Controlled Access Water Supply Apparatus for Animals

This invention relates to a portable water supply apparatus for use by animals and pets; and, more particularly this invention relates to a portable water supply apparatus for animals which includes a paddle wheel used to selectively deliver discrete amounts of water from a water reservoir to an open drinking trough so that an animal may be supplied only that amount of water which it needs as desired.

Traditionally, small animals and pets have been supplied with water through use of an open top bowl for containing the water or an open end drinking tube affixed to a bottle container with a resilient closure. Both these methods of water supply delivery have attendant problems of drippage, leakage, environmental debris, and unavoidable back flow of contamination. Open bowls may be jostled and their contents spilled out.

It is clear that traditional methods of watering small animals usually resulted in providing more water to the animal than the animal needed for its particular drinking use.

In the prior art, livestock waterers have been disclosed which were primarily directed to a method for keeping the water supply warm during freezing cold temperatures; see P. Paulsen, U.S. Pat. No. 1,326,778. Limited access water supplies have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,559,905 to Ahrens and U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,496 to Atchley. In the Ahrens patent, a buoyant spherical float was used as a valve to allow access by livestock to the watering tank only when the animal pushed down on the buoyant float. No particular discrete limit as to the amount of liquid was provided. Atchley diccloses the use of a movable control ball at the end of a long tube connected to an inverted bottle water supply for use by hamsters and the like. Again, there is no particular control of the quantity of water supplied when a small animal demands delivery.

What is needed is a water supply apparatus for small animals and pets which not only provides a limited amount of water on demand to an animal, but also provides only discrete amounts of water to the drinking trough even when the animal demands delivery of water. In this manner, environmental debris, waste, and spillage can be kept to a minimum.

Therefore, the invention disclosed herein is directed to a water supply apparatus for animals which comprises a vertically extending elevated water tank, having at least one open end for communicating with a water trough region. Access to the water tank for filling, for example, may be obtained through a defined aperture accessible through a removable stopper. The water trough zone, which is connected to the water tank through a fluid channel, is generally horizontally disposed and formed as an enclosed container. The water trough is a flat pan-shaped container which is accessible through a substantially rectangular slot formed in a surface defined at the top of a small reservoir associated with the trough. Seated within this slot is a paddle wheel rotatably mounted on a spindle extending longitudinally across the length of the rectangular slot. The paddle wheel substantially closes off the slot but allows fluid communication between the local reservoir and the open drinking trough area when an animal approaches the paddle wheel with its tongue, rotating the paddle wheel and delivering the water to the open drinking trough area. The paddle wheel acts as a means for selectively delivering discrete amounts of water from the local reservoir to the trough.

As the paddle wheel turns, only discrete amounts of water are delivered to the drinking trough area. The paddle wheel may include a plurality of radially extending fins which extend outward from the central spindle rotatably mounted within the rectangular slot of the water reservoir. An outer shroud may contain and enclose the entire water tank and reservoir area forming a neat and streamlined encasement for surrounding the water supply apparatus. The outer shroud is integral with a flat support base which extends along the bottom of the apparatus.

A resilient friction surface may be affixed to the underside of the flat support base to prevent sliding of the water supply apparatus. A support hook may be affixed to the back of the outer shroud so that the entire apparatus may be secured to and supported at the side wall of an animal cage.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent in the following description of the drawings and detailed description of the preferred embodiment.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a water supply apparatus for animals illustrating the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the water supply apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the water supply apparatus as shown at FIG. 2 taken along line 3--3; and

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the water supply apparatus of FIG. 1.

With reference to FIGS. 1 through 4, a water supply apparatus for small animals and pets is shown generally at 10. The water supply apparatus of this invention provides a means for selectively delivering discrete amounts of water from a local water reservoir 22 out to the drinking trough area 20. The water supply apparatus 10 has an outer shroud 12 which provides an outer wall and covering for the water supply apparatus 10. The outer shroud 12 is integrally fixed to a base plate 24. The base plate 24 may be supported by a friction surface pad 26. In the preferred embodiment the friction surface pad 26 is a neoprene pad. The under surface of the base plate 24 is desirably covered by a material such as the neoprene pad 26, so that the water supply apparatus 10 does not easily slide or tip over either by accident or when an animal comes to the trough area 20 to drink.

The water supply apparatus 10 operates by providing an enclosed storage area for water within the confines of the outer shroud 12. This enclosed area includes a vertically extending water tank 14, which in the preferred embodiment may be blow-molded. Access to the water storage area for supplying water may be through a removable stopper 16B at the forward end of the apparatus 10, or a removable stopper 16A located at the bottom of the water tank 14. If a removable stopper such as 16A is utilized, it is desirable that the base have a central opening or notch 28 located at the center of the rear of the unit, in order to allow access to the removable stopper 16A, without impairing the stability of the unit. In this manner, water may be introduced to the water tank 14 and water reservoir 22 by means of a removable stopper positioned either at 16A or 16B or at both locations, as desired.

The water tank 14, by being vertically extended, contains enough water for an extended period of time. It is coupled to the local reservoir 22 through the flow channel 23 allowing the water from tank 14 to fill the local water reservoir 22. The water reservoir 22 is an enclosed compartment.

In the preferred embodiment the water reservoir 22 defines a compartment which is substantially rectangular in shape with an upper curved surface including a rectangular slot 17. The rectangular slot 17 provides access through the top of the containment area defining the local water reservoir 22 for the drinking trough area 20. Longitudinally extended across the entire length of the slot 17 is a spindle 21 which is rotatably mounted at either end for supporting a paddle wheel 18. In the preferred embodiment, the paddle wheel 18 has a plurality of individual fins 19. As shown at FIG. 3, when no animal approaches the water supply apparatus 10, the paddle wheel 18 may be positioned so that a pair of opposing fins 19 effectively seal access between the trough 20 and the water reservoir 22.

In operation, when a small animal or pet approaches the water trough 20 in order to drink, the animal may use its tongue to cause the paddle wheel 18 to rotate. As the paddle wheel 18 rotates, it draws water from the reservoir 20 up and out to the trough 20 surface. Limited discrete quantities of water are delivered by the paddle wheel 18 to the upper trough 20 for purposes of animal drinking. When the paddle wheel 18 is no longer turned, no additional water is brought to the trough 20.

Therefore, according to the foregoing manner, only discrete portions of water are provided to the animal. These portions of water are not determined by any suction or sucking or direct drinking action of the animal; rather, unlike the prior art, the paddle wheel 18 provides a means of limited amounts of water being brought for use of a pet through other than a suction method. This is an important advantage, because then the drinking process for the pet can be a two-step operation. The pet can first activate the paddle wheel 18 with its tongue, and then follow by drinking the water that is then drawn to the surface of the trough 20. Prior art designs (which require that the animal suck on a tube having a valve) allow a direct contact between the animals mouth and any stored water during the drinking process. The invention disclosed herein is directed to an apparatus for delivering discrete amounts of water with less opportunity for environmental contamination.

A small sub-trough is present immediately in front of the paddle wheel. Excess water in the main trough will tend to flow back to the sub-trough level, and the animal will start drinking either at the sub-trough area or using the water between the fins of the paddle wheel.

A supplemental feature, shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, provides for the option of a support hook 27 or bracket which may be used to hang or secure the water supply apparatus 10 on the side wall of an animal cage. The unit may also be provided with a transparent or translucent zone 32 through which the water level 34 may be observed.

One working model of the invention intended for use by cats or small dogs was about 9 inches tall, and 5 or 6 inches wide, with the paddle wheel being about 3 inches in length and approximately one and three-eighths in diameter. Other dimensions could be used for supplying bigger or smaller animals.

While a preferred embodiment of this invention has been disclosed herein, the applicant recognizes that alternative embodiments which function equivalently to the disclosed preferred embodiments are also possible. For this reason, it is requested that the following claims be construed to cover the invention disclosed herein as well as alternative equivalent embodiments.