Recirculating pet fountain

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9474249-B2
Application number	US-201313841039-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Sep 6, 2011
Publication date	Oct 25, 2016
Grant date	Oct 25, 2016

Abstract

A recirculating pet fountain with an upper drinking bowl in water flow recirculation with a lower drinking bowl that includes a step upon which an animal, e.g., cat, can perch while drinking. The upper bowl is suspended above the lower bowl by an arm that provides a graspable handle and conduit through which water is conveyed by a pump upwardly to the upper bowl where the water flows downwardly back into the lower bowl. The fountain preferably includes a water-conveying bridge along which water from the upper bowl flows downwardly toward the lower bowl. The bridge can be an open concave channel along which water drinkable by the perched animal downwardly flows. The lower bowl can have a tubular overflow extending upwardly from water in the lower bowl from which water received from the upper bowl, including via the bridge, overflows into the lower bowl during recirculating fountain operation.

First claim

It is claimed:

1. A recirculating pet water fountain comprising:
a first water-holding basin defining a lower drinking bowl;
a second water-holding basin defining an upper drinking bowl arranged at least partially above the lower drinking bowl of the first water-holding basin, the upper drinking bowl configured so that the water in the upper drinking bowl flows out of the upper drinking bowl and into the lower drinking bowl;
an arm extending upwardly from the first water-holding basin to the second water-holding basin, the arm spacing the upper drinking bowl from and above the lower drinking bowl;
a pump in fluid-flow communication with a generally upwardly extending fluid-conveying conduit, the pump delivering the water from the lower drinking bowl through the fluid-conveying conduit upwardly to the upper drinking bowl;
a generally horizontally extending step disposed alongside the lower drinking bowl upon which an animal is able to at least partially support itself when drinking from either the lower drinking bowl or the upper drinking bowl;
a water-conveying bridge that receives the water that flows out of the upper drinking bowl, the water-conveying bridge comprising an open water-transport channel that faces outwardly toward the step, the open water-transport channel comprising a generally concave water-conveying channel surface;
an overflow tube extending upwardly out of the water in the lower drinking bowl, the overflow tube having a mouth disposed above the water in the lower drinking bowl in which water from the water-conveying bridge is received that overflows from the overflow tube into the lower drinking bowl; and
wherein the mouth of the overflow tube is disposed adjacent the step.

2. The recirculating pet fountain of claim 1 wherein the fluid-conveying conduit is housed within the arm.

3. The recirculating pet fountain of claim 1 wherein the arm comprises a manually graspable handle.

4. The recirculating pet fountain of claim 1 wherein the fluid-conveying conduit is carried by the arm.

5. The recirculating pet fountain of claim 4 wherein the pump is disposed in the arm alongside the lower drinking bowl.

6. The recirculating pet fountain of claim 5 wherein the fluid-conveying conduit is housed within the arm.

7. The recirculating pet fountain of claim 5 wherein the lower drinking bowl has a sidewall with a perforate intake in fluid-flow communication with the pump and wherein the pump is disposed outwardly of the lower drinking bowl alongside the intake.

8. The recirculating pet fountain of claim 4 wherein the upper drinking bowl extends outwardly from the arm and is accessible by an animal at least partially supported by the step enabling the animal to drink from the upper drinking bowl.

9. The recirculating pet fountain of claim 1 wherein the step comprises a generally horizontally extending shelf spaced above a water line of the water in the lower drinking bowl enabling an animal at least partially supporting itself to drink from one of the lower drinking bowl and the upper drinking bowl.

10. The recirculating pet fountain of claim 1 wherein the arm is disposed on one side of the first water-holding basin and the step is disposed on an opposite side of the first water-holding basin.

11. The recirculating pet fountain of claim 10 wherein the overflow tube is disposed between the arm and the step.

12. The recirculating pet fountain of claim 1 wherein (a) the arm extends upwardly to one side of the second water-holding basin, and (b) the water-conveying bridge extends downwardly from an opposite side of the second water-holding basin toward the step.

13. The recirculating pet fountain of claim 1 wherein (a) the arm is (i) connected at one end the first water-holding basin, and (ii) connected at an opposite end to the second water-holding basin, and (b) the water-conveying bridge is (i) connected at one end to the second water-holding basin, and (ii) connected at an opposite end to the overflow tube.

14. The recirculating pet fountain of claim 1 wherein the water-conveying bridge is elongate and extends from the upper drinking bowl downwardly toward the step and into the overflow tube.

15. The recirculating pet fountain of claim 1 wherein an animal at least partially supported upon the step can drink the water flowing downwardly along the water-conveying bridge.

16. The recirculating pet fountain of claim 1 wherein the step is disposed on one side of the lower drinking bowl and the arm is disposed on a side of the drinking bowl opposite the step and wherein the pump is disposed on the side of the drinking bowl opposite the step.

17. The recirculating pet fountain of claim 1 wherein the overflow tube is configured to receive the water flowing out of the upper drinking bowl before overflowing from the overflow into the lower drinking bowl, and the overflow disposed inline with the step and the upper drinking bowl.

18. A recirculating pet fountain comprising:
a lower drinking bowl having an overflow tube extending upwardly out of water received in the lower drinking bowl, the overflow tube having a mouth disposed above the water in the lower drinking bowl in which water is received that overflows from the overflow tube into the lower drinking bowl;
an upper drinking bowl that overlies at least a portion of the lower drinking bowl;
a pump in water-flow communication with water in the lower drinking bowl that pumps water from the lower drinking bowl upwardly to the upper drinking bowl;
a generally upwardly extending arm spacing the upper drinking bowl from the lower drinking bowl; and
a water-conveying bridge that conveys water flowing out of the upper drinking bowl downwardly into the mouth of the overflow tube which overflows therefrom into the lower drinking bowl, the water-conveying bridge comprising an open water-transport channel configured to enable a pet to drink water therefrom as water is being conveyed thereby from the upper drinking bowl into the overflow tube.

19. The recirculating pet fountain of claim 18 wherein the lower drinking bowl further comprises an animal-supporting step extending alongside one side thereof, and wherein the arm extends from an opposite side of the lower drinking bowl upwardly toward the upper drinking bowl.

20. The recirculating pet fountain of claim 19 wherein the water-conveying bridge extends outwardly and downwardly from the upper drinking bowl toward the step and the open water-transport channel faces outwardly toward the animal-supporting step.

21. The recirculating pet fountain of claim 19 wherein the pump is disposed on the side of the lower drinking bowl opposite the animal-supporting step.

22. The recirculating pet fountain of claim 18 wherein the lower drinking bowl further comprises an animal-supporting step disposed on one side of the lower drinking bowl, and wherein the pump is disposed on a side of the lower drinking bowl opposite the animal-supporting step.

23. The recirculating pet fountain of claim 22 wherein the upwardly extending arm is disposed on the side of the lower drinking bowl opposite the animal-supporting step.

24. The recirculating pet fountain of claim 18 wherein the lower drinking bowl further comprises an animal-supporting step extending generally horizontally outwardly therefrom, the step disposed alongside the mouth of the overflow tube and adjacent the open water-transport channel of the water-conveying bridge enabling an animal at

Assignees

• Pioneer Pet Products Llc

Inventors

• Lipscomb John M

Classifications

• A01K7/00 Primary

  Watering equipment for stock or game · CPC title

• A01K7/02

  Automatic devices · CPC title