This invention relates to an animal feed product. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Broadly, the invention contemplates the provision of an animal feed product having animal food in a bowl, the food being releasably sealed in the bowl for access of the food by an animal.

In one aspect, the invention provides an animal feed product having a bowl with a base part and a peripheral wall surrounding the base part, the peripheral wall extending from a first peripheral part adjacent the base part to a second peripheral part remote from the first peripheral part, the wall and base part defining a bowl cavity which is upwardly open when the bowl is placed on a ground surface with the first peripheral part adjacent the ground surface, the cavity having animal food sealed therein by a seal element which is manipulatable to enable access by an animal to the food, the wall having an outer surface which slopes inwardly from the first peripheral part to the second peripheral part thereof.

The invention also provides an animal feed bowl having a base part and a peripheral wall surrounding the base part, the peripheral wall extending from a first peripheral part adjacent the base part to a second peripheral part remote from the first peripheral part, the wall and base part defining a bowl cavity which is upwardly open when the bowl is placed on a ground surface with the first peripheral part adjacent the ground surface, the cavity having animal food sealed therein by a seal element which is manipulatable to enable access by an animal to the food, said bowl being formed as a thin-walled plastics moulding, wherein the cavity has an inner base surface defined on the base part, the base part having an opposite outer base surface which, when the bowl rests on the ground surface with the cavity upwardly open, is disposed adjacent the ground surface. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is further described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of an animal feed product in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is side view of the animal feed product of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is cross-section on the lime 3-3 in Figure 3; and showing animal food within the product;

Figure 4 is a view like Figure 3 but showing a cover of the product in the process of being removed;

Figure 5 is a view like Figure 4 but showing the cover completely removed, and an animal consuming food therein; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a bowl forming part of the product of Figure 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The animal feed product 10 of Figure 1 is formed from a bowl 12, having a cavity 14 with animal food 16 therein, the cavity being sealed by a seal element 66 attached to the bowl

Bowl 12 is formed from thin- walled plastics, being for example injection moulded or vacuum formed. It has a generally rectangular base part 20 with rounded corners. The base part 20 is surrounded by an upstanding wall 24 of the bowl so that the wall and base part define the cavity 14. As shown particularly in Figures 3 to 5, as viewed in transverse cross-section wall 24 has inner and outer opposed wall portions 28, 30, which at the upper edges thereof join to respective opposed inner and outer edges 34, 36 of a rectangular endless transverse upper wall portion 32. From locations at which the wall portions 28, 30 join the wall portion 32, they depend downwardly and divergently to lower edges 40, 42 which are in a common plane with the lower base surface 46 of base part 20. Also, the lower edge 40 of inner wall portion 28 joins the periphery of the base part 20. Accordingly, when bowl 12 is placed on a ground surface 60 as shown in figures 2 to 5, the lower surface 46 of base part 20 and the edges 40, 42 of the wall 24 rest on the ground surface. The lower parts of wall portions 28, 30 defining edges 40, 42 form a first peripheral part 33 of wall 24 and wall portion 32 forms an opposite second peripheral part 35 of wall 24 (Figures 2 and 4).

Because of the downwardly divergent disposition of wall portions 28, 30 the wall 24 is wider at the base thereof than at the upper, apex, thereof. In particular, as shown in Figure 2 the outer wall portion 30 may present an outer surface 37 which extends downwardly and outwardly at an angle "A" of about 15° to an imaginary vertical 75, when the bowl is positioned on ground surface 60. This has been found very useful in limiting tendency for the bowl to be overturned by animals when the bowl is in use.

The cavity 14 is defined by the inner surface 70 of wall 24, defined on wall portion 28 and the inner base surface 72 of base part 20. Surface 46 of base part 20 is opposite surface 75.

In manufacture, the bowl 12 is first formed, and pre-cooked animal food 62 is then positioned in cavity 14. Then, the cavity 14 is closed by fixing an upper seal element 66 across the upper opening of the cavity 14, defined within wall portion 32. As shown, the seal element may be a laminar planar plastics element such as a plastics membrane, secured to the bowl at the upper surface of the wall portion 32. The seal element may be secured to the bowl such as by heat welding, adhesive or the like. It is frangible or otherwise formed to enable it to be manipulated by hand to enable the product 10 to be opened to permit access to the contents of the cavity 14 by an animal. For example, it may be peelable from the bowl, or it may be of relatively thin material enabling it to be readily perforated and torn by hand sufficiently to enable access. To facilitate removal of the seal element 66, it may be provided with a hand-graspable free tab 80 which is positioned outside the outer periphery of the wall portion 32, or the sealing member may otherwise partly or wholly so extend.

The bowl 12 may be made from any suitable plastics material that can be moulded into the desired shape. The plastics material should have appropriate physical properties to function as a bowl and contain the food. Suitable plastics may include thermoplastic or thermosetting plastics; possibly thermoplastics may be most suitable in many instances. Examples of suitable plastics from which the bowl may be prepared include, polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate, vinyl polymers such a polyvinyl chloride, styrenic polymers such as polystyrene, polyamides such as nylon, epoxy and phenolic resins, and combinations thereof.

In one embodiment, the bowl is formed from a polyolefin such as polyethylene or polypropylene.

The bowl may be prepared using conventional plastics moulding equipment and techniques. For example, the bowl may be prepared by injection moulding or thermoforming. Those skilled in the art will be able to select a suitable polymer for use with a given moulding technique.

The seal element 66 may typically be in the form of a plastics sheet or film. Provided the seal element has suitable physical properties to retain the food within the bowl as required, it can be made from any plastic that can be formed into a sheet of film. Techniques for forming plastic into sheet and film are well known in the art.

Generally, the plastics material used to form the seal element 66 may be a thermoplastic. Examples of suitable plastics from which the sealing member may be prepared include, polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate, vinyl polymers such a polyvinyl chloride, styrenic polymers such as polystyrene, polyamides such as nylon, and combinations thereof.

In one embodiment, the seal element is in the form of a transparent plastic film or sheet. The film of sheet may however be formed of other material such as metal, foil, or metal/plastics, laminates.

Provided the seal element can retain the food within the bowl as required, it may be affixed to the bowl by any suitable means. For example, the seal element may be affixed to the bowl using an applied adhesive or by adhesion created between the seal element and the bowl generated through application of heat to form a "heat seal".

In the described embodiment, the sealing member is affixed to the bowl such that it can be removed by peeling it off the bowl, but also as mentioned above it may alternatively, or additionally be such that it can easily be perforated and torn away sufficiently by hand.

Having regard to the plastic materials selected to form the seal element and bowl, a person skilled in the art will be able to choose the most appropriate means of affixing the seal element to the bowl.

The animal food used in practising the invention may for example be meat, fish or the like, possibly also including vegetable or cereals. The animal food will generally be cooked, in which case it may be cooked before placement in the bowl, or if the bowl material is suitably heat resistant, cooking may be effected in the bowl, either before or after attaching the sealing member.

Generally the bowl 12 should be of dimensions suitable for ease of use by the intended animal. For example, in the case of rectangular, circular, oval or ovaloid shapes a side to side dimension "X" (see Figure 6) in the range of 100-300 mm may be satisfactory for small domestic animals such as cats and dogs. The height "H" (Figure 2) may be kept relatively low. In the interests of lessening tendency to overturning by the animal, the height H may be in the range of 15-75 mm or about 0.25 of the dimension "X", or in the range 0.15 to 0.33 of dimension "X". As mentioned, the angle "A" which the outer surface of the wall 24 of the bowl 12 makes to the vertical when the bowl is positioned on a ground surface may be about 15°, but it could be selected for example to be in the range 5° to 60°.

The described bowl is formed as a thin-walled moulding. The wall thickness may substantially everywhere be in the range 0.2-1.0 mm, in any event sufficient to provide enough rigidity to avoid ready deformation by an animal while using relatively small quantities of plastic. As such, it may be deposable. It is particularly in the context if this relatively light construction that the design may best be such as to make the bowl relatively difficult for an animal to upturn. In this regard, the arrangement of the base part 20 of the bowl to be relatively low when the bowl is positioned on a ground surface is of assistance. Particularly, it is preferable that at least a substantial part of the base 20 be positioned on or close to the ground surface when the bowl is in use. In the described embodiment this is provided for by arranging the base surface 46 of the bowl to be substantially the same plane as the edge 42 of the outer wall portion 30.

In a preferred form, the base 20 is flat and the base surface 46 thereof has a surface area of at least 50% of the area bounded by the edge 42 of wall 24.

The described construction has been advanced merely by way of example and many modifications and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, which includes every novel feature and combination of features herein disclosed.

Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps. The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from it), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or admission or any form of suggestion that that prior publication (or information derived from it) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge.