초록 ▼

A water tank for supplying water to a caged animal includes a cylindrical container having an open upper end and a threaded lower neck opening. The upper opening is provided with a hinged, flip-top closure for easy filling, the closure being open to ambient air pressure. Joined to the lower neck ope

A water tank for supplying water to a caged animal includes a cylindrical container having an open upper end and a threaded lower neck opening. The upper opening is provided with a hinged, flip-top closure for easy filling, the closure being open to ambient air pressure. Joined to the lower neck opening is a dispenser assembly that includes a threaded cap received on the threaded neck, and dispenser tube extending obliquely from the bottom of the cap. Within the dispenser tube, a stainless steel valve assembly is secured, and a valve stem assembly extends to the lower opening of the dispenser tube. An animal may use its tongue to depress the valve stem assembly and cause a small amount of water to flow gravitally from the tank through the tube to the animal. The displaced liquid is replaced by air flowing into the non-sealed top opening, so that there is no retrograde air flow through the valve assembly to introduce contaminants. The tank is provided with a plurality of annular ridges spaced in equal increments along the vertical (axial) extent thereof. A tank mounting assembly includes a bracket having a partial annulus that defines a pair of opposed arms. The tank may be snap-engaged by the arms, which are dimensioned to fit between two adjacent annular ridges. The mounted height of the tank may be selected by snap-engaging the mounting bracket between selected annular ridges. The bracket may be secured to the vertical or horizontal wires of the cage.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An apparatus for delivering water to an animal in a cage, including:a water tank having an open end and a lower opening; a top closure assembly for releasably closing said open upper end; dispensing valve means secured to said lower opening for delivering water on demand to the animal in the cage

1. An apparatus for delivering water to an animal in a cage, including:a water tank having an open end and a lower opening; a top closure assembly for releasably closing said open upper end; dispensing valve means secured to said lower opening for delivering water on demand to the animal in the cage; mounting bracket means for securing said water tank to the exterior of wall of the cage, with said dispensing valve means extending from said tank to the interior of the cage, said mounting bracket means including means for securing said water tank at any one of a plurality of selected mounting heights, and including a mounting bracket having a pair of opposed arms, said arms being resilient and spaced apart to received said water tank in snap-engaging fashion, said mounting bracket including a medical portion from which said arms extend in opposed fashion and a geometric recess formed in an outer surface of said medical portion of said mounting bracket, said mounting bracket means which includes a pair of clamping pads, at least one of said pair of clamping pads having an outer surface with a geometric projection extending therefrom, said geometric adapted to be received in said geometric recess of said medical portion of said bracket in non-rotating fashion.