Animal husbandry – Watering or liquid feed device – Fountains and troughs
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-13
2001-07-03
Price, Thomas (Department: 3643)
Animal husbandry
Watering or liquid feed device
Fountains and troughs
C004S341000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06253709
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to providing water for pets and more particularly to an automatic watering device connected to a toilet bowl.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is common for pets, when left alone, to drink from toilet bowls. This practice subjects pets and their owners to contamination from the bacteria within the toilet bowl. In some cases, the pet can fall into the toilet bowl and drown. Pet owners' attempts to keep the pet (especially in the case of larger canines) from drinking from the bowl by keeping the lid down, are often thwarted by the animals' ability to lift the lid in order to drink.
The prior art includes a limited number of devices for attachment to a conventional toilet bowl or toilet seat for cleaning and irrigating the anal and/or genital areas of a user. Examples of such prior art bidet attachments are shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,142,711 to Parikh, U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,520 to Lockhart, U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,067 to Cogdill, U.S. Pat. No. 3,045,248 to Gentry, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,195,148 to Merkel, Jr.; each of which discloses an attachment or assembly for mounting either on the upper surface of a toilet bowl or the under surface of a toilet seat for cleansing and irrigating the anal and/or genital areas.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The instant invention is not a bidet. It is an automatic watering device which is separate from, yet connected to the water supply and drainage system of a common toilet. By drawing from the water supply of the toilet, the watering device is replenished whenever the flushing system of the toilet is activated and by the virtue of its connection at its lowest point by an “S” shaped tube to the drainage side of the toilet, it is simultaneously drained. The “S” shaped tube, by acting as a buffer between the water level in the toilet bowl and the level in the watering device, permits the watering device to refill to its operational level and prevents back-flow contamination of the pet's drinking water.
The instant invention requires, for its installation, only minor modifications to an existing toilet. Two small holes are used as inlet and drain holes respectively, and standardly available flexible tubing can be affixed into the holes and sealed with modern sealing adhesives. The bowl portion of the watering device can be mounted by various attachment means in location adjacent to the existing toilet.
The instant invention provides a unique and cost-effective method of providing fresh drinking water for pets. Unlike conventional water containers, which can be overturned or otherwise emptied, the watering device described herein provides a stable and clean watering means to household pets. The invention is easily installed on an ordinary household toilet.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an automatic pet watering device.
Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic pet watering device which can be easily installed on the toilet bowl of a conventional toilet.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an automatic pet watering device which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and install.
These objects as well as other aspects, objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the following description of the preferred embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 363494 (1887-05-01), White et al.
patent: 2049534 (1936-08-01), Byerlein
patent: 5301374 (1994-04-01), Smiley
Lukasik Frank A.
Price Thomas
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