US 8,146,535 B1Granted

Thermally controlled drinking water system for animals

OwnerEdward C. Neumanninventor

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A thermally controlled drinking water system for animals having a thermally insulated cabinet containing a water reservoir, a water bowl, a vapor-compression refrigeration water-cooling system, and an electric water heating system, maintains the drinking water at an optimal temperature in both hot weather and freezing weather conditions. The reservoir stores at least five days of water and automatically maintains the water bowl in a constantly filled condition through a water supply conduit and visual indicator indicates when the reservoir water level is getting low. The evaporator coil of the cooling system is engaged with the water bowl in heat exchange relation and electrical heating elements are engaged in heat exchange relation with the water bowl and reservoir. Cooling and heating operations are controlled by an ambient air temperature sensor on the cabinet exterior and a water temperature sensor on the side wall of the water bowl.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A thermally controlled drinking water system for animals, comprising:

a thermally insulated housing containing a water reservoir and a drinking water bowl;
a vapor-compression refrigeration system including a compressor disposed in said housing, a condenser coil connected with said compressor disposed on the exterior of said housing, a refrigerant evaporator coil connected with said condenser coil and said compressor, and an expansion device disposed between said condenser coil and said evaporator coil, said evaporator coil engaged in heat exchange relation with said drinking water bowl for cooling water contained therein;
an electric water heating system disposed in said housing including an electrical heating element engaged in heat exchange relation with said drinking water bowl for heating water contained therein;
an ambient air temperature sensor on the exterior of said housing for sensing ambient exterior temperature conditions operatively connected with said vapor-compression refrigeration system operational during periods of hot weather to activate said refrigeration system upon sensing ambient temperature above a preset high temperature to cool water in said drinking water bowl, and a water temperature sensor operatively connected with said drinking water bowl and said vapor-compression refrigeration system to deactivate said refrigeration system upon the water in said bowl reaching a preset desired temperature so as to maintain water in said drinking water bowl below a preset high temperature;
and
said water temperature sensor operatively connected with said drinking water bowl and said electric water heating system operational during periods of cold weather to activate said electric heating element upon sensing a water temperature below a preset low temperature to heat water in said drinking water bowl, and to deactivate said heating element upon the water in said drinking water bowl reaching a preset desired temperature so as to maintain water in said drinking water bowl and said water reservoir above a preset low temperature;
said vapor-compression refrigeration system, said electric water heating system, said ambient air temperature sensor and said water temperature sensor connected through control circuitry with an electrical power supply.

4 more elements

A thermally controlled drinking water system for animals, comprising:

a thermally insulated housing containing a drinking water bowl;
a vapor-compression refrigeration system including a compressor disposed in said housing, a condenser coil connected with said compressor disposed on the exterior of said housing, a refrigerant evaporator coil connected with said condenser coil and said compressor, and an expansion device disposed between said condenser coil and said evaporator coil, said evaporator coil engaged in heat exchange relation with said drinking water bowl for cooling water contained therein;
an electric water heating system disposed in said housing including an electrical heating element engaged in heat exchange relation with said drinking water bowl for heating water contained therein;
an ambient air temperature sensor on the exterior of said housing for sensing ambient exterior temperature conditions operatively connected with said vapor-compression refrigeration system operational during periods of hot weather to activate said refrigeration system upon sensing ambient temperature above a preset high temperature to cool water in said drinking water bowl, and a water temperature sensor operatively connected with said drinking water bowl and said vapor-compression refrigeration system to deactivate said refrigeration system upon the water in said bowl reaching a preset desired temperature so as to maintain water in said drinking water bowl below a preset high temperature;
and
said water temperature sensor operatively connected with said drinking water bowl and said electric water heating system operational during periods of cold weather to activate said electric heating element upon sensing a water temperature below a preset low temperature to heat water in said drinking water bowl, and to deactivate said heating element upon the water in said drinking water bowl reaching a preset desired temperature so as to maintain water in said drinking water bowl and said water reservoir above a preset low temperature;
said vapor-compression refrigeration system, said electric water heating system, said ambient air temperature sensor and said water temperature sensor connected through control circuitry with an electrical power supply.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.