AUTOMATIC WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR ANIMALS

SYSTEME AUTOMATIQUE D'APPROVISIONNEMENT EN EAU POUR ANIMAUX

English 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.

French Abstract

Un système dabreuvoirs automatiques pour animaux comprenant une cuvette pourvue dune paroi intérieure définissant une cuve de retenue deau et une paroi extérieure, un capteur de niveau deau sans contact intégré dans la paroi intérieure, un drain situé dans une partie inférieure de la cuvette, ainsi que des circuits électroniques, une source dalimentation et une vanne électromagnétique contenus dans un espace protégé entre les parois interne et externe de la cuvette.

Claims

What is claimed is:
1. A wall mounted automatic animal watering system for large domesticated
animals
comprising a 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, said interior wall,
said outer wall, the wall to which the watering system is mounted and said
removable access plate
together creating an interior protected cavity;
a non-contact water level sensor built into the interior wall;
a drain including a tee fitting including a straight port and a side port,
connected to the drain
and below the basin; and
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 protected cavity; and
electronic circuitry and a power source also contained within the 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 watering system in place, mounted on the wall.
2. The automatic watering system of claim 1, wherein the power source
comprises a battery.
3. The automatic watering system of claim 1, wherein the power source
comprises a distributed
power supply.
4. The automatic watering system of claim 1, wherein the power source
comprises a solar
energy power supply system.
5. The automatic watering system of any one of claims 1-4, further
comprising heat wrap tape
in contact with the basin.
6. The automatic watering system of any one of claims 1-5, wherein the
water level sensor
comprises an infrared sensor mounted in a wall of the basin.
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7. The automatic watering system of claim 6, wherein the infrared sensor is
mounted flush with
the wall of the basin.
8. The automatic watering system of any one of claims 1-7, further
comprising a plurality of
water level sensors mounted at different vertical locations built into the
interior wall of the basin.
9. The automatic watering system of claim 8, wherein one of the plurality
of water level sensor
is arranged as a low water level sensor.
10. The automatic watering system of claim 9, wherein the low water level
sensor is arranged to
trip a low water level signal.
11. The automatic watering system of claim 10, wherein the low water level
signal comprises a
sound or light signal.
12. The automatic watering system of any one of claims 1-11, wherein the
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.
13. The automatic watering system of any one of claims 1-12, wherein the
water level sensor is
adapted to send a text and/or email for remote notification if the water level
drops below a
predetermined level and does not return to a target level after a pre-set
period of time.
14. The automatic watering system of any one of claims 1-11, wherein the
water level sensor is
adapted to record an error message in a log file viewable through an internet
and/or Bluetooth
connection 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.
15. The automatic watering system of any one of claims 1-14, further
including a water flow
meter for displaying an amount of water consumed during a time period.
16. The automatic watering system of claim 15, further including a log file
in which the amount
of water consumed during a time period is recorded and viewable remotely
through an Internet
and/or Bluetooth connection.
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17. The automatic watering system of any one of claims 1-16, further
comprising a temperature
sensor through which a temperature reading may be made and displayed locally
and/or recorded in a
remote log file viewable through an internet and/or Bluetooth connection.
18. The automatic watering system of claim 17, wherein the temperature
sensor is adapted to
control a heating element for maintaining a pre-determined minimum water
temperature.
19. The automatic watering system of any one of claims 1-18, further
comprising an LED or
liquid crystal screen for displaying an amount of water consumed, a current
water temperature, status
of a water heater.
9

Description

1 AUTOMATIC WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR ANIMALS
2 Field of the Invention
3 The present invention relates to automatic water supply system for
animals. The
4 invention has particular utility for use as automatic water supply system
for large
domesticated animals such as horses, and will be described in connection with
such utility,
6 although other utilities are contemplated.
7 Background of the Invention
8 Prior art automatic drinking water supply systems for animals typically
employ a
9 contact type water flow control means such as a float valve which is
installed within or
adjacent the water drinking trough. However float valves arc prone to
malfunction due to
11 contact by the animal which may damage or dislodge the float valve
causing the valve to
12 stick in either an open or closed position. When stuck in an open
position, the water trough
13 may overflow resulting in a waste of water and formation of mud adjacent
the water trough.
14 And, if the float valve is stuck in a closed position, the animal may
become dehydrated. For
large animals such as horses and cattle who might consume 5 to 10 gallons of
water, or
16 more, daily, particularly in warmer climates, maintaining an adequate
supply of drinking
17 water is imperative for the animal's health.
18 Summary of the Invention
19
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1 The present invention overcomes the aforesaid and other problems of the
prior art,
2 by providing an automatic, self-contained watering system having a non-
contact water level
3 sensor and controller for operating the valve.
4 In a preferred embodiment the non-contact water level sensor comprises an
infrared
sensor.
6 In another embodiment, the watering system comprises a stainless steel
basin having
7 an interior wall defining a water holding trough and an outer wall. The
non-contact sensor is
8 built into the interior wall, and electronic circuitry, power source and
solenoid valve are all
9 contained in the space between the interior and the outer wall so as to
be protected from the
animal.
11 In a preferred embodiment a drain is located in a lower portion of the
basin.
12 In another embodiment, heat wrap tape is provided around the basin.
13 In another and preferred embodiment, the drain includes a tee fitting
for
14 accommodating a valved water inlet and a valved drain or expandable plug
drain.
Power of the circuit and solenoid valve may be a self-contained battery power,
16 power from a distributed power supply, or a solar energy power supply
system.
17 Brief Description of the Drawings
18 Further features and advantages of the present invention will be seen
from the
19 following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings,
wherein:
21 Fig. 1 comprises a front perspective view of an automatic water supply
system in
22 accordance with the present invention;
23 Fig. 2 is a back perspective view thereof;
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1 Fig. 3 is a bottom perspective view thereof;
2 Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of a drain plug;
3 Figs. 5A-5E are block flow diagrams showing operation thereof; and
4 Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of the water level sensor and valve
control of the
present invention.
6 Detailed Description
7 Referring to Figs. 1-3, an automatic water supply system in accordance
with the
8 present invention includes a basin 10 having an interior wall 12 and an
outer wall 14.
9 Interior wall 12 defines a bowl shaped drinking trough having a
perforated drain 16 at its
lowest point.
11 Referring in particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, drain 16 is connected to a
drain pipe 18
12 which in turn is connected to a tee fitting 20 which includes a side
port 22 to which is
13 connected a valved water inlet as will be described in detail below, and
a straight port 24
14 which is connected to a valve or expandable plug for draining the bowl
as will be described
below. Basin 10 is closed at its bottom by a removable access plate 26 which
is affixed to
16 the bottom by a plurality of fasteners 28, and creates an interior,
protected cavity 29. It is
17 not necessary to close off the back of the basin 10 since it will be
mounted to a wall. An
18 infrared sensor 30 is mounted through the interior wall 12 of the basin
to detect if there is
19 water present at the surface of its lens. Sensor 30 is mounted so that
it is flush with the inner
wall 12 forming the basin. Sensor 30 is connected to a micro-controller 32
located in the
21 interior protected cavity 29 of the basin 10. A schematic for micro-
controller 32 for driving
22 the sensor 30 and solenoid valve 34 is shown in Fig. 5. Micro-controller
32 in turn is
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1 connected to a solenoid valve 34 which in turn is connected to a
pressurized water supply
2 line 36. A power supply 38 powers the micro-controller 32 and the
solenoid valve 36.
3 Completing the automatic water supply system is a clean-out valve or
expandable
4 plug 40 (see Fig. 4) which is inserted into the straight port 24 of tee
fitting 20.
Referring also to Fig. 4, in operation, sensor 30 detects if water is present
at the
6 surface of its lens, and if no water is detected, it sends a signal to
micro-controller 32 which
7 in turn sends power to solenoid valve 36 which opens the valve and
permits water to flow
8 through the valve to fill the basin. The basin fills with water through
the perforated drain 16
9 until the water level reaches the lens 30 which then sends a signal to
the micro-controller 32
which in turn sends a signal to valve 36 to turn the valve off.
11 A feature and advantage of the automatic drinking water supply system of
the
12 present invention is that the sensor is mounted flush with the basin
wall, and that the valve,
13 micro-controller and power supply are all within the interior protected
cavity 29 of the basin
14 10, shielded from contact by the animal, thus eliminating problems of
prior art float valve
systems.
16 Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope
of the
17 invention. For example while a preferred sensor system is an infrared
sensor system other
18 non-float type sensor systems including, for example, ultrasonic sensor
systems and
19 conductivity sensor systems advantageously may be employed. Also,
multiple sensors may
be placed at different levels in the basin 10 so that the user may choose
between multiple
21 water levels. Also, referring to Fig. 5B, if desired, a low water level
sensor may be provided
22 to sound an alarm, e.g. trigger a local sound or light signal and/or a
remote speaker or light,
23 send a text and/or email through an attached Ethernet module for remote
notification, and
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1 recorded in a log file viewable through an internet and/or bluetooth
connection, if the water
2 level drops below a pre-determined level (indicating that there is a
problem with the water
3 source, e.g., frozen or broken line clogged valve, etc.) and/or does not
return to the target
4 level sensor after a pre-set period of time. Still other changes are
possible. For example,
referring to Fig. 5C, a water flow meter may be employed to display the amount
of water
6 consumed during a time period, e.g., the current day (since midnight) and
the prior day. In
7 addition, this data may be recorded in a log file viewable remotely
through an internet
8 and/or bluetooth connection. Also, if desired, as illustrated in Fig. 5D,
a temperature sensor
9 may be installed at each trough with the temperature reading displayed
locally and recorded
in a remote log file viewable through an internet and/or bluetooth connection.
In addition,
11 the temperature sensor may be adapted to control a heating element
attached to the trough to
12 maintain a predetermined minimum water temperature. In yet another
embodiment,
13 illustrated in Fig. 5E, an LED or liquid crystal screen may be
incorporated into the design to
14 locally display the amount of water consumed, the current temperature at
the location of the
trough, the status of the heater (whether it is on/off), as well as other
useful information such
16 as error codes, etc., and also, if desired, transmit such information
through an internet and/or
17 Bluetooth connection to a remote log file. And, while the automatic
water supply system
18 has been described for use for installation on a wall of a structure
such as a barn or horse
19 stall, the automatic water supply system also may be installed, for
example, in a corner
intersection of two walls of a structure, or on the wall of a horse or
livestock trailer. In such
21 embodiment, a water supply reservoir should be included. The reservoir
may be mounted
22 above the trough, in which case water will flow under gravity into the
watering trough when
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1 the valve is opened. Alternatively, a water pump may be provided in line
between the
2 reservoir and the watering trough, connected to the power supply and
valve.
3 Also, the water trough could be scaled for domestic pets such as dogs
and cats. Still
4 other changes are possible.
6
6

Representative Drawing