Animal watering valve

摘要

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.

主权项

1. 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.