US 9,572,323 C1 (13,254th)
Interchangeable flow directing orifice inserts and recirculating pet fountain with flow directing orifice inserts
John M. Lipscomb, Cedarburg, WI (US); and Qing He, North Andover, MA (US)
Filed by Pioneer Pet Products, LLC, Cedarburg, WI (US)
Assigned to PIONEER PET PRODUCTS, LLC, Cedarburg, WI (US)
Reexamination Request No. 90/015,125, Sep. 21, 2022.
Reexamination Certificate for Patent 9,572,323, issued Feb. 21, 2017, Appl. No. 14/021,396, Sep. 9, 2013.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/698,691, filed on Sep. 9, 2012.
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Ex Parte Reexamination Certificate issued on May 12, 2026.
Int. Cl. A01K 7/02 (2006.01); A01K 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC A01K 7/02 (2013.01)
OG exemplary drawing
AS A RESULT OF REEXAMINATION, IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT:
Claims 26-28 and 30-31 are determined to be patentable as amended.
Claim 29, dependent on an amended claim, is determined to be patentable.
New claims 37-75 are added and determined to be patentable.
Claims 1-25 and 32-36 were not reexamined.
26. A recirculating pet fountain comprising:
a basin having a bottom and sidewall extending upwardly therefrom;
a pump releasably mounted to the basin, the pump having a tubular discharge nipple from which water is expelled from the pump; and
a cover removably carried by the basin, the cover having a fluid-conveying tube with a fluid-conducting bore formed therein extending downwardly therefrom, the fluid-conveying tube having a free end comprising a pump locator socket with a chamfered axial end edge of the fluid-conveying tube, the chamfered axial end edge inclined toward a [ the ] fluid-conducting bore formed in the [ fluid-conveying ] tube to receive and guide the tubular discharge nipple of the releasably mounted pump into telescopic generally coaxial registry with the fluid-conveying tube [ ; and
a flow-directing orifice comprised of (a) a tubular insert anchor in fluid-flow communication with the fluid-conveying tube, the tubular insert anchor received in an opening in an outer surface of the cover that is in communication with the fluid-conducting bore in the fluid-conveying tube, the tubular insert anchor extending into the fluid-conducting bore in the fluid-conveying tube, the tubular insert anchor releasably anchoring the flow-directing orifice to the cover, and (b) an outlet in fluid-flow communication with the fluid-conducting bore in the fluid-conveying tube, the outlet disposed above a portion of an outer surface of the cover, the outlet configured to discharge water expelled from the pump into the air in an arc over the outer surface of the cover and falling downwardly impinging against the outer surface of the cover, and wherein the fluid-conveying tube is substantially straight] .
27. The pet fountain of claim 26 [ A recirculating pet fountain comprising:
a basin having a bottom and sidewall extending upwardly therefrom;
a pump releasably mounted to the basin, the pump having a tubular discharge nipple from which water is expelled from the pump; and
a cover removably carried by the basin, the cover having a fluid-conveying tube with a fluid-conducting bore formed therein extending downwardly therefrom, the fluid-conveying tube having a free end comprising a pump locator socket with a chamfered axial end edge of the fluid-conveying tube, the chamfered axial end edge inclined toward the fluid-conducting bore formed in the fluid-conveying tube to receive and guide the tubular discharge nipple of the releasably mounted pump into telescopic generally coaxial registry with the fluid-conveying tube; and]
wherein the fluid conveying [ fluid-conveying ] tube comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart axially extending ribs that each extend outwardly beyond the axial end of the [ fluid-conveying ] tube.
28. The pet fountain of claim 27 wherein the end of each rib is inclined toward the fluid conducting bore in the [ fluid-conveying ] tube.
30. The pet fountain of claim 26, [ A recirculating pet fountain comprising:
a basin having a bottom and sidewall extending upwardly therefrom;
a pump releasably mounted to the basin, the pump having a tubular discharge nipple from which water is expelled from the pump; and
a cover removably carried by the basin, the cover having a fluid-conveying tube with a fluid-conducting bore formed therein extending downwardly therefrom, the fluid-conveying tube having a free end comprising a pump locator socket with a chamfered axial end edge of the fluid-conveying tube, the chamfered axial end edge inclined toward the fluid-conducting bore formed in the fluid-conveying tube to receive and guide the tubular discharge nipple of the releasably mounted pump into telescopic generally coaxial registry with the fluid-conveying tube; and ]
wherein the cover has [ a ] spillway with a pair of spaced apart flow-guiding beds that guide [ a ] flow of water expelled by the pump along the flow-guiding beds into the basin creating a swirling flow pattern of water in the basin.
31. The pet fountain of claim 26, further comprising [ A recirculating pet fountain comprising:
a basin having a bottom and sidewall extending upwardly therefrom;
a pump releasably mounted to the basin, the pump having a tubular discharge nipple from which water is expelled from the pump; and
a cover removably carried by the basin, the cover having a fluid-conveying tube with a fluid-conducting bore formed therein extending downwardly therefrom, the fluid-conveying tube having a free end comprising a pump locator socket with a chamfered axial end edge of the fluid-conveying tube, the chamfered axial end edge inclined toward the fluid-conducting bore formed in the fluid-conveying tube to receive and guide the tubular discharge nipple of the releasably mounted pump into telescopic generally coaxial registry with the fluid-conveying tube; and ]
a flow-directing orifice with a tube telescopically received in an opening formed in the cover that is in fluid-flow communication with the pump and which removably attaches the flow-directing orifice to the cover, the flow-directing orifice comprised of a flow-splitter that splits flow of water expelled from the pump into a pair of water streams that flow along the cover into the basin; and
wherein the cover has [ a ] spillway with a pair of spaced apart, elongate and recessed flow-guiding beds that guide [ a ] flow of water expelled by the pump along the flow-guiding beds into the basin creating a swirling flow pattern of water in the basin.
[ 37. The pet fountain of claim 26, wherein the fluid-conveying conduit is integrally formed of part of the cover.]
[ 38. The pet fountain of claim 26, wherein the cover has an outer surface, the outer surface of the cover extends downwardly towards the bottom of the basin defining an open drinking well comprising a water-holding drinking bowl formed between the basin and part of the outer surface of the cover.]
[ 39. The pet fountain of claim 26, wherein the cover is comprised of (a) one portion covering the pump and one portion of the basin, and (b) another portion extending downwardly into the basin defining an open drinking well with another portion of the basin not covered by the cover, the open drinking well comprising a water-holding drinking bowl.]
[ 40. The pet fountain of claim 39, wherein the another portion of the cover extends downwardly into the basin to or adjacent the bottom of the basin, the open drinking well is formed between the another portion of the cover and the another portion of the basin, and wherein the another portion of the basin comprises part of the sidewall of the basin and part of the bottom of the basin.]
[ 41. The pet fountain of claim 40, wherein the cover comprises an intake in fluid-flow communication with the pump for delivering water to the pump during fountain operation.]
[ 42. The pet fountain of claim 41, wherein the intake is defined between a bottom part of the another portion of the cover and the bottom of the basin.]
[ 43. The pet fountain of claim 26, wherein the fluid-conveying tube has another end opposite the pump locator socket in communication with the opening in the outer surface of the cover, the tubular insert anchor of the orifice comprises a tube that is removably telescopically received in the opening in the outer surface of the cover and which extends through the another end of the fluid-conveying tube into the fluid-conducting bore of the fluid-conveying tube, and the orifice is configured such that water from the pump flows through the tube of the orifice and out the outlet of the orifice in the stream that travels through the air above the outer surface of the cover before falling downwardly onto the outer surface of the cover.]
[ 44. The pet fountain of claim 26, wherein the basin bottom comprises a pump seat at which the pump is located.]
[ 45. The pet fountain of claim 44, wherein the pump seat is formed of part of the basin bottom.]
[ 46. The pet fountain of claim 44, wherein the pump seat is upraised from the basin bottom.]
[ 47. The pet fountain of claim 26, wherein the tubular insert anchor of the flow-directing orifice comprises a tube telescopically received in the opening in the outer surface of the cover and which extends into the fluid-conducting bore in the fluid-conveying tube, the tube of the flow-directing orifice in fluid flow communication with the pump.]
[ 48. A recirculating pet fountain comprising:
a basin having a bottom and sidewall extending upwardly therefrom;
a pump releasably mounted to the basin, the pump having a tubular discharge nipple from which water is expelled from the pump; and
a cover removably carried by the basin, the cover having a fluid-conveying tube with a fluid-conducting bore formed therein extending downwardly therefrom, the fluid-conveying tube having a free end comprising a pump locator socket with a chamfered axial end edge of the fluid-conveying tube, the chamfered axial end edge inclined toward the fluid-conducting bore formed in the fluid-conveying tube to receive and guide the tubular discharge nipple of the releasably mounted pump into telescopic generally coaxial registry with the fluid-conveying tube;
wherein the cover is comprised of (a) one portion covering the pump and one portion of the basin, and (b) another portion extending downwardly into the basin defining an open drinking well with another portion of the basin not covered by the cover;
wherein the another portion of the cover extends downwardly into the basin to or adjacent the bottom of the basin, the open drinking well formed between the another portion of the cover and the another portion of the basin not covered by the cover;
wherein the cover comprises an intake in fluid-flow communication with the pump for delivering water to the pump during fountain operation, the intake defined between part of the cover and part of the basin; and
wherein the cover has a bottom edge disposed in engagement with the bottom of the basin when the cover is removably carried by the basin, and wherein a portion of the bottom edge of the cover is spaced from the bottom of the basin defining the intake therebetween.]
[ 49. The pet fountain of claim 48, wherein the intake is disposed below a water line of water in the open drinking well.]
[ 50. The pet fountain of claim 48, wherein the fluid-conveying conduit is integrally formed of part of the cover.]
[ 51. A recirculating pet fountain comprising:
a basin having a bottom and sidewall extending upwardly therefrom;
a pump releasably mounted to the basin, the pump having a tubular discharge nipple from which water is expelled from the pump; and
a cover removably carried by the basin, the cover having a fluid-conveying tube with a fluid-conducting bore formed therein extending downwardly therefrom, the fluid-conveying tube having a free end comprising a pump locator socket with a chamfered axial end edge of the fluid-conveying tube, the chamfered axial end edge inclined toward the fluid-conducting bore formed in the fluid-conveying tube to receive and guide the tubular discharge nipple of the releasably mounted pump into telescopic generally coaxial registry with the fluid-conveying tube;
an orifice having an outlet in fluid-flow communication with the pump and which is disposed above an adjacent portion of an outer surface of the cover, and wherein water expelled from the pump flows through the fluid-conducting bore in the fluid-conveying tube and out the outlet in the orifice in a stream that travels through the air above the outer surface of the cover before falling downwardly onto the outer surface of the cover.]
[ 52. A recirculating pet fountain comprising:
a basin having a bottom and sidewall extending upwardly therefrom;
a pump releasably mounted to the basin, the pump having a tubular discharge nipple from which water is expelled from the pump; and
a cover removably carried by the basin, the cover having a fluid-conveying tube with a fluid-conducting bore formed therein extending downwardly therefrom, the fluid-conveying tube having a free end comprising a pump locator socket with a chamfered axial end edge of the fluid-conveying tube, the chamfered axial end edge inclined toward the fluid-conducting bore formed in the fluid-conveying tube to receive and guide the tubular discharge nipple of the releasably mounted pump into telescopic generally coaxial registry with the fluid-conveying tube;
an orifice having an outlet in fluid-flow communication with the pump and which is disposed above an outer surface of the cover;
wherein water expelled from the pump flows through the fluid-conducting bore in the fluid-conveying tube and out the outlet in the orifice; and
wherein the orifice is configured such that water flows out the outlet of the orifice in a stream that travels through the air above the outer surface of the cover before falling downwardly onto the outer surface of the cover.]
[ 53. The pet fountain of claim 52, wherein the orifice outlet comprises a nozzle that directs the stream of water upwardly in an arc into the air above the outer surface of the cover before falling downwardly onto the outer surface of the cover.]
[ 54. The pet fountain of claim 52, wherein the orifice comprises an orifice insert having an elongate tube extending outwardly therefrom, the outer surface of the cover has an opening formed therein in communication with the fluid-conducting bore in the fluid-conveying tube, the orifice insert tube is telescopically received in the opening in the outer surface of the cover and extends into the fluid-conducting bore in the fluid-conveying tube releasably anchoring the orifice insert to the cover, and the orifice insert tube is in fluid-flow communication with the water expelled from the pump, and wherein the orifice insert is configured such that the water expelled from the pump flowing through the fluid-conducting bore in the fluid-conveying tube flows through the orifice insert tube and out the orifice insert outlet.]
[ 55. The pet fountain of claim 54, wherein the fluid-conveying conduit is integrally formed of part of the cover.]
[ 56. A recirculating pet fountain comprising:
a basin having a bottom and sidewall extending upwardly therefrom;
a pump releasably mounted to the basin, the pump having a tubular discharge nipple from which water is expelled from the pump; and
a cover removably carried by the basin, the cover having a fluid-conveying tube with a fluid-conducting bore formed therein extending downwardly therefrom, the fluid-conveying tube having a free end comprising a pump locator socket with a chamfered axial end edge of the fluid-conveying tube, the chamfered axial end edge inclined toward the fluid-conducting bore formed in the fluid-conveying tube to receive and guide the tubular discharge nipple of the releasably mounted pump into telescopic generally coaxial registry with the fluid-conveying tube; and
an orifice having an outlet in fluid-flow communication with the pump and which is disposed above an adjacent portion of an outer surface of the cover;
wherein water expelled from the pump flows through the fluid-conducting bore in the fluid-conveying tube, out the outlet in the orifice, and onto the outer surface of the cover; and
wherein the cover is comprised of (a) one portion covering the pump and one portion of the basin, and (b) another portion extending downwardly into the basin defining an open drinking well with a portion of the basin not covered by the cover, the another portion of the cover extends downwardly into the basin and engages the bottom of the basin, the open drinking well formed between the another portion of the cover and the portion of the basin not covered by the cover, and the open drinking well comprising a water-holding bowl.]
[ 57. The pet fountain of claim 56, wherein the cover overlies at least a portion of the basin and the pump releasably mounted to the basin, the cover comprises an outer surface along which flows water expelled from the pump through the fluid-conducting bore in the fluid-conveying conduit, and the cover comprises an intake in fluid-flow communication with a sump in which the pump is disposed for enabling water that has flowed along the outer surface of the pump to be directed underneath the cover and returned to the pump.]
[ 58. The pet fountain of claim 57, wherein the intake is defined between part of the cover and part of the basin.]
[ 59. The pet fountain of claim 58, wherein the intake is disposed underneath water in the basin.]
[ 60. The pet fountain of claim 58, wherein the outer surface of the cover extends downwardly towards the bottom of the basin defining an open drinking well comprising a water-holding bowl formed between the basin and part of the outer surface of the cover.]
[ 61. The pet fountain of claim 60, wherein the outer surface of the cover comprises a spillway along which water flows therealong into the water-holding bowl.]
[ 62. The pet fountain of claim 61, wherein the intake is defined between part of the cover and the bottom of the basin.]
[ 63. A recirculating pet fountain comprising:
a basin having a bottom and sidewall extending upwardly therefrom;
a pump releasably mounted to the basin, the pump having a tubular discharge nipple from which water is expelled from the pump; and
a cover removably carried by the basin, the cover having a fluid-conveying tube with a fluid-conducting bore formed therein extending downwardly therefrom, the fluid-conveying tube having a free end comprising a pump locator socket with a chamfered axial end edge of the fluid-conveying tube, the chamfered axial end edge inclined toward the fluid-conducting bore formed in the fluid-conveying tube to receive and guide the tubular discharge nipple of the releasably mounted pump into telescopic generally coaxial registry with the fluid-conveying tube; and
wherein the basin sidewall extends about a periphery of the basin bottom, the basin sidewall defining an outer wall of the basin, the basin sidewall terminating in a top edge, and at least part of the cover rests on the top edge of the basin sidewall when the cover is removably carried by the basin.]
[ 64. The pet fountain of claim 63, further comprising an orifice having an outlet in fluid-flow communication with the pump and which is disposed above an adjacent portion of an outer surface of the cover, the orifice configured to discharge water expelled from the pump out the outlet.]
[ 65. The pet fountain of claim 64, wherein the outlet of the orifice comprises a nozzle.]
[ 66. A recirculating pet fountain comprising:
a basin having a bottom and sidewall extending upwardly therefrom;
a pump releasably mounted to the basin, the pump having a tubular discharge nipple from which water is expelled from the pump; and
a cover removably carried by the basin, the cover having a fluid-conveying tube with a fluid-conducting bore formed therein extending downwardly therefrom, the fluid-conveying tube having a free end comprising a pump locator socket with a chamfered axial end edge of the fluid-conveying tube, the chamfered axial end edge inclined toward the fluid-conducting bore formed in the fluid-conveying tube to receive and guide the tubular discharge nipple of the releasably mounted pump into telescopic generally coaxial registry with the fluid-conveying tube; and
wherein the basin sidewall extends about an outer periphery of the basin, the cover further comprises a pair of outer side edges inboard of a pair of opposite adjacent sides of at least a portion of the basin sidewall, the cover extends from one of the outer side edges from one of the adjacent sides of the basin sidewall to the other one of the outer side edges of the adjacent sides of the basin sidewall, and each one of the pair of outer side edges of the cover abuts a corresponding one of the pair of adjacent sides of the basin sidewall preventing side-to-side movement of the cover relative to the basin when the cover is mounted on the basin.]
[ 67. A recirculating pet fountain comprising:
a basin having a bottom and sidewall extending upwardly therefrom, the bottom of the basin comprising a pump seat;
a pump releasably mounted to the bottom of the basin in the vicinity of the pump seat, the pump having a tubular discharge nipple from which water is expelled from the pump;
a cover removably carried by the basin, the cover having an opening in an outer surface thereof and a fluid-conveying tube with a fluid-conducting bore formed therein extending downwardly therefrom, the fluid-conveying tube having one end in communication with the opening in the outer surface of the cover and an opposite free end comprising a pump locator socket with a chamfered axial end edge of the fluid-conveying tube, the chamfered axial end edge inclined toward the fluid-conducting bore formed in the fluid-conveying tube to receive and guide the tubular discharge nipple of the releasably mounted pump into telescopic generally coaxial registry with the fluid-conveying tube; and
an orifice having a tube telescopically received in the opening in the outer surface of the cover and extending into the fluid-conducting bore in the fluid-conveying tube releasably anchoring the orifice to the cover, the orifice tube in fluid-flow communication with the pump, and an outlet in fluid-flow communication with the orifice tube, the orifice outlet disposed above an adjacent portion of the outer surface of the cover.]
[ 68. The pet fountain of claim 67, wherein the outlet of the orifice is configured to direct water discharged therefrom upwardly in an arc into the air above the outer surface of the cover before falling downwardly and impinging against the outer surface of the cover.]
[ 69. The pet fountain of claim 67, wherein the orifice is configured such that water flows out the outlet of the orifice in a stream which falls through the air above the outer surface of the cover downwardly onto the outer surface of the cover.]
[ 70. The pet fountain of claim 67, wherein the orifice is configured such that water flows out the outlet of the orifice in a stream that travels through the air above the outer surface of the cover and falls downwardly onto the outer surface of the cover.]
[ 71. The pet fountain of claim 67, wherein the orifice outlet comprises a nozzle that directs a stream of water upwardly in an arc into the air above the outer surface of the cover before falling downwardly onto the outer surface of the cover.]
[ 72. The pet fountain of claim 67, wherein the cover overlies at least a portion of the basin and the pump releasably mounted to the basin, the cover comprises an outer surface along which flows water expelled from the pump through the fluid-conducting bore in the fluid-conveying conduit, and the cover comprises an intake in fluid-flow communication with a sump for enabling water that has flowed along the outer surface of the pump to be directed underneath the cover and returned to the pump.]
[ 73. The pet fountain of claim 72, wherein the intake is defined between part of the cover and part of the basin.]
[ 74. The pet fountain of claim 73, wherein when there is water in the basin, the intake is disposed underneath the water in the basin.]
[ 75. A recirculating pet fountain comprising:
a basin having a bottom and sidewall extending upwardly therefrom;
a pump releasably mounted to the basin, the pump having a tubular discharge nipple from which water is expelled from the pump; and
a cover removably carried by the basin, the cover having a fluid-conveying tube with a fluid-conducting bore formed therein extending downwardly therefrom, the fluid-conveying tube having a free end comprising a pump locator socket with a chamfered axial end edge of the fluid-conveying tube, the chamfered axial end edge inclined toward the fluid-conducting bore formed in the fluid-conveying tube to receive and guide the tubular discharge nipple of the releasably mounted pump into telescopic generally coaxial registry with the fluid-conveying tube; and
a flow-directing orifice comprised of (a) a tubular insert anchor in fluid-flow communication with the fluid-conveying tube, the tubular insert anchor received in an opening in an outer surface of the cover that is in communication with the fluid-conducting bore in the fluid-conveying tube, the tubular insert anchor extending into the fluid-conducting bore in the fluid-conveying tube, the tubular insert anchor releasably anchoring the flow-directing orifice to the cover, and (b) an outlet in fluid-flow communication with the fluid-conducting bore in the fluid-conveying tube, the outlet disposed above a portion of an outer surface of the cover, the outlet configured to discharge water expelled from the pump into the air in an arc over the outer surface of the cover and falling downwardly impinging against the outer surface of the cover, and wherein the fluid-conveying tube is substantially straight; and
wherein the flow-directing orifice further comprises a head from which the tubular insert anchor outwardly extends and in which the outlet is formed, the head disposed in contact with the outer surface of the cover when the tubular insert anchor is received in the opening in the outer surface of the cover and extends into the fluid-conducting bore in the fluid-conveying tube releasably anchoring the flow-directing orifice to the cover.]