Patent Application
20090283179
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a water dispenser for animals. More specifically the present invention relates to a water dispenser having a plurality of drinking stations.
2. Background Art
It is well known to provide bird baths in gardens and courtyards for wild birds to drink from and bathe in. Water is not always easily accessible to birds and providing a source of water in the garden is an effective way of attracting them in. A typical bird bath comprises a shallow tray or saucer which is elevated above the ground. Unfortunately, because birds make no distinction between water for bathing in and water for drinking, the water in a bird bath can easily become dirty and contaminated. Not only is this aesthetically unattractive, but it may represent a health hazard to birds visiting the bird bath.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a water dispenser which dispenses water to a plurality of drinking stations.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a water dispenser comprising a reservoir of water which is largely inaccessible, thus preventing birds from bathing in it and thereby minimising contamination of the water.
According to the present invention there is provided a water dispenser comprising a vessel having an open mouth at one end which is adapted in use to be filled with water, and a base unit having side walls and a bottom to form an open topped reservoir, connection means for connecting the open mouth of the vessel to the base unit such that on inversion water is able to flow from the vessel into the open topped reservoir, and a plurality of watering stations in the side walls of the base unit, each of which watering stations is connected to the open topped reservoir via a respective opening in the side wall.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the vessel takes the form of a bottle and the base unit comprises a tubular connection which extends upwardly from the bottom of the base unit and which has openings in the side thereof. The upper end of the tubular connection is adapted to engage with and connect to the mouth of the bottle. On inversion water flows from the bottle, through the openings in the side of the tubular connection and into the open topped reservoir.
Preferably, the water dispenser further comprises a hanger which enables the water dispenser to be suspended in position. Conveniently, the hanger takes the form of a wire which is connected at each end to a respective side of the base unit and which forms a loop above the bottle. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention a cap is supported between opposite sides of the wire below the loop and is slidable into engagement with the base of the bottle.
Conveniently, the mouth of the bottle and the bottle engaging means are each provided with complimentary screw threads.
Preferably, each of the watering stations takes the form of an open bowl-shaped protrusion from the side wall of the base unit.
In use, the vessel is filled with water and the base unit is attached to it. The vessel with the base unit attached to it is then inverted. Water flows from the vessel into the base unit to fill the reservoir up to the level of the watering stations provided in the side walls thereof. As water is removed from the reservoir by birds drinking at the drinking stations the water level in the reservoir falls to the point where air can enter the bottle. This allows water to flow from the vessel and re-fill the reservoir to the level of the watering stations. This is repeated until the water level in the vessel falls to the same level as the water in the reservoir. Water is prevented from pouring out of the vessel once inverted by the negative pressure behind the water in the vessel.
By making the drinking stations big enough for a bird to drink from, but too small for a bird to bathe in, contamination of water in the reservoir is minimised. This helps to keep the bird dispenser clean which safeguards against the transmission of diseases between birds using the water dispenser and reduces the amount of cleaning which must be carried out by the person putting out water for the birds.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Referring to
As shown in
The hanger 4 takes the form of a wire which is connected at each end to opposite sides of the base unit 2. The wire extends up each side of the bottle 1 and forms a loop above the base of the bottle 1 from which the water dispenser can be suspended. A cap 10 is connected between the two sides of the wire below the loop and is slidable on the wire into and out of engagement with the base of the bottle 1. This arrangement helps to secure the bottle 1 in place on the base unit 2.
In use, the bottle 1 is filled with water. The base unit 2 is then attached to it by screwing the screw threaded portion 8 of the pipe 7 onto screw threaded portion 9 of the mouth of the bottle 1. The bottle 1 with the base unit 2 attached to it is then inverted. Water flows from the bottle 1 through the openings in the upwardly extending pipe 6 to fill the reservoir up to the level of the watering stations 3 provided in the side wall thereof. As water is removed from the reservoir by birds drinking at the drinking stations 3 the water level in the reservoir falls to the point where air can enter the bottle 1. This equalises the pressure behind the water held in the bottle 1 and allows water to flow in to re-fill the reservoir to the level of the watering stations 3. This is repeated until the water level in the bottle 1 falls to the same level as the water in the reservoir.
Referring now to
The base unit is manufactured from a single metal casting. By making the base unit from metal, the centre of gravity of the water feeder is lowered and the weight of the water feeder increased, which can help to stabilise it, especially where it is suspended from its hook, or placed on a horizontal surface. The vessel may comprise a plastics bottle and is preferably manufactured of a transparent material, such as plastics or glass, so that the level of water therein can be easily ascertained by external visual inspection.
While embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
