This invention relates generally to pet products and, more particularly, to an animal color that is flexible and non-porous for virtually eliminating bacteria and odor and for lengthening the durability of the collar. In addition, the present invention provides an animal collar having a construction that enables enhanced design options.
Almost all dogs are fitted with a collar, whether for holding an identification tag, providing a mount for a leash, or even to release a pest repellant over time. Many collars are constructed of fabric materials in order to maintain flexibility. Although assumably effective for their intended purposes, such collars become wet when exposed to rain and the like and become a haven for bacteria that subsequently results in a very negative odor. In addition, the existing collars typically do not include a construction that provides contemporary design enhancements.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have an animal collar having a non-porous construction that sheds water rather than becoming soaked by moisture. Further, it would be desirable to have an animal collar having a flexible plastic construction that is flexible so as to comfortably fit around the neck of an animal. In addition, it would be desirable to have an animal collar having either more than one layer of nonporous flexible plastic material or an ornament separated from one another through an over-molding process so as to enhance the design configuration.
Accordingly, an animal collar according to the present invention includes an inner layer of non-porous flexible plastic. The collar may also include an outer layer of non-porous flexible plastic molded over the inner layer of non-porous flexible plastic, the outer layer having first and second ends and being configured to encircle a neck of an animal. A clasp or other fastener may be included for coupling together the first and second ends about the animal's neck. In addition, the inner layer includes an aesthetic property such as a color. The outer layer may also have an aesthetic property such as another color that is different from the aesthetic property of the inner layer. The collar may also include at least one ornament, the inner layer being molded over the at least one ornament and separating it from the outer layer.
Therefore, a general object of this invention is to provide an animal collar having a non-porous construction that sheds water so as to minimize bacteria and odor.
Another object of this invention is to provide an animal collar, as aforesaid, that is durable.
Still another object of this invention is to provide an animal collar, as aforesaid, that is flexible for comfortably extending around the neck of an animal.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide an animal collar, as aforesaid, that is constructed using an over-molding process that provides multiple aesthetic enhancements.
A further object of this invention is to provide an animal collar, as aforesaid, that is inexpensive to manufacture and user-friendly to use.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, embodiments of this invention.
a is a perspective view of an empty mold for use in constructing the animal collar as in
b is a perspective view of the mold as in
a is a top view of the empty mold as in
b is a sectional view taken along line 3b-3b of
c is an isolated view on an enlarged scale taken from
a is a top view of the animal collar as in
b is a sectional view taken along line 4b-4b of
c is an isolated view on an enlarged scale taken from
A collar 100 according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to
The ornament 110 may be constructed of non-porous flexible plastic or other appropriate materials and may have any ornamental shape and/or color. A suitable non-porous flexible plastic for the ornament 110 is polyvinyl chloride combined with a plasticizer, though other materials may alternately (or additionally) be used.
The layer 120 of non-porous flexible plastic is also referred to herein as the “first layer” and the “inner layer”. As shown in
A suitable non-porous flexible plastic for the first layer 120 is polyvinyl chloride combined with a plasticizer, though other materials may alternately (or additionally) be used. Especially if polyvinyl chloride combined with a plasticizer is used, the aesthetic property of the first layer 120 may be introduced into the material, as polyvinyl chloride generally does not bond well to most paints once it becomes set.
As shown in
A suitable non-porous flexible plastic for the second layer 130 is polyvinyl chloride combined with a plasticizer, though other materials may alternately (or additionally) be used. Especially if polyvinyl chloride combined with a plasticizer is used, the aesthetic property of the second layer 130 may be introduced into the material, as polyvinyl chloride generally does not bond well to most paints once it becomes set.
Means for selectively coupling together the first and second ends 122a, 122b of the first layer 120 and/or the first and second ends 132a, 132b of the second layer 130 may be included. For example, a clasp assembly or other fastener may be coupled to the first layer 120 and/or the second layer 130 (such as through riveting, the molding process, etc.) so that the first and/or second layer 120, 130 can be fastened around an animal's neck.
a through 3c demonstrate one way to construct the collar 100 using a mold 200. The mold 200 has a base 201, a plurality of walls 202 that define cavities for the ornaments 110, a wall 204 that defines a cavity for the first layer 120, and an outer wall 206 that defines a cavity for the second layer 130 (
In use, the collar 100 may be placed about an animal's neck, and the fastener may couple the ends 122a, 122b and/or 132a, 132b together as described above. The non-porous nature of the plastic used to construct the collar 100 may eliminate the potential for bacteria and undesirable odors, and the ornament 110 and multiple layers 120, 130 may make the collar 100 aesthetically pleasing.
It is understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable functional equivalents thereof.