Abstract:
A drinking fountain for pets has a base with a water receptacle therein and a dome-shaped reserve water tank on the base. A drinking bowl on the top of the tank and a pump system for conveying water in the receptacle to the drinking bowl. Water pumped into the bowl overflows the bowl and flows down over a portion of the surface of the reserve water tank and returns to the receptacle. When the water in the receptacle falls below a predetermined level, water from the reserve tank automatically flow from the tank to the receptacle to increase the water to the prescribed level.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/713,427, entitled “Pet Drinking Fountain,” filed on Sep. 1, 2005, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.  
         [0002]     This application is a Continuation-In-Part of and also claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 120 of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/757,100, entitled “Pet Drinking Fountain,” filed on Jan. 14, 2004, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
     Field of Invention  
       [0003]     This invention relates to drinking apparatus for pets such as dogs and provides continuously circulating water that may be drunk from a bowl or lapped from a sloped surface.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     The drinking fountain of the present invention provides continuously circulating fresh, clean water that may be replenished from a reservoir that is part of the fountain, when the circulating water falls below a prescribed level. The water in the reservoir does not mix with the circulating water but rather water from the reservoir is periodically fed to the circulating water to replenish the water that has been consumed, spilled or evaporated.  
         [0005]     In accordance with one aspect of the invention the water circulation system includes an elevated drinking bowl in a comfortable drinking position, and the water from the bowl runs down a surface from which it may be lapped by a dog or other animal. The water on the surface that is not consumed ultimately returns via a stand pipe to the drinking bowl in a continuous flow pattern. This arrangement provides a large surface area for greater water oxygenation. The elevated drinking bowl also encourages pets with arthritis and/or muscle and joint problems to drink more water. In accordance with one embodiment, the drinking bowl provided at the top of the fountain is approximately 300 millimeters above the ground and the reservoir holds approximately 10.5 liters. Obviously the fountain may be made in different sizes to accommodate different requirements, i.e. larger or smaller animals.  
         [0006]     In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the reservoir may conveniently be refilled by simply removing it from its base and removing the reservoir cover.  
         [0007]     In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a splash guard is integrated into the structure to reduce water spillage from the drinking bowl, and the guard also serves as a handle for carrying the entire fountain structure and/or the reservoir.  
         [0008]     In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, the reservoir can turn 360° on the fountain base to direct the flow from the drinking bowl down any peripheral direction of the reservoir structure. By turning the reservoir, the flow on the surface may be directed away from the position normally occupied by the dog drinking from the bowl so that long-haired dogs and other pets will not get wet. For short-haired dogs and other pets such as cats and smaller dogs, the water flow on the bowl surface is attractive to them, and the location of flow on the surface is of no concern. Thus, the fountain is suitable for use by a variety of different pets. 
     
    
     DRAWINGS  
       [0009]     The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component that is illustrated in various figures is represented by a like numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing. In the drawings:  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the pet drinking fountain constructed in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view thereof;  
         [0012]      FIGS. 3 and 4  are front and side elevation views thereof;  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional elevation view of the pet drinking fountain removed from its tray and taken along the section line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional elevation view of the fountain taken along section line  6 - 6  in  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view of the pet drinking fountain;  
         [0016]      FIG. 8-10  are fragmentary cross-sectional views of one embodiment of a valve system through which water in the reservoir tank is allowed to flow into the base receptacle to maintain the continuous circulation of water in the drinking fountain; and  
         [0017]      FIG. 11  is an exploded perspective view of the valve, stem and spring of the valve system shown in  FIGS. 8-10 . 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION  
       [0018]     This invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having,” “containing,” “involving,” and variations thereof herein, is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.  
         [0019]     The pet drinking fountain of the present invention includes in its general organization, a base  10 , a tank assembly  12 , a filter  14 , and a pump  16  (see  FIGS. 1, 5  and  6 ). The base  10  includes a receptacle  18 , a gutter  20  and a skirt  21 , that may be integral with one another as shown or formed separately and subsequently attached together. The tank assembly  12  includes a standpipe  22  connected at its bottom end to the pump  16  that delivers water from its upper end to an elevated drinking bowl  24  formed on the top of the tank. Water from the bowl  24  discharges onto a limited area on the external surface  26  of the tank, and the water collects in the gutter  20  that in turn directs the water into the base receptacle  18  via the filter  14 . Under normal operating circumstances, there is a continuous flow of water from the receptacle  18  through the pump  16  and standpipe  22 , into the bowl  24  and down the surface  26  of the tank assembly  12  and via the gutter  20  and filter  14  to the receptacle  18 . The flow may, however, be interrupted by shutting off the pump.  
         [0020]     The tank assembly  12  serves as a reservoir of water for the drinking fountain. The reservoir preferably has a capacity of ten or more liters, and the water in the reservoir replenishes the water circulating in the system when it falls below a certain level established by a valve system  28  that is responsive to a drop in the water level in the receptacle  18 . The volume of circulating water diminishes as it is consumed, spills and/or evaporates, and it is replenished from the reservoir. The various components of the assembly are described in greater detail below.  
         [0021]     The tank  12  includes a dome-shaped top  30  (sometimes hereinafter called a dome) and a bottom cover  32 . The cover  32  has a dome-shaped central portion  34  with an opening  36  centrally located at the top of the dome, through which standpipe  22  that is formed as an integral part of the dome  30 , extends. In the cross-sectional views of  FIGS. 5 and 6  it may be observed that the lower portion  37  of standpipe  22  is threaded into the dome  34  below the opening  36 . The threaded section of the standpipe cooperates with a retainer  38  disposed within the dome  34  of the bottom cover to retain the tank top  30  and bottom cover  32  assembled together in the relationship shown in the drawings. It should be noted that the top of the tank is closed, that is, there are no openings that allow air to enter the top of the tank above water stored in it. While the preferred means for connecting the dome  30  and cover  32  are described, the parts may be assembled by other means as well.  
         [0022]     The tank assembly  12  includes a handle  40  that is connected to the top of the dome  30  and in part defines the side walls of the bowl  24 . As shown in  FIGS. 3, 5 , and  6  and in accordance with one aspect of the invention, an opening  42  is provided in the skirt  43  of the handle  40  that allows water to flow out of the drinking bowl  24  and down over a selected portion of the surface  26  of the dome  30 . The water discharged through the opening  42  will flow down the surface  26  into the trough  20  and the water in the trough in turn will exit through the opening  44  (see  FIG. 6 ) and flow through the filter  14  in the base  10  into the receptacle  18 . The opening  42  directs the water over a portion of the surface  26  while the remaining portion is free of flowing water and remains relatively dry. Many long-haired dogs and other pets that may drink from the fountain prefer not to have their fur become wet when drinking from the bowl  24 , and if the bowl is approached from the dry side, the animal will not get wet from the flowing water. Some dogs as well as other animals may prefer to drink the water flowing from the surface  26  rather than lapping the water from the bowl. The preferences of a variety of animals are accommodated by this feature of the invention.  
         [0023]     The handle  40  in the embodiment shown is threaded into the side wall  46  of the recess formed in the top of the dome as part of the drinking bowl, and ribs  48  are shown, particularly in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , that increase the stiffness of the skirt  43  to insure that the engagement of the handle to the dome is maintained. It will be appreciated that the handle may be mounted in other ways as well. For example, the handle may be permanently secured in place on the tank or it may be secured by other types of fasteners.  
         [0024]     In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a reducer  50  is mounted at the top of the stand pipe  22  as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . While it is shown threaded into the top portion  52  of the pipe, it may be attached in other ways such as with a snap fit. The reducer is somewhat flower-shaped and is provided to create motion in the water feeding into the drinking bowl  24  from the stand pipe. Without a reducer, very little movement of the water in the bowl  24  would be discernable. The moving water in the drinking bowl ensures against water stagnation and creates a visual identifier that the fountain is working. The reducer shown creates a small protrusion of water above the surface which also may readily be observed.  
         [0025]     The bottom cover  32  of the tank assembly  12  has a circumferentially-extending depressed area  53  that surrounds the bottom cover dome  34  and contains the valve system  28  that allows water to flow from the tank into the receptacle  18  in the base  10 . The functioning positions of the valve system are shown in  FIGS. 8-10 . The system  28  includes a passage  54  connecting the depressed area  53  to the receptacle. The passage  54  is surrounded by a collar  56  and supports a valve stem  58  that carries a dish-shaped valve  60 . The valve  60  controls the flow of water from the interior of the tank through the passage  54  to the receptacle. The valve system is biased to a closed position by a coil spring  62  that bears against the bottom of the collar  56  and the head  64  of the valve stem  58 . When no external axially directed force is applied to the stem, spring  62  will move the valve to the closed position. The valve system  28  is automatically opened, however, when the tank assembly is placed in position on the base  10  by an annular shoulder  66  formed in the receptacle  18  of the base. As shown in  FIGS. 5 and 8 , the head  64  of the stem  58  engages the shoulder  66  forcing the stem upwardly against the bias of the spring  62  to unseat the valve  60  when the tank  30  is seated on the base  10 . When the tank assembly is removed from the base, the spring  62  automatically closes the valve  50  to in turn close the passage  54  so that no water can flow from the tank. In  FIG. 10 , the valve  60  is shown locked in the open position, that is, the valve  60  is raised off the valve seat  61  above the collar  56 . This is achieved by manually moving the valve to the open position and thereafter rotating the stem  58  so that ribs  68  (see also  FIGS. 8 and 11 ) formed longitudinally on the stem are misaligned with slots  63  in the passage  54  and engage the top of collar  56 . To release valve  60  to the bias imposed by spring  62 , the valve is rotated 90 degrees back to the position shown in  FIG. 8  so as to align the ribs  68  with the slots  63 , and the valve will close. Other expedients as well may be used to hold the valve open such as detents, clamps, spring-loaded pins, etc.  
         [0026]     When the tank assembly is placed on the base, the valve  60  is automatically opened so as to allow water to flow from the tank into the receptacle  18  in the base  10 , until the level of the water in the receptacle rises above lower surface  70  of collar  56 , which will prevent additional air from flowing into the tank assembly through the passage  54 . The interior of the tank assembly is sealed as there are no openings in the dome surface that allow air to enter the space above the water level in the dome. However, when the level of water in the receptacle drops below the surface  70 , water in the tank will flow through the passage  54  and air simultaneously will flow in the opposite direction through passage  54  into the tank assembly. Water will continue to exit from the tank through the passage  54  and into the receptacle  18  until the height of the water in the receptacle again reaches the bottom surface  70  of the collar  56  to seal the passage  54 . It will be appreciated that the surface of the water in the receptacle  18  is exposed to ambient pressure, and when the water rises above the level of surface  70  to seal the passage, flow of water from the tank to the well ceases as the pressure above the water in the tank equalizes with the ambient pressure in the receptacle of the base  10 .  
         [0027]     The tank assembly may periodically be filled by removing it from the base  10  with the aid of the handle  24  and removing the retainer  38  by unscrewing it from the stem  72  of the standpipe  22  so that the cover  32  may be separated from the dome  30 . In accordance with yet another aspect of this invention, a pair of extractors  74  are mounted on the under side of the bottom cover or base  32  of the tank (see  FIG. 6 ) to assist in that operation. The extractors  74  are shown to overlap the lower edge  75  of retainer  38  and, therefore, when the retainer is unscrewed from the stem  72  of the standpipe, the dome  30  of the tank assembly will be forced away from the retainer so as to break the seals formed by the O-rings  76  and  78  at the juncture of the dome  30  and cover  32  and the juncture of the standpipe  22  and cover  32 , respectively.  
         [0028]     Shown in  FIGS. 4 and 7 , in accordance with another aspect of the invention, is an enclosure  80  in the form of a sleeve along with a cap  81 , provided on the surface  82  of the base, to house the power cord  84  of pump  16 . The enclosure  80  confines the cord so that it will not accidentally be engaged by or get entangled with a dog or other animal using the fountain.  
         [0029]     Another aspect of the present invention is the provision of a tray or mat  85  that has a central opening  86  sized to receive the lower edge  87  of the skirt  21  of base  10  of the drinking fountain (see  FIG. 7 ). The tray  85  along with the feet  88  serve to stabilize the drinking fountain and resist it from sliding on the floor. The mat  85  will also serve, by virtue of its top surface that is inclined toward the opening  86 , to prevent water that splashes from the bowl  24  or dome surface  26  from spreading about the floor. The mat shown is also provided with fasteners  90  that may be employed to connect the mat with another identical mat so that a pair of fountains may be used together in side-by-side relationship. The pair of mats will prevent the fountains from separating.  
         [0030]     In use, to fill the tank, the tank assembly  12  is removed from the base  10  and inverted, the bottom cover  32  of the tank assembly is separated from the dome  30 , and the dome may be placed in an inverted position. The handle  40  may serve as a stand for the tank during the filling operation. The handle also serves as a baffle to reduce spillage of water from the drinking bowl  24  when the tank is disposed in the upright position. After the tank is filled, the bottom cover  32  is reattached to the dome  30  by placing the cover on the dome and securing it in position by screwing the retainer  38  onto the stem  22 . Because the valve  28  automatically closes when no contrary force is applied to the valve stem  58 , the tank assembly may be turned upright and be carried by the handle  43  and placed in position on the base  10 . No special circumferential relationship is required of the tank assembly  12  with respect to the base  10  as the bottom of the stem of the stand pipe will be centered on the discharge duct  91  of the pump  16 . Furthermore, because the shoulder  66  extends 360° about the base  10  at a constant radius from the axis of the tank assembly  12 , the valve stem head  64  will engage the shoulder  66  regardless of the circumferential relationship of the tank assembly to the base. Assuming there is no water in the receptacle  18  of the base, when the tank is placed in position and the valve  28  is opened by engagement of the valve stem head  64  with the shoulder  66 , water will flow from the tank through the passage  54  into the receptacle  18 . However, when the water in the receptacle reaches the surface  70  of the valve collar  56 , no further air will be permitted to flow into the tank through the passage  54 , and the pressure in the tank will reach the ambient pressure on the surface of the water in the receptacle  18 . By merely plugging in the power cord  84  of pump  16 , circulation of water will begin and very quickly the drinking bowl  24  will fill. During the filling operation of the drinking bowl  24 , the level of the water in the receptacle of the base will drop causing small quantities of water to flow from the tank assembly  12  into the base receptacle  10  until the system stabilizes. Thereafter, only when the level of water in the receptacle drops below the surface  70  of the valve collar will water flow from the tank  30  into the receptacle  18 . The decrease in level of water in the receptacle will, however, periodically occur from evaporation and/or consumption of water by a pet.  
         [0031]     The major parts of the fountain may typically be molded of a plastic material such as general purpose polystyrene, polypropylene, elastomers, PVC, etc.  
         [0032]     Having thus described several aspects of at least one embodiment of this invention, it is to be appreciated various alterations, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such alterations, modifications, and improvements are intended to be part of this disclosure, and are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way of example only.