# US 10,117,417 B2 · Automatic water supply system for animals > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,117,417 B2 - Document ID: US10117417B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/887,118 - Filed: 2015-10-19 - Published: 2016-06-23 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-12-18 - Assignees: Pegasus Unlimited, LLC - Applicants: Pegasus Unlimited, LLC - Inventors: Anthony L. Colica - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10117417B2 ## CPC - A01K 7/027: {Drinking equipment with water heaters, coolers or means for preventing freezing} - A01K 7/02: Automatic devices - A01K 29/005: {Monitoring or measuring activity} - G05D 9/12: characterised by the use of electric means - A01K: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES ## Abstract An automatic animal watering system including a basin having an interior wall defining a water holding trough, and an outer wall; a non-contact water level sensor built into the interior wall; a drain located in a lower portion of the basin; and electronic circuitry, power source and a solenoid valve contained in a protected space between the inner and outer walls of the basin. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A wall mounted automatic animal watering system for large domesticated animals comprising: a basin, said basin having an interior wall defining a water holding trough, an outer wall open at its back, and a removable access plate affixed to an open bottom of the outer wall; wherein said interior wall, said outer wall, the wall to which the watering system is mounted and said removable access plate together enclose and define an interior protected cavity; a plurality of non-contact water level sensors mounted at different vertical locations built into the interior wall wherein one of the plurality of water level sensor is arranged as a low water level sensor, and is arranged to trip a low water level signal; a drain including a tee fitting including a straight port and a side port, connected to the drain and located below the basin; a water inlet connected to a solenoid valve in communication with the side port of the tee fitting, and a removable stopper or cleanout valve in communication with the straight port of the tee fitting, wherein the tee fitting, the solenoid valve and the removable stopper or cleanout valve are all contained within the interior protected cavity; and electronic circuitry and a power source also contained within the interior protected cavity, wherein the solenoid valve, removable stopper or cleanout valve, electronic circuitry and power source are all accessible through the open bottom of the outer wall by removing the access plate, while leaving the water holding trough in place, mounted on the wall, whereupon the water holding trough may be drained and cleaned without being removed from the wall to which the animal watering system is mounted. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The automatic watering system of claim 1, wherein the power source comprises a battery. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The automatic watering system of claim 1, wherein the power source comprises a connection to a distributed power supply. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The automatic watering system of claim 1, wherein the power source comprises a connection to a solar energy power supply system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The automatic watering system of claim 1, further comprising heat wrap tape in contact with the basin. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The automatic watering system of claim 1, wherein the water level sensor comprises an infrared sensor mounted in a wall of the basin. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The automatic watering system of claim 6, wherein the infrared sensor is mounted flush with the wall of the basin. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The automatic watering system of claim 1, wherein the low water level signal comprises a sound or light signal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The automatic watering system of claim 1, wherein the low water level sensor is adapted to sound an alarm or trigger a light signal if the water level drops below a pre-determined level and does not return to a target level after a pre-set period of time. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The automatic watering system of claim 9, and further comprising recording an error message in a processor file. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The automatic watering system of claim 10, further including an internet or Bluetooth connection for sending the error message to a remote processor log file. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The automatic watering system of claim 1, further including a water flow meter for displaying an amount of water consumed during a time period. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The automatic watering system of claim 12, further comprising an internet or Bluetooth connection for sending water consumption information from the water flow meter to a log file viewable remotely. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The automatic watering system of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor through which a temperature reading may be made and displayed locally. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The automatic watering system of claim 14, wherein the temperature sensor is adapted to control a heating element for maintaining a pre-determined minimum water temperature. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The automatic watering system of claim 14, further comprising an internet or Bluetooth connection for sending temperature readings from the temperature sensor to a remove log file. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The automatic watering system of claim 1, further comprising an LED or liquid crystal screen for displaying an amount of water consumed, a current water temperature, status of a water heater. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The automatic watering system of claim 1, wherein the low water level sensor is adapted to send a notification via an internet or Bluetooth connection to a remote site, if the water level drops below a pre-determined level and does not return to a target level after a pre-set period of time.