62/601,380
N/A
N/A
This invention relates to an animal grooming and washing station, and particularly, to an animal grooming and washing station that is designed to be used on a countertop near a water source, and drain, allowing the user to stand, or sit at a countertop during the grooming and washing process.
There are approximately 73 million households in the United States with pets, while there are approximately 45 million of those households that own dogs1. Dogs essentially become a member of the family and spend a great deal of time near the entire family, throughout our homes; and we want them to be clean. Although pet owners may occasionally elect to use a professional groomer to groom and wash their pets, the need usually arises to groom, or wash the dog at home. Unfortunately, most homes and apartments do not present easy ways to groom and wash even a relatively small dog. A dog can be placed on most flat surfaces for grooming but controlling and collecting the cut hair can be a problem. Washing the dog is a greater challenge because there are no ideal wash locations within the home, and owners must resort to sinks, a bathtub, or a “joint” shower to wash their dogs. Bathroom sinks are relatively small, even for dogs less than 10 pounds, and based on the myriad things that prompt a dog washing, the kitchen sink is a less than desirable choice. Additionally, dogs are not usually eager to get wet, so the fight to keep them in the sink; or the chase around the bathtub, begins. The bathtub offers a relatively better amount of space, and access to water needed for home bathing, but it puts physical stress onto the pet owner who must kneel at the side of the bathtub, while using both hands to hold and wash the pet. Being on your knees, while arching over the bathtub for a prolonged period, is uncomfortable, and in some cases impossible for individuals with physical limitations. Unfortunately, the current difficulty of home pet bathing can serve to reduce bathing frequency, allowing for dirt and/or parasites to persist on your dog, and in the home. 1https://www.iii.org/fact-statstic/facts-statistics-pet-statistics
The present invention concerns an animal grooming and washing station consisting of a rectangular box, whose interior can be used as a grooming platform, and further, as a washing station that is designed to be used on the average home countertop near a water source and drain. This invention provides a portable, stable platform for pet grooming and washing within the home, a method for capturing and funneling wastewater away from the pet, and a more comfortable physical position for pet owners during the grooming and washing process. The top of the box can be closed with the sequenced closing of three hinged panels connected at the top of the rectangular box. From the closed position, the top-most panel (the Back), can be lifted to expose the two-overlapping opposing lateral panels (the Sides) which serve as the grooming platform where the pet can be positioned for hair trimming. Hair trimmings can be pulled towards the front of grooming platform, and into an open drawer, which when closed, creates the front wall of the box, and when emptied serves as storage for the rinsing and drainage hoses. For washing, the closed lateral panels can be lifted to form elevated side-walls, while exposing a grate, where the pet can be positioned for washing, allowing for wastewater to pass through onto a sloping floor that drains downward towards the rear of the box and out through a drainage hose that can be directed into a nearby sink drain. After washing the lateral and back panels can be closed sequentially, and the respective hoses used for rinsing and draining can be stored away in the emptied/cleaned hair-capture drawer.
The animal grooming and washing station shown in
When the box is fully open, as shown in
Following use, the box can be closed completely by sequentially lowering the side splash-panels 3, 2, as shown in
The manufacture of the main embodiment shall consist of hard plastics to accommodate the flow of water through the box, while also providing the strength to support the weight of the animals to be groomed or washed. While the foregoing description has been with reference to the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be noted that variations and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention.
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10143182 | Ferro | Dec 2018 | B1 |
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20120118244 | Finch | May 2012 | A1 |