Patent ID: 8387566

Claim:
A gravity-induced automatic animal watering/feeding device, said animal watering/feeding device comprising: a reservoir to house a consumable, the reservoir defining a reservoir opening to pass the consumable from said reservoir by way of the reservoir opening, said reservoir including an engagement shoulder and a protuberance; a base member to support the reservoir, said base member including a groove and at least one deflectable projection; a receptacle removably received by the base member to receive the consumable when it passes from the reservoir; and a reservoir cap removably secured to the reservoir opening and including a water outlet, an air inlet, and a valve disposed at the water outlet, the air inlet being substantially centrally located in the reservoir cap, the valve having a first position to allow the consumable to flow from the reservoir to the receptacle by way of the water outlet when the reservoir is supported by the base member, and a second position to prevent the consumable from flowing from the reservoir when the reservoir is removed from the base member; a water filter housing to house a filter media, the water filter housing defining at least one intake vent to allow the consumable to enter the water filter housing, a water egress, an air egress, and an air ingress, said water filter housing releasably mounted to said reservoir cap to allow the water egress to be in fluidic communication with the water outlet, and to allow the air ingress to be in gaseous communication with air inlet; and a ventilation tube to extend through the filter media, the ventilation tube having a first end in gaseous communication with the air ingress, and a second end opposite the first end in gaseous communication with the air egress, wherein ambient air enters said reservoir by way of the air inlet, the air ingress, and the ventilation tube, and ambient air exits the ventilation tube by way of the air egress, and wherein said reservoir is engaged with said base member by way of a twist-and-lock configuration such that as the reservoir is rotated with respect to the base member, the groove receives the engagement shoulder and the protuberance deflects the at least one projection to indicate the relative rotational position of the reservoir with respect to the base member.