Automated liquid dispensing device
AssigneeAutomated Pet Care Products, LLC
InventorsBrad Baxter, Patrick McCormick
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A liquid dispensing device (1) having a) a serving bowl (10) configured to retain liquid for consumption by an animal; b) a fresh tank (50) configured to store a fresh liquid therein; c) a used tank (80) configured to store a used liquid therein, wherein used liquid is the liquid which has already been available for consumption of the animal; and d) a carousel (100) having one or more circulation tubs (107) and one or more empty tubs (105), wherein the carousel is configured to rotate about its rotational axis (AR) in a first direction (D1) and in a second direction (D2) opposing the first direction.
Claims25
A liquid dispensing device comprising:
- a) a serving bowl configured to retain a liquid for consumption by an animal;
- b) a fresh tank configured to store a fresh liquid therein;
- c) a used tank configured to store a used liquid therein, wherein the used liquid is at least some of the liquid which has already been available for consumption by the animal;
- d) a reservoir located within an interior of the liquid dispensing device which is configured to receive the fresh liquid, a filtered liquid, the used liquid, or any combination thereof;
- e) one or more carousels having one or more circulation tubs and one or more empty tubs, wherein the one or more carousels are located at least partially within the reservoir, and wherein the one or more carousels are configured to rotate about a rotational axis of the one or more carousels in a first direction and in a second direction opposing the first direction;
- and
- f) a drive unit configured to drive rotation of the one or more carousels in the first direction and the second direction, wherein the drive unit includes a drive source which is a motor.
A liquid dispensing, circulating, and emptying device comprising:
- a) a serving bowl which is removable and configured to allow a liquid to pass therethrough, and configured to retain the liquid for consumption by an animal;
- b) one or more filters in fluid communication with the serving bowl;
- c) a reservoir configured to retain the liquid and communicate the liquid from the serving bowl to a carousel;
- d) a fresh tank configured to store a fresh liquid therein;
- e) a used tank configured to store a used liquid therein, wherein the used liquid is the liquid which has already been available for consumption by the animal;
- f) the carousel having one or more circulation tubs and one or more emptying tubs, wherein the carousel is configured to rotate about its rotational axis in a first direction and in a second direction opposing the first direction, wherein the carousel is located at least partially within the reservoir;
- and
- g) a drive unit configured to drive rotation of the carousel in the first direction and the second direction, and wherein the drive unit includes a drive source which is a motor.
A method of operating a liquid dispensing device comprising:
- a) rotating a carousel in a first direction to cause an actuator assembly to move a valve assembly in a fresh tank into an open position such that a fresh liquid flows into a reservoir;
- b) the fresh liquid, and a used liquid, flowing into a plurality of circulation tubs of the carousel while rotating in the first direction via one or more tub openings;
- and
- c) the fresh liquid, and the used liquid, flowing out of the plurality of circulation tubs into a spout funnel and through a spout into a serving bowl;
- d) rotating the carousel in a second direction opposite the first direction to cause the actuator assembly to move the valve assembly into a closed position such that the fresh liquid stops flowing into the reservoir and the reservoir is filled with the used liquid;
- e) the used liquid flowing into a plurality of empty tubs of the carousel while rotating in the second direction via the one or more tub openings;
- and
- f) the used liquid flowing out of the plurality of empty tubs toward and into a used tank.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.