Efficiency promoting water drinking container for animals

Abstract

A first embodiment of the present invention contemplates a rectangular cubic container including five sub-chambers generally separated from one another by parallel partitions, with each partition having a small weep hole near its bottom. The weep holes are designed to facilitate equalization of water level in each sub-chamber. Each sub-chamber has an elongated length dimension and a width that is relatively narrow and designed to approximate the width of an animal's tongue. When an animal is drinking water from one of the sub-chambers of this embodiment, as the tongue is lapping, the sides of the tongue are close to the inner walls of the sub-chamber, thereby precluding some of the water resting on the tongue from falling off the tongue as the water is lifted into the animal's mouth. In this way, the efficiency of drinking using the lapping technique is enhanced. The inventive device may be made with sub-chambers having differing widths to accommodate to animals of different sizes and different tongue widths. In a further embodiment, a second sub-chamber provides a reservoir for replenishing the first sub-chamber as it drains down through a small weep hole near the bottom of a common wall between the sub-chambers. The second sub-chamber may be designed to receive an inverted bottle filled with water so that continuous replenishment of the drinking sub-chamber through a weep hole connecting the supply sub-chamber may be accomplished.

1 . A drinking container for animals, comprising:
 a) a sub-chamber having parallel walls and receiving a quantity of liquid;   b) said walls being spaced apart by a distance closely corresponding to a width of a tongue of an animal drinking from said container, whereby when said animal drinks with their tongue in a lapping motion, interaction between said tongue and said walls results in a greater quantity of water remaining on said tongue for a longer period of time, thereby enhancing efficiency of drinking by said animal.   
   
   
       2 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein said sub-chamber comprises a first sub-chamber, said container further including a second sub-chamber, said sub-chambers being interconnected via respective walls thereof. 
   
   
       3 . The container of  claim 2 , wherein said respective walls comprise a common wall, said interconnection comprising at least one passageway through said common wall. 
   
   
       4 . The container of  claim 2 , wherein each of said sub-chambers has a set of parallel walls defining each of said sub-chambers, each set of parallel walls being equally spaced apart. 
   
   
       5 . The container of  claim 4 , including five sub-chambers, each defined by sets of equally spaced parallel walls. 
   
   
       6 . The container of  claim 2 , wherein said second sub-chamber comprises a reservoir for replenishing water drank from said first sub-chamber via said passageway. 
   
   
       7 . The container of  claim 6 , wherein said reservoir subtends a greater volume than said first sub-chamber. 
   
   
       8 . The container of  claim 6 , wherein said reservoir is sized to receive an inverted bottle filled with fluid for replenishing said reservoir and sub-chamber. 
   
   
       9 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein said liquid comprises water. 
   
   
       10 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein said walls terminate at upper terminations spaced apart by said distance. 
   
   
       11 . The container of  claim 10 , wherein said upper terminations taper toward one another. 
   
   
       12 . The container of  claim 4 , further including third, fourth and fifth sub-chambers, all five sub-chambers having a set of parallel walls, each set of parallel walls being equally spaced apart. 
   
   
       13 . The container of  claim 2 , further including a third sub-chamber, each of said sub-chambers defined by a set of parallel walls, said sets of walls being spaced apart by respective differing spacings corresponding to differing widths of tongues of different animals. 
   
   
       14 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein said distance is 1 inch. 
   
   
       15 . The container of  claim 1 , made of molded plastic. 
   
   
       16 . A drinking container for animals, comprising:
 a) a first sub-chamber having parallel walls and receiving a quantity of liquid;   b) said walls being spaced apart by a distance closely corresponding to a width of a tongue of an animal drinking from said container, whereby when said animal drinks with their tongue in a lapping motion, interaction between said tongue and said walls results in a greater quantity of water remaining on said tongue for a longer period of time, thereby enhancing efficiency of drinking by said animal;   c) a second sub-chamber, said sub-chambers having a common wall and being interconnected via a small weep hole in said common wall;   d) said second sub-chamber comprising a reservoir for replenishing water drank from said first sub-chamber via said weep hole.   
   
   
       17 . The container of  claim 16 , wherein said reservoir subtends a greater volume than said first sub-chamber. 
   
   
       18 . The container of  claim 16 , wherein said reservoir is sized to receive an inverted bottle filled with fluid for replenishing said reservoir and sub-chamber. 
   
   
       19 . The container of  claim 16 , wherein said liquid comprises water. 
   
   
       20 . The container of  claim 16 , made of molded plastic.