cavity 5.

(12) The feeding bowl 2 is formed from a resilient material such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene such that the connectors 6 may flex.

(13) The base 3 comprises a substantially cuboidal body 8. The base 3 is hollow, thus defining a cavity, and the cavity of the base 3 acts as reservoir 9 for storing ballast. The base 3 further comprises an opening 10 in the centre of a top surface. Four integrally formed upstands 21 are provided. The upstands 21 are cylindrical formations that protrude upwardly from the top surface of the base 3 and are arranged around the opening 10.

(14) A closure 11 is provided and comprises a screw thread for engaging with a corresponding screw thread provided on a flange formed on the opening 10 in order to seal the reservoir 9 to contain the ballast in the base 3.

(15) The base 3 further comprises two complementary connectors 12 and two abutment portions 15. The complementary connectors 12 are formed on opposing outside surfaces of the walls of the base 3. The abutment portions 15 are also formed on opposing outside surfaces of the walls of the base 3, on the walls of the base 3 that are perpendicular to the walls on which the complementary connectors 12 are formed (i.e. the walls of the base 3 on which the abutment portions 15 are formed are not the same walls of the base 3 on which the complementary connectors 12 are formed).

(16) Each complementary connector 12 comprises a trapezoid shaped notch 22 that projects inwardly towards the centre of the reservoir 9, and a planar engagement portion 13 in the form of a lip at its top for engaging with the planar engagement formation 7 on a connector 6. The shape of each notch 22 allows for a user to engage their fingers with a locked connector 6 to release it from the base 3.

(17) Each abutment portion 15 comprises a vertical indent that extends to the top of the base 3 and comprises a planar surface 16 for contacting with the planar engagement formation 7 on the connector 6. The depth of the indent in the wall of the base 3 decreases towards the top of the base 3 since the indent is vertical and the walls of the base 3 are slanted.

(18) The base 3 further comprises a pair of opening portions 14. The opening portions 14 are indents in the outside surface of the wall of the base 3 on which the complementary connectors 12 are formed. Each opening portion 14 comprises a vertical face and a ramp portion inclined at 45° with respect to the vertical face. The opening portions 14 are positioned above the complementary connectors 12 so as to contact the engagement portions 7 of the connectors 6 before the engagement formations 7 engage with engagement portions 13 of the complementary connectors 12.

(19) The base 3 further comprises a protruding rim 19 formed around the circumference of the base 3. The rim 19 has an upper portion and a lower portion, with the upper portion having a smaller diameter than the lower portion so as to form a step.

(20) The base 3 further comprises a pair of handles 17 formed on the bottom of the outside surface of the same walls of the base 3 that the abutment portions 15 are formed. Each handle 17 is a is a trapezoid shaped notch that projects inwardly towards the centre of the reservoir 9 and is shaped so that it may be gripped by a user to allow the base 3 and/or feeding bowl assembly 1 to be moved.

(21) Four feet 18 are formed on the bottom of the base 3, which reduces the surface area of the base 3 in contact with a floor to assist in preventing the base 3 from being pushed around. Each of the four feet 18 comprises a rubber portion for contacting the floor.

(22) The base 3 is formed from high-density poly ethylene and the closure 11 is formed from polypropylene.

(23) In use, the feeding bowl 2, base 3 and closure 11 are initially separate. The base 3 is placed in a suitable position on a floor. Ballast such as sand and/or water is poured through the opening 10 to fill the reservoir 9 to the desired level. The closure 11 is then secured to the opening 10 to seal the reservoir 9 by fully engaging the screw thread on the closure 11 with the cooperating screw thread provided on the opening 10.

(24) Animal feed or water is then poured into the cavity 5 of the feeding bowl 2.

(25) To mount the feeding bowl 2 to the base 3 in a locked orientation in which the feeding bowl 2 is locked securely to the base 3, the feeding bowl 2 is initially aligned concentrically with the base 3 and rotated to align the connectors 6 on the feeding bowl 2 with the complementary connectors 12 on the base 3. The feeding bowl 2 is then lowered on to the base 3. As the feeding bowl 2 is lowered, the engagement portion 7 of each connector 6 contacts with an opening portion 14. As each engagement portion 7 impinges on a ramp portion 23 of its contacted opening portion 14, the shape of the ramp portions 23 push the walls of the feeding bowl 2 on which the each connector 6 is formed to flex outwardly and displace the connectors 6 from the base 3. As the feeding bowl 2 is pressed further on to the base 3, the connectors 6 ride over the ramp portion 23 and the outside wall of the base 3 and are received into the notches 22 of the complementary connectors 12, allowing the walls of the feeding bowl 2 to snap back to their original non-flexed position. This action automatically engages the engagement portion 7 of each connector 6 with the engagement portion 13 of each complementary connector 12, which locks the feeding bowl 2 to the base 3. The bottom of the cavity 5 of the feeding bowl 2 abuts with each of the four upstands 21 of the base 3 to prevent the feeding bowl 2 from being pushed beyond this locked orientation. In this position, there is a small gap between the lower edge 20 of the feeding bowl 2 and the rim 19 of the base 3, around the circumference of the feeding bowl assembly 1.

(26) To unlock and dismount the feeding bowl 2 from the base 3, a user inserts their fingers into each notch 22 and pulls the connectors 6 away from the complementary connectors 12, which flexes the walls of the feeding bowl 2 and disengages the engagement portion 7 of each connector 6 from the engagement portion 13 of the corresponding complementary connector 12. The feeding bowl 2 is then lifted upwards away from the floor and thus released from the separated base 3. The feeding bowl 2 can now be easily cleaned or refilled with food or water.

(27) To mount the feeding bowl 2 to the base 3 in an unlocked orientation in which the feeding bowl 2 is secured to, but not locked to, the base 3, the feeding bowl 2 is initially (FIG. 5) aligned concentrically with the base 3 and rotated to align the connectors 6 on the feeding bowl 2 with the abutment portions 15 on the base 3 (which is 90° from the position when connectors 6 are aligned with the complementary connectors 12). The feeding bowl 2 is then lowered on to the base 3. As the feeding bowl 2 is lowered, the engagement portion 7 of each connector 6 on the feeding bowl 2 contacts with a top edge of an abutment portion 15, which causes the connected walls of the feeding bowl 2 to flex slightly outwardly and displace the connectors 6 from the base 3. As the feeding bowl 2 is pressed further on to the base 3 (FIG. 6), the engagement portion 7 of each connector 6 slides along the planer surface 16 of its contacted abutment portion 15 and is gradually received on to the planar surface 16 due to the varying depth of the abutment portion 15 (FIG. 6A). The connector 6 is now received into the indent of the abutment portion 15, and thus the feeding bowl 2 is mounted to the base 3 in the unlocked orientation. The bottom of the cavity 5 of the feeding bowl 2 abuts with each of the four up stands 21 of the base 3 to prevent the feeding bowl 2 from being pushed beyond this unlocked orientation. In this position, there is a small gap between the lower edge 20 of the feeding bowl 2 and the rim 19 of the base 3, around the circumference of the feeding bowl assembly 1.

(28) To dismount the feeding bowl 2 from the base 3, the feeding bowl 2 is simply lifted off of the base 3. The engagement portions 7 of the connectors 6 slide upwards along the planar surfaces 16 and the engagement portions 7 of the connectors 6 are pushed away from the base 3 so that the feeding bowl 2 can be dismounted and released from the base 3. The feeding bowl 2 can now be easily cleaned or refilled with food or water.

(29) Accordingly, the present invention provides a feeding bowl assembly 1 in which the feeding bowl 2 can be mounted to the weighted base 3 to prevent the feeding animal from moving the feeding bowl 2 around on the floor. In addition, the feeding bowl 2 can be mounted to the base 3 in either a locked orientation or an unlocked orientation. This improves the functionality and usefulness of the feeding bowl assembly 1 since, for example, the locked orientation can be used with boisterous and active animals, whereas the unlocked orientation can be used with slow, lethargic or inactive animals, or by an elderly or weak user, whilst still securing the feeding bowl 2 to the base 3 to prevent it from being moved around by the animal.

(30) The above embodiment is described by way of example only. Many variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

(31) For example, each connectors and complementary connector may comprise other cooperating arrangements such as each comprising one or more magnets.