Patent ID: 8011324

Claim:
Apparatus for providing drinking water to an animal, said apparatus comprising, in combination: a support defining a support interior, said support for positioning on a surface; a bottom wall supported by said support and including a first bottom wall portion having a cylindrically-shaped peripheral wall and closed bottom end defining a downwardly extending recess, said first bottom wall portion extending into said support interior and said bottom wall further including a second bottom wall portion surrounding said first bottom wall portion and elevated relative to said closed bottom end; a continuous outer wall surrounding said bottom wall extending upwardly from said bottom wall and having an upper end; a continuous top wall; a continuous inner wall connected to the upper end of said outer wall by said top wall and extending downwardly from said top wall, said inner wall spaced inwardly of said outer wall, and said inner wall, said top wall, said outer wall and said bottom wall defining a water supply reservoir surrounding said inner wall, said inner wall forming a draw reservoir and having a lower end including a cylindrically-shaped side wall and bottom having an outer periphery terminating at said cylindrically-shaped side wall extending into said recess, said bottom defining at least one bottom opening located in said recess in fluid flow communication with said draw reservoir, said first bottom wall portion and the lower end of said inner wall being completely spaced from one another and defining a continuous water flow path extending completely about and along the lower end of said inner wall and under said bottom leading from said water supply reservoir and under and through said at least one opening to said draw reservoir; and an air conduit fixed in position relative to the water supply reservoir having an upper segment extending substantially the full height of said water supply reservoir with the open upper end thereof within said water supply reservoir closely adjacent to and under said top wall and a lower segment including a lower end and disposed below and externally of said bottom wall, the configuration and positioning of said air conduit relative to said water supply reservoir preventing water in said water supply reservoir from draining through said air conduit when said apparatus is upright and also when said apparatus is inverted and upside down, said inner wall selectively releasably connected to said top wall and supported by said top wall.