The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 21, 1999
Filed:
Jul. 10, 1998
William E Edstrom, Sr, Waterford, WI (US);
Peter S Planton, Muskego, WI (US);
Edstrom Industries, Inc., Waterford, WI (US);
Abstract
An animal watering valve, of the type actuated by radially deflecting a valve stem, has a deflectable elastomeric boot which is less susceptible to sticking or clogging than movable shields but which at the same time prevents or at least inhibits bedding material or other foreign materials from being jammed against the valve stem and locking the valve in its open position. The boot is very pliable--being relatively thin and made from an elastomeric material having a hardness of only about 5 Durometer Shore A. The boot preferably is formed from a unitary elastic cup-shaped member including a cylindrical body portion, a peripheral ring disposed at the upstream end of the body portion and attaching the boot to an interior surface of the valve housing, and a membrane covering the downstream end of the body portion. A central aperture is formed in the membrane for receiving a tail of the valve stem. A radial gap, formed between the downstream axial end of the boot and the periphery of the surrounding bore, is wider than the maximum radial distance that the membrane moves upon valve stem deflection. As a result, the boot offers very little resistance to deflection in response to insertion of an object and hence 1) cannot be easily clogged with bedding or other materials and 2) cannot be easily bitten into by an animal.