US 9,433,190 B2Granted

Animal watering valve

AssigneeEdstrom Industries, Inc.

InventorsPaul S. Johnson, Randal S. Knurr, Peter Steven Planton, Russell F. Kuzniar

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Abstract

An animal watering valve that includes a housing having an internal bore having an upstream inlet and a downstream outlet. The housing includes a downstream guard and an upstream cap. The valve is actuated by deflecting a valve stem, located in the bore and accessible by the animal, to open a valve within the housing. The valve may be located in a valve cartridge retainable in the housing in a snap-fit manner. A bite-resistant shield cooperates with the valve stem to act as a barrier that prevents an animal from forcing materials between the valve stem and the guard and lodging the valve stem in its deflected or actuated position.

Claims19

Dependent claims

An animal watering valve for supplying water to an animal housed in a cage, the animal watering valve comprising:

(A) a longitudinally extending housing having an upstream-most end and a downstream-most end, the housing having a longitudinal bore formed therein, the bore having an upstream inlet and having a downstream outlet, the housing further having a flared opening formed therein having an upstream-most inlet located fluidicallly downstream of the outlet of the longitudinal bore and terminating at an outlet located at the downstream-most end of the housing, wherein the flared opening progressively increases in diameter from an upstream portion thereof to a downstream portion thereof;
(B) a diaphragm positioned within the longitudinal bore and configured to allow water to flow therethrough;
(C) a valve seat positioned within the longitudinal bore between the diaphragm and the outlet;
(D) a valve stem comprising a valve head and a lever extending downstream from the valve head and into the longitudinal bore, the valve head having an upstream surface coupled to the diaphragm and a downstream surface coupled to the valve seat, wherein the lever is selectively deflectable by an animal to move the valve head from a seated position to an unseated position relative to the valve seat to open the animal watering valve;
and
(E) a shield configured to prevent an animal from lodging material into the housing and lodging the lever in a deflected position thereof, wherein at least a portion of the shield is located within the flared opening downstream of the outlet of the longitudinal bore and is resistant to being torn by the animal.

3 more elements

An animal watering valve comprising:

a valve cartridge including
a valve cartridge housing having a first, innermost end and a second, outermost end, a bore extending longitudinally through the valve cartridge housing and comprising an upstream inlet located at the first end of the valve cartridge housing, and a downstream outlet located at the second end of the valve cartridge housing, and
a valve assembly located in the bore, and including, from a downstream end to an upstream end of the valve assembly, an annular valve seat, a head of a valve stem, a diaphragm, and a retainer, wherein the
annular valve seat is positioned generally adjacent the first innermost end of the valve cartridge housing and configured to receive the valve stem therethrough the valve stem positioned in the bore such that a downstream surface of the head of the valve stem rests on an upstream surface of the valve seat and such that a lever of the valve stem extends downstream of the head through the valve seat, through the bore, and out of the valve cartridge housing, the
diaphragm is positioned in the bore such a downstream surface of that the diaphragm rests against an upstream surface of the head of the valve stem, and
the retainer is positioned in the bore between an upstream surface of the diaphragm and an innermost end of the valve cartridge and holds the diaphragm, the valve stem, and the valve seat in the valve cartridge housing;
and
a valve housing in which the valve cartridge is retained, the valve housing including a guard and a cap coupled together to define a cavity having a continuous inner wall that engages an outer wall of the valve cartridge with the valve cartridge retained within the cavity, the valve housing having an inlet formed in the cap in communication with the inlet of the valve cartridge housing, and an outlet formed in the guard in communication with the outlet of the valve cartridge, wherein the outlet in the guard comprises a flared opening that is located downstream of the outlet of the valve cartridge, the flared opening having an upstream portion thereof in fluid communication with the outlet of the bore in the valve cartridge and a downstream portion opening into an outlet of the animal watering valve, wherein the flared opening progressively increases in diameter from the upstream portion thereof to the downstream portion thereof.

5 more elements

A method of constructing an animal watering valve, the method comprising the steps of;

providing a valve cartridge including
a valve cartridge housing having a longitudinal bore extending between a first, innermost end of the valve cartridge housing and a second, outermost end of the valve cartridge housing, the bore comprising an upstream inlet located at the first end of the valve cartridge housing, and a downstream outlet located at the second end of the valve cartridge housing, a valve assembly located in the bore and including, from a downstream end to an upstream end of the valve assembly, an annular valve seat, a head of a valve stem, a diaphragm, and a retainer, wherein the
an annular valve seat is located in the bore and positioned generally adjacent the first, innermost end of the valve cartridge housing, wherein the valve seat is configured to receive the valve stem therein, the valve stem positioned in the bore such that a downstream surface of the head of the valve stem rests on an upstream surface of the valve seat and such that a lever of the valve stem extends downstream of the head through the bore and out of the valve cartridge housing,
the diaphragm is positioned in the bore such that a downstream surface of the diaphragm rests against an upstream surface of the head of the valve stem, and wherein the retainer is positioned in the bore between an upstream surface of the diaphragm and an innermost end of the valve cartridge and holds the diaphragm, the valve stem, and the valve seat in the valve cartridge housing;
and then
coupling a guard and a cap of a valve housing together to define a cavity having a continuous inner wall that engages an outer wall of the valve cartridge with the valve cartridge retained within the cavity, the valve housing having an inlet formed in the cap in communication with the inlet of the valve cartridge housing and an outlet formed in the guard in communication with the outlet of the valve cartridge, wherein the outlet formed in the guard comprises a flared opening located downstream of the outlet of the valve cartridge, and wherein the flared opening progressively increases in diameter from an upstream portion thereof to a downstream portion thereof.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.