Patent ID: 8899181

Claim:
A water dispensing apparatus, comprising: a container receiving portion configured to receive a water container that includes a lid portion, the container receiving portion including a central member configured to be forced against and through the lid portion of the water container during installation and to extend into and at least partially support the installed water container while allowing water to be released from the installed water container, the central member being generally frusto-conical in shape and being formed as a single piece with the container receiving portion; and, a water presentation portion configured to receive the water from the container receiving portion for consumption by an animal, wherein the container receiving portion includes an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface comprised of: an upper section which is a container support surface with a generally inverted conical shape, a top of the container support surface open relatively wide to receive the water container and a bottom open relatively narrow, wherein the container support surface is configured to at least partially support the installed water container, and a lower section connected to the bottom of the upper section, the bottom of the lower section connected to a central surface, the central surface connected to the central member, wherein the lower section has a generally inverted conical shape with walls that are closer to vertical than the container support surface, and further wherein the lower section in combination with the central member is configured to receive and align a neck of the water container, and further wherein the upper section, the lower section, the central member, and the outer surface of the container receiving portion and inner and outer supporting sidewalls of the water presentation portion have slanted surfaces that form oblique angles relative to the central surface, such that the water dispensing apparatus is nestably stackable with a second water dispensing apparatus.