Patent ID: 9554556
Date: 2017-01-31
CPC Classifications: A01K,E03D

Claim:
1. An apparatus for utilizing a toilet connected to an external supply of water to provide a fresh water supply for pets, comprising means to divert water during a flush cycle of said toilet from the external water supply of the toilet to a water dispensing element accessible to a pet, said water dispensing element comprising a water-retaining receptacle exterior to and mounted on a water storage portion of said toilet which fills to a predetermined level, with excess water from the water-retaining receptacle after said predetermined level is reached being returned to the water storage portion of said toilet and water below said predetermined level being retained in said water-retaining receptacle; wherein said water-retaining receptacle comprises an upwardly opening water-retaining basin comprising an upper edge, said upwardly opening water-retaining basin being mounted to an exterior surface of said water storage portion of said toilet and which receives said water diverted from the external water supply of the toilet and fills to said predetermined level during said flush cycle of said toilet, and wherein water received by said water-retaining basin which exceeds said predetermined level flows by way of one or more channels into said water storage portion of said toilet with water received by said water-retaining basin below said predetermined level remaining in said water-retaining basin for access by said pet for consumption after said flush cycle has completed, and wherein said predetermined level is defined by said upper edge of said upwardly opening water-retaining basin, and wherein said water which exceeds said predetermined level flows radially outwardly over said upper edge of said upwardly opening water-retaining basin and downwardly into an intermediate basin arranged concentrically with said water-retaining basin and thereafter flows by gravity from said intermediate basin through said one or more channels into said water storage portion of said toilet.