Abstract:
A container ( 10 ) for the single feeding of animals includes flexible attachment element ( 28 ), and an anchor element ( 16 ) on the container ( 10 ) cooperates with the flexible attachment element ( 28 ) to facilitate mounting of the container ( 10 ) to a fixture or structure (R).

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This is the 35 USC 371 national stage of international application PCT/NZ98/00059 filed on May 11, 1998, which designated the United States of America. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to animal feeding devices, more particularly an animal feeding container intended for single feeding of animals. 
     It is known to use a bottle with a teat or nipple for the single feeding of young animals. Such feeding bottles can be hand-held, however it is also known to provide a mounting frame or bracket whereby the bottle can be inserted into the frame or bracket. In a normal situation on a farm or the like the frame or bracket is positioned on a structure such as a fence, side of a bale, race or similar. 
     The provision of a bracket or frame adds to the cost of the animal feeding device. Additional costs also arise from the need to package and transport the additional frame/bracket. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid feed container for the single feeding of an animal which has a mounting arrangement which is simple and effective to use and represents a lower cost means of mounting the container to a fixture than hitherto known arrangements. 
     An additional disadvantage of known feeding bottles is the lack of stackability of bottles resulting in greater volume for transportation thereby representing an additional cost arising from effectively “freighting air”. 
     It is therefore a further object of the present invention to provide a container for the single feeding of liquid feed to an animal whereby a plurality of such containers can be stacked together. 
     According to one broad aspect of the invention there is provided a container for the single feeding of animals, the container including a flexible attachment element and anchor means on the container to cooperate with the attachment element to facilitate mounting of the container to a fixture or structure. 
     According to a second broad aspect of the invention the container as aforesaid is hollow and of a tapering configuration from an open end to an end adapted for the mounting of a feeding nipple. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the animal feeding container according to one embodiment of the present invention, 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the container as shown in FIG. 1, 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the container, 
     FIG. 4 is a pictorial view of the container mounted by the attachment element according to one arrangement to a fence rail, 
     FIG. 5 is a similar pictorial view showing the container mounted according to a further arrangement, 
     FIG. 6 is yet a further pictorial view of a further manner in which the container can be mounted to a tubular element of a structure, 
     FIG. 7 is a plan view of a flexible and resilient attachment element, 
     FIG. 8 is an elevation view of a nipple or teat construction suitable for use with the container, 
     FIG. 9 is an end view of the teat shown in FIG. 8, 
     FIG. 10 is a perspective base end view of the teat of FIGS. 8 and 9, 
     FIG. 11 is an elevation view of yet a further form of teat suitable for use with the container, 
     FIG. 12 is an elevation view of a second form of the invention, 
     FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the modified version of FIG. 12, 
     FIG. 14 is a perspective exploded view of the container shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, and 
     FIG. 15 is a plan view of the container shown in FIGS.  12  and  13 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The container  10  comprises a hollow body  11  having a large open end  12 . The body tapers in the somewhat curved manner shown in the drawings toward a narrow end  13  having an opening  14  into which an end of a teat T can be inserted. As shown in the drawings the hollow body  11  is configured so that it curves from the large open end  12  toward the smaller end  13  such that the longitudinal axis of the teat T is inclined to the plane of the open end  12 . 
     The hollow body  11  incorporates ribbed and/or indented portions  15  which not only add to the aesthetic appeal of the container but also provide a positive finger/hand grip on what could be a slippery container. These indented portions can also provide a degree of strengthening to the wall of the body  11 . 
     Projecting from the wall of the body  11  is a handle/hook  16  having a long foot  17  which extends away from the open end  12 . A shorter foot  19  extends in an opposite direction. The leg  18  of the handle  16  is positioned toward the open end  12  of the body  11 . The configuration of the body  11  and the positioning of the leg  18  of the handle  16  enables a plurality of containers  10  to be stacked together by inserting one container end  13  first into the open end  12  of another container. The containers will be able to interfit to the point that the leg  18  of the one container engages with the rim  20  of the open end  12  of the other container. 
     The rim  20  not only provides strengthening for the open end  12  of the body  11  but also provides a suitably configured area to receive lid  21  (see FIG.  2 ). In one form, the lid  21  is a friction fit within the rim  20 . The friction can be achieved from a resilient sealing ring. Preferably the positioning of the lid when it is placed on the container  10  is determined by a ledge  22  in the container  10  which engages with the end of the skirt  23  of the lid  21 . A peripheral rim  24  of the lid  21  can also engage with the peripheral edge of the rim  20 . A suitable hand gripping portion  25  can be provided with lid  21  to enable a user to install and remove the lid. 
     Other constructions of lid and mounting with the container  10  will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is preferred that the lid  21  be of a type which not only provides a sealing fit but also can be readily installed and removed. In view of the environment in which the container will be used and the type of products to be dispensed it is preferred that the means of installing the lid on the container is such that a difficult to release wedging of the lid on the container will not arise. 
     In use, the container with teat T installed is filled with liquid food, eg milk or a milk mixture, and the lid installed. The container  10  is then used in a substantially conventional manner to feed an animal. The container  10  can be used in a hand-held manner to feed an individual animal in a conventional way. The user can simply grip the hollow body though the presence of the handle  16  provides one means of ensuring that a firm grip of the container is achievable. The handle  16  provides an advantage over most conventional feeding bottles which are either difficult to grasp or due to a coating of milk fat on the outer surface can be very slippery especially in some climatic conditions, eg rain. 
     However, the container can also be attached to a suitable fixture such as a fence rail or tubing of a race, stall, gate or the like. This is achieved by the use of an attachment element in the form of an elastic fastener or bungy  28  (see FIG.  7 ). In its simplest form, bungy  28  can be an elongate ring made of a natural or synthetic rubber of rubber-like plastics material. In the preferred form as shown in FIG. 7 bungy  28  consists of a main elongate ring  29  from the end of which extends a secondary annular portion  30 . 
     The bungy  28  can be used in a number of different ways to enable container  10  to be mounted to a variety of fixtures or structures. For example, in FIG. 4 the container  10  is mounted to a rail R by engaging the long foot  17  of handle  16  over the rail. To ensure that the container is not knocked from the rail the bungy  28  is placed so that it extends around body  11  under the rail R and up over the short leg  19  to engage on what comprises the upper surface of leg  18 . The bungy therefore firmly holds the container in position. In such an arrangement the lid  21  does not need to be installed on the container  10 . 
     Similarly, as shown in FIG. 4, the container  10  can be mounted with the pipe work P and P′ of a race, stall or the like. In such an arrangement the bungy  28  extends about the body  11  near rim  20  and over the pipe P to engage with leg  18  behind the long foot  17 . As shown in FIG. 3, a small hook  31  is moulded with body  11  opposite the large handle  16  and it is beneath this hook  31  that the bungy  28  is engaged. 
     A further mounting option is shown in FIG. 5 where the lid  21  must be placed on the container  10 . In this arrangement the lid is engaged against the vertical flat surface S of the rail R so that the large handle  16  is uppermost. As a consequence of the curve of the body  11  the teat T will incline downwardly at a convenient orientation for a feeding animal. In the arrangement shown in FIG. 5 a modified form of the container  10  is shown where the bungy  28  extends from hook  31  around the rail R to engage with a further small hook  32  moulded with the short leg  19  of the large handle  16 . With an arrangement not incorporating hook  32  the bungy is stretched to engage over the distal end of the long foot  17  so as to engage about the leg  18 . 
     The length of bungy required for the different mounting positions can vary as a consequence of the fixtures to which the container is to be mounted as well as the manner of mounting. The different length of bungy is therefore achieved by having the secondary annular extension  30  which can be used when the length of the stretched bungy main portion  29  is insufficient. 
     The feeding device is therefore versatile in use as it can be hand-held or mounted to a fixture. As no separate mounting bracket or frame is required, the overall cost of the feeding device will, as expected, be lower than known feeding devices presently available. In addition, however, the fact that a separate mounting bracket is not required enables the overall size and hence internal volume of the container to be greater than current feeding bottles. Therefore, a greater volume of feed can be dispensed to the feeding animal. Furthermore, the ability to be able to stack the containers within each other represents a saving to the manufacturer/seller as freight costs can be reduced because a greater number of containers  10  can be packed in a given volume of packaging. 
     The teat T to be used with the container  10  is preferably of the type disclosed in my New Zealand patent specifications 247058 and 293714, which correspond to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,638,769 and 5,860,541 respectively. Such a teat is shown in FIGS. 12,  13  and  14 . 
     As illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,541 the teat is formed in one piece and comprises a hollow elongate body having a mounting part at one end and an outlet at the other end. Toward the mounting end the body flares outwardly such that the greatest cross-sectional dimension of this outwardly flaring portion terminates in a shoulder. A peripheral groove is provided adjacent the shoulder. This general construction is, for example, illustrated in FIG. 11 of the present specification. 
     The mounting part of the teat has a bore which extends from an inlet opening in the mounting part, the bore thus communicating with the interior of the hollow body. A valve is located in the bore. The valve can be of the type shown in FIGS. 6-11 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,541 (see FIG. 3 of the present specification). 
     The teat is in accordance with normal installation techniques located within the container with the feeding end orientated toward the opening  14  whereupon the teat is pushed/pulled through the opening  14  until the grooved portion at the base of the teat locates with the opening  14  (see eg FIG.  13 ). 
     It is, however, envisaged that a different configuration of base portion of the teat can be employed to simplify installation/removal of the teat. Such modified forms of teats are shown in FIGS. 8,  9  and  10 . 
     According to the arrangement shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 the base  33  of the teat T has the flange portion  34  formed with an angled slot  35 . This angled slot  35  in the flange  34  enables the teat to be installed base end first by simply a twist-on action. This is achieved by the angled slot  35  being of a width commensurate with the thickness of the wall section defining the opening  14 . The teat T is simply installed by engaging the lead-in end of the slot  35  with a part of the wall defining the opening  14  and then twisting the teat through approximately 90° (clockwise) substantially about the longitudinal axis of the teat. The teat of this configuration when installed on the container  10  is shown in FIG.  3 . 
     In a further form of the teat shown in FIG. 11 the base  33  is longer and has a tapered thread  36 . The teat can thus be installed base end first with the opening  14  by simply inserting the narrow or distal end of the base  33  into the unthreaded opening  14  and then applying a screwing action to the teat about its longitudinal axis until the base  33  is fully screwed into the opening  14 . The threaded base  33  being elastomeric will seal over the thread. 
     The teats as shown in FIGS. 8-10 and  11  can be used with other feeding devices and are not intended simply for use with the container of the present invention. The teat according to this configuration is, however, easy to install and remove when compared with conventional arrangements where the feeding end of the teat needs to be pulled through the opening and considerable force applied to force the part of the teat having a greater diameter than that of the opening through the opening so that the opening engages within the grooved base end of the teat. It is therefore believed that this easier installation and removal will result in users more regularly removing a teat for cleaning purposes. 
     Other means of mounting the teat T can be used. For example the end  13  of the body  11  could have a screw threaded portion adjacent opening  14 . The teat T fitting to a threaded ring or cap can then be screwed onto the threaded portion to attach the teat to the container. 
     A further form of the invention is shown in FIGS. 12-15 in which, for convenience, like parts carry the same reference numerals as those of the previously described embodiment. 
     According to this form of the invention there is provided a different form of lid and bungy  28  together with a novel means of hinging the lid to the body via the bungy  28 . This form of bungy also includes an adjustment means  58  for adjusting the length of the bungy. 
     The lid  40  has a downwardly depending skirt  41  with a peripheral sealing web  42 . The skirt  41  and web  42  are dimensioned to firmly fit within the open mouth  12  of the container as defined by rim  20 . Projecting from diametrically opposite sides of the lid  40  is a catch element  43  and a hinge mount  44 . The catch  43  has an inwardly projecting ledge  45  which, when the lid is in the closed position, engages in a snap-lock arrangement with a lip  46  located with the rim  20  at a position opposite that of the handle/hook  16  (see FIG.  14 ). 
     The hinge mount  44  is formed by an arm  47  which in the preferred form is a continuation of a central rib  48 , the latter functioning as strengthening rib for the lid  40  as well as a handle for opening and closing of the lid. As shown, the rib passes through a depression  49  in the top surface of the lid  40  thereby enabling the rib to be gripped either side to function as a handle or gripping portion. At the distal end of arm  47  is a sleeve  50  which incorporates therealong a longitudinal slit  51 . 
     A novel means of hinging the lid  40  to the body  11  is shown in FIGS. 12 and 14 and uses the bungy  28 . It will be observed that in this form of the bungy  28  (see FIG. 13) the annular extension  30  is not provided. 
     One end of the bungy  28  is formed integrally with a curved axle portion  52 . This shaft  52  could also, in a less preferred embodiment, be formed as a separate element insert moulded with the bungy  28 . As can be seen in FIG. 14, shaft  52  is forced through slit  51  to locate within sleeve  50 . In the preferred form a rib  53  extending longitudinally along shaft  52  engages within slot  51  when the shaft is in position in the sleeve  50 . To this end, the cross-sectional profile of rib  53  substantially matches the cross-sectional profile of the slot  51  as shown in FIG.  14 . Shaft  52  thus does not rotate in sleeve  50 . 
     Shaft  52  projects either side of the extremities of sleeve  50 . The surfaces of sleeves  50  which project from the sides of arm  47  form a pair of bearing surfaces which engage in respective shallow curved recesses  54  in opposed top edge surfaces of a pair of spaced apart flanges  55 . 
     Spaced inwardly from shaft  52  and once again in the preferred form constructed integrally with bungy  28  is a pair of opposed studs or spigots  56 . These engage respectively in openings  57  formed in the flanges  55  of handle  16 . The shaft  52  and studs  56  thus not only function to anchor the bungy  28  to the handle  16  but also provide the hinge pin for hinging the lid  40  to the body  11 . This novel hinge arrangement enables the lid  40  to be hingedly mounted in a manner such that the hinge is not prone to breakage over time. Also, the bungy  28  is anchored to the container. 
     As mentioned previously, the bungy  28  does not include the second annular extension  30 . Nevertheless, the length of the bungy is adjustable by an adjuster  58  which is of two-piece construction each piece moulded from a suitable Polymetric material. The adjuster  58  is formed by a base  59  and a top  60 , one having studs  61  which can engage in a snap-lock type arrangement in openings  62  in the other. However, in the preferred form base  59  and top  60  are coupled together by a screw S. 
     Each of the base  59  and top  60  include a pair of side by side openings  63  and a pair of substantially opposed openings  64 . The adjuster  58  is located on the bungy so that respective long portions  65  of the bungy extend through a respective opening  64  and  63  with the opening  63  being located closer to the curved end  66  of the bungy. The arrangement is such that the adjuster can be moved away or toward curved end  66  to effectively form a loop at the end  66  and thereby alter the effective length of the bungy  28 . 
     As shown in the dotted detail in FIG. 12, the adjuster  59 ,  60  (when the bungy  28  is in place to hold the container to a fixture or structure) locates on the front surface of body  11 . The end  66  of the bungy  28  is thus held upwardly, as shown, so as to be held away from a feeding animal. 
     In a preferred form of this embodiment and as shown in FIG. 13 the lid  40  incorporates a vent hole  67 . Disposed adjacent this vent hole  67  within the confines of the lid is a pin or projection  68 . A dish shaped valve seal  69  of a suitable resilient material has a central opening  70  which can push fit onto stud  68 . The dish shape of the seal  69  results in the peripheral edge  71  engaging with the underside surface of the lid  40  so as to close off vent hole  67 . However, upon a pressure differential arising due to the pressure within the body  11  (the lid being in the closed position) becoming less than atmospheric pressure the seal is deformed so peripheral edge  71  disengages with the underside surface of the lid so as to open the opening  67  and vent the interior of the body to atmosphere. Once pressure equilibrium is achieved the “memory” of the seal  69  restores the seal to its sealing position. 
     Other modifications to the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art and are modifications which, while not disclosed herein, nevertheless fall within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.