Patent Application
20240407541
The present invention relates to a pet brush. More specifically, the disclosure relates to a pet brush that has a head of a brush attached to a pouch that may be worn on a user's hand while grooming the pet.
Proper grooming of a coat of a pet is essential to the appearance of dogs and other pet animals. The hairs of a dog's coat have a tendency to become entangled and matted. It is difficult to bathe a dog to remove filth and other possible causes of disease from the dog's skin unless the hairs which cover the skin are free of tangles and are unmatted. A brush for grooming a dog or other pet animal must be capable of dematting the coat and also of removing dead and unwanted hairs. A dog must be brushed regularly to remove the dead hairs and to ensure a lustrous, healthy coat.
Pet grooming is also vital to the health and well-being of the pet. Regular brushing detangles and removes dead hair and has numerous health benefits. Regular brushing decreases the chances of skin problems by distributing natural oils for a clean and healthy coat. Regular brushing also stimulates the surface of the skin, reduces infestation of external parasites on skin, and helps a pet owner become familiar with their pet's body by constantly checking for cuts, swelling, or changes in temperament, all of which could be symptoms of an illness.
People often need to carry small personal belongings, such as money, credit cards, makeup, keys, papers, identification, consumables, and other personal, portable items. The task of caring these items may be difficult for several reasons. Setting one or more of these items down at a destination creates the risk of forgetting the items and leaving the items behind. items may be too large to be placed in the pockets of one's clothing. Furthermore, keeping these items in a person's hands prevents the person from having their hands free for completing other tasks.
What is needed is a pet grooming device that allows a person to groom a pet and at other times safely and securely carry personal items.
Accordingly, the invention is directed to a portable pet grooming device that is able to carry personal items, as well as dog-walking equipment such as waste bags, inside. The device can be attached to a person or a leash during a dog walk. In some embodiments, the device is adapted for dispensing waste bags that are contained therein.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
Some embodiments of the present invention provide a groom pouch device that may be used to brush and groom a pet, such as a dog. The groom pouch device may also store small personal belongings and have a means of storing and producing plastic bags. The groom pouch device may have a pouch comprising a top surface, an interior area having a pocket configured to hold a plurality of plastic bags, a bottom surface, a zipper configured to open and close the interior area and an aperture through the pouch configured to allow a plastic bag in the plurality of bags in the interior area to be manually pulled out of the interior area of the pouch through an aperture in the pouch.
A plurality of bristles may be attached to the top surface of the pouch.
An elastic band may be attached across the bottom surface of the pouch and configured to hold a hand of a user using the groom pouch device to groom a pet.
This Summary section is neither intended to be, nor should be, construed as being representative of the full extent and scope of the present disclosure. Additional benefits, features and embodiments of the present disclosure are set forth in the attached figures and in the description hereinbelow, and as described by the claims. Accordingly, it should be understood that this Summary section may not contain all of the aspects and embodiments claimed herein.
Additionally, the disclosure herein is not meant to be limiting or restrictive in any manner. Moreover, the present disclosure is intended to provide an understanding to those of ordinary skill in the art of one or more representative embodiments supporting the claims. Thus, it is important that the claims be regarded as having a scope including constructions of various features of the present disclosure insofar as they do not depart from the scope of the methods and apparatuses consistent with the present disclosure (including the originally filed claims). Moreover, the present disclosure is intended to encompass and include obvious improvements and modifications of the present disclosure.
The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:
The following detailed description describes a dog grooming apparatus, method of using and making the same and is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the disclosed subject matter in the context of one or more particular implementations. Various modifications, alterations, and permutations of the disclosed implementations can be made and will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined may be applied to other implementations and applications, without departing from scope of the disclosure. The present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the described or illustrated implementations, but to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the described principles and features.
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the present disclosure, reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawing(s), and specific language will be used to describe the same.
Appearances of the phrases an “embodiment,” an “example,” or similar language in this specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment, to different embodiments, or to one or more of the figures. The features, functions, and the like described herein are considered to be able to be combined in whole or in part one with another as the claims and/or art may direct, either directly or indirectly, implicitly or explicitly.
As used herein, “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” “is,” “are,” “characterized by,” and grammatical equivalents thereof are inclusive or open-ended terms that do not exclude additional unrecited elements or method steps unless explicitly stated otherwise.
In order to more fully appreciate the present disclosure and to provide additional related features, each of the following references are fully incorporated herein by reference in their entirety:
(3) KR Pat. No. 101986121 teaches a multifunctional silicone cleaner pad which: contributes to the maximization of usability and user convenience due to differentiated structural characteristics; can be used universally by having functions such as the minimization of skin irritation, the arrangement of fine hair, brushing for a pet, and the removal of hair countlessly scattered on the floor after brushing; and is able to use the entire area of the body to be widely used depending on various purposes and selections of a user unlike conventional pads. The present invention comprises: a body (10) which enables a user to grip and has a blade shape allowing a scrape in an edge area; a silicone protrusion unit (20) which has many protrusions extended from the lower part of the body, is formed in a cross section of an end part of a triangular or circular shape, and is physically in contact with an object with friction; and a mounting unit (30) which is provided to receive a hand part of the user at the upper part of the body.
Reference will now be made in detail to an embodiment of the present invention, example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Proper grooming of a coat of a pet is essential to the appearance of dogs and other pet animals. The hairs of a dog's coat have a tendency to become entangled and matted. It is difficult to bathe a dog to remove filth and other possible causes of disease from the dog's skin unless the hairs which cover the skin are free of tangles and are unmatted. A brush for grooming a dog or other pet animal must be capable of dematting the coat and also of removing dead and unwanted hairs. A dog must be brushed regularly to remove the dead hairs and to ensure a lustrous, healthy coat.
Pet grooming is also vital to the health and well-being of a pet. Regular brushing detangles and removes dead hair and has numerous health benefits. Regular brushing decreases the chances of skin problems by distributing natural oils for a clean and healthy coat. Regular brushing also stimulates the surface of the skin, reduces infestation of external parasites on skin, and helps a pet owner become familiar with their pet's body by constantly checking for cuts, swelling, or changes in temperament, all of which could be symptoms of an illness.
People often need to carry small personal belongings, such as money, credit cards, makeup, keys, papers, identification, consumables, and other personal, portable items. The task of caring these items may be difficult for several reasons. Setting one or more of these items down at a destination creates the risk of forgetting about the items and leaving the items behind. Further, the items may even be stolen. In addition, there may be too many of the items or the items may be too large to be placed in the pockets of one's clothing. Furthermore, keeping these items in a person's hands prevents the person from having their hands free for completing tasks.
However, the prior art has not adequately addressed the need for a grooming device that is also able to hold small personal items and dispense small bags while the pet is being groomed.
The present invention will now be discussed with reference to
The groom pouch device 100 may have a case 102 made of durable fabric sheets, panels, or similar pieces of material. The case 102 defines the outer surfaces of the top, bottom, left, right, front, and back sides of the device 100. Thus, the case 102 will be understood to define the exterior of the device 100. The case 102 may be any desired size. As non-limiting examples, the case 102 may be between two and seven inches long (i.e., along the horizontal of
The case 102 may be made of any suitable materials that provide structural integrity and durability as used in the dog walking products industry. As non-limiting examples, the case 102 may be made of any durable fabric, any medium to heavyweight woven materials, (duck) canvas, vinyl, denim, corduroy, polyester or (ballistic) nylon. Various panels, sheets, or other pieces of material may be attached to each other by suitable means, such as stitching, to form the case 102. Other components of the device 100 may be attached to, integral with, or disposed through the case 102 as described herein for performing their various functions.
In some embodiments, the device 100 may include a grooming apparatus, such as a brush 170 (e.g., slicker, rake, bristle, or pin brush), disposed on one side, such as the top side, of the case 102. The brush 170 may include an arrangement of bristles 172 that project from a top surface 160 of the case 102. The bristles 172 may be any suitable composition used in any commonly known type of dog or animal-hair brush, including metal, plastic, nylon, rubber, natural or synthetic hair, or composite rods or tines having suitable flexibility and length (or varying lengths). The number and density of the bristles 172 and the shape and size of the arrangement may also be selected as appropriate for the size of the device 100. For example, the bristles 172 may be in a rectangular or ovoid shaped array, with adjacent rows of bristles 172 offset from each other; an example array size is three inches long by two inches wide, and an example density is in the range of 10-20 bristles 172 per square inch. In some embodiments, the bristles 172 may be attached to or integral with a substrate 174 of the brush 170. The substrate 174 may be a rigid plate or a flexible sheet that retains the bristles 172 in the selected pattern. The brush 170 may further include a cushion (not shown) comprising resilient material, such as a rounded block of foam, disposed beneath the substrate 174 to allow the bristles 172 to shift, bend, rotate, and otherwise deflect from their default position when the device 100 is being used to brush a dog; the resilience of the material and the flexibility of the substrate 174 allow the brush 170 to return to its original shape when not being used. The brush 170 may further include a foundation (not shown), such as a wood or other rigid block or plate, disposed beneath the substrate 174 and the resilient material. The foundation serves as the “body” of the brush 170 and, in some embodiments, of the case 102, maintaining the structural shape of the case 102—i.e., the width and length—when the case 102 is being gripped in order to groom a dog with the device 100.
In some embodiments, the top surface 160 of the case 102 may be formed from one or more fabric pieces that cooperate to create a pocket 162 that retains the brush 170 against the case 102. The foundation, cushion, and substrate 174 may be retained in the pocket 162. The pocket 162 may have an aperture 164 through which the bristles 172 project, extending away from the case 102. The perimeter of the aperture 164 may be reinforced by an additional strip of fabric, a gasket, or other material that forms a lip 166 around the aperture 164 to protect against tearing of the case 102. In some embodiments, the aperture 164 may be smaller than the foundation, so that the foundation cannot fall out of or be removed from the pocket 162. Manufacturing the device 100 may include stitching or otherwise installing an inner panel of the case, then placing the foundation against the top of the inner panel, and then installing the one or more fabric pieces forming the top surface 160, the pocket 162, and the aperture 164. The cushion and/or the substrate 174 may be attached to the foundation, in some embodiments. Alternatively, the cushion and the substrate 174 may not be attached to the foundation, and may be retained within the pocket 162 by friction fit; the cushion and the substrate 174 may be removable through the aperture 164, such as for replacement if the cushion, the substrate 174, or one or more of the bristles 172 are damaged.
The case 102 may include a panel, sheet, or layer of material forming a bottom surface 130 that contacts the user's palm while brushing the dog. An elastic band 200 may be attached to the case 102 at or across a portion the bottom surface 130 of the case. The band 200 may be configured to retain the hand or multiple fingers of the user using the groom pouch device 100 to groom the dog. In the illustrated example, the band 200 is about an inch wide and spans the width of the bottom surface 130, attaching approximate the left and right sides of the case 102; other arrangements are contemplated, such as disposing an elastic band along the length of the bottom surface 130, or positioning multiple bands to retain individual fingers. The elastic band 200 is defined to be made of any material that may stretch 10% of its length or more without visible damage. The user slides a comfortable number of digits between the band 200 and the bottom surface 130 until the device 100 sits comfortably in the user's palm.
In some embodiments, one or more attachment mechanisms, such as straps, snaps, elastic loops, tie strings, hook-and-loop patches, hooks and similar connectors, and the like, may be attached to the case 102 and configured to receive or attach to a garment of the user or to a collar, leash, or lead of a dog so the device 100 can be transported (i.e., on a walk) without having to hold it. For example, the device 100 may include one or more Velcro straps 210 that may be used to connect the groom pouch device 100 to a belt of the user or to a leash or lead attached to the dog, by opening the strap(s) 210, placing the belt, leash, or lead within the strap(s) 210, and closing the strap(s) 210 to secure the belt, leash, or lead within the strap(s) 210. The strap(s) 210 may be disposed at or across the bottom surface 130 of the case 102, as illustrated, or on any other side or surface of the case 102. In another example, the device 100 may include a snap hook 220 positioned at any of the side of the case 102 for attaching the device 100 to a belt loop of a user's pants, or to a ring such as a D-ring attachment of a dog collar, harness, or leash. In some embodiments, the snap hook 220 may be secured to an outer surface of the case 102, such as with a fabric loop stitched to a canvas panel of the case 102. In other embodiments, as described further below, the snap hook 220 may be attached inside the case and may be withdrawn from the interior of the case 102 to use the snap hook 220.
Portions of the case 102 may form a pouch 110 that defines an interior area 180 of the device 100. In some embodiments, the pouch 110 is accessible through one or more of the sides of the case 102. For example, an opening 104 through the case 102 provides access to the pouch 110. A closure mechanism, such as a zipper 150, may be attached to the case 102 at the opening 104, and may be configured to open and close the opening 104 to allow or prevent access to the interior area 180. In various embodiments, the zipper 150 may span up to half of the perimeter of the case 102. An example is illustrated, in which the top stop of the zipper 150 is approximate the midpoint, width-wise, of the rear side of the case 102; the zipper 150 extends toward and the along the left side of the case 102 to the front side, and then to the midpoint of the front side of the case 102 where a bottom stop of the zipper 150 may be positioned.
The pouch 110 may be used to store items, such as small personal items, dog walking equipment, and the like. In some embodiments, the pouch 110 may include means for retaining a roll 122 of dog waste bags 120. For example, a pocket 190 or an elastic band may be disposed within the pouch 110. In some embodiments, a piece of material may be stitched or otherwise attached along two or three of its sides to an interior surface of the case 102, leaving at least the top open to form the pocket 190. The pocket 190 receives the roll 122 and retains it, so the roll 122 does not bounce around the pouch 110 and potentially loosen itself. The pocket 190 may further retain the roll 122 in a position for dispensing the bags 120 from the case 102. In some embodiments, the pocket 190 may be positioned to retain the roll 122 approximate the rear side of the case 102. The bags 120 may then, for example, be dispensed through the opening 104: the zipper pull 152 may be actuated to partially unzip the zipper 150, and the end of the next bag 120 on the roll may be pulled out of the pouch 110 through the opening 104 and retained there; optionally, the zipper pull 152 may then be actuated to partially close the zipper 150 against the extended bag 120 to hold it in place.
In another embodiment for dispensing the bags 120, the device 100 may include a dispenser 140 attached to the case 102 and configured to allow the next plastic bag 120 of the roll 122 of plastic bags 120 inside the interior area 180 to be manually pulled out of the interior area 180 of the pouch 110. The dispenser 140 may comprise a port 142 disposed through a side of the case 102 into the pouch 110, and a retention mechanism 144, such as a port hole patch, a rubber pass-through grommet, or other similar device for holding a sheet of material, may be installed in the port 142. As shown in
The pouch 110 may also store the snap hook 220 when the latter is not in use. In some embodiments, the snap hook 220 may be attached to the case 102 at a point inside the pouch 110. For example, a strap 222 such as a strip or loop of fabric may be stitched or otherwise affixed to an inner surface of the case 102, approximate the top stop of the zipper 150; the strap 222 may be attached to the snap hook 220, such as by tying or knotting the material or passing the material through an aperture of the snap hook 220. The strap 222 may be long enough that the snap hook 220 can be pulled out of the pouch 110 through the opening 104 a fixed distance for use. Optionally, the zipper pull 152 may be actuated to partially close the zipper 150 against the strap 222 to hold the snap hook 220 in place. To stow the snap hook 220, the zipper may be partially unzipped and the snap hook 220 inserted into the pouch 110.
The inventive devices and methods described herein can be viewed as a whole, or as a number of separate inventions, that can be used independently or mixed and matched as desired. All inventions, steps, processed, devices, and methods described herein can be mixed and matched as desired. All previously described features, functions, or inventions described herein or by reference may be mixed and matched as desired. In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides a device for grooming a dog, the device including: a case having top, bottom, left, right, front, and rear sides, and having a size that fits in a hand of a user grooming the dog; a grooming device supported by the case, the grooming device including a brush retained at and extending from the top side of the case, and an elastic band attached across the bottom side of the case, the elastic band configured to hold the hand of the user; a pouch defining an interior area of the case, the pouch being accessible through an opening in at least one of the left, right, front, and rear sides of the case; and, a closure mechanism attached to the case and actuated to open and close the opening.
The brush may include a plurality of bristles extending through an aperture formed at a top surface of the case. The brush may further include: a substrate attached to or integral with the plurality of bristles; and, a foundation beneath the substrate rigidly supporting the plurality of bristles, the foundation and the substrate being retained in a pocket disposed at the top side of the case and accessible through the aperture, and the foundation providing structural rigidity to the case along a length and a width of the case.
The device may further include a dispenser supported by the case, the dispenser including: a port disposed through one of the sides of the case into the interior area; and, a port hole patch disposed within the port, the port hole patch configured for a plastic bag within the pouch to be pulled through the port hole patch from outside the case, the port hole patch further retaining the plastic bag by friction fit when the plastic bag is not being pulled therethrough. The device may further include one or more Velcro strips attached across the bottom side of the case and configured to receive and retain a leash attached to the dog.
In another aspect, the present disclosure provides an apparatus including: a case having a size that fits in a hand of a user grooming the dog; a grooming device supported by the case and disposed at a first side of the case; and, a pouch defining an interior area of the case, the pouch being accessible through a scalable opening in the case. The grooming device may be a brush having a plurality of bristles extending from the first side of the case. The apparatus may further include an elastic band attached across a second side of the case opposite the first side, the elastic band configured to hold the hand of the user. The case may further have second, third, fourth, and fifth sides attached to or integral with the first side and cooperating with adjacent sides to form a perimeter of the case; the opening may extend from approximately a midpoint of the second side along the third side adjacent to the second side, and to approximately a midpoint of the fourth side adjacent to the third side.
The apparatus may further include a dispenser supported by the case, the dispenser configured to allow one or more plastic bags retained in the pouch to be withdrawn from the pouch through the dispenser. The dispenser may include a port disposed through a second side of the case into the interior area and a pass-through grommet attached to the case over the port. The apparatus may further include a pocket disposed within the pouch approximate the dispenser, the pocket configured to retain a roll of the one or more plastic bags.
The apparatus may further include one or more attachment mechanisms attached to the case and configured to removably attach the case to one or more of: a leash attached to the dog; a belt worn by a person walking the dog; and, a ring or loop attached to the dog or the person. The one or more attachment mechanisms may include one or more Velcro straps attached to one of the first side and a second side of the case, the one or more Velcro straps opening to receive the leash and closing around the leash. The one or more attachment mechanisms may include a snap hook and a strap attaching the snap hook to the case at a point inside the pouch such that the snap hook is withdrawn from the pouch for use and the snap hook and strap are stowed within the pouch when the snap hook is not being used.
In yet another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method of managing a dog during a dog walk. The method can be performed by the dog walker, the dog groomer, or a companion thereof. The method includes the steps of: storing one or more items in a grooming device that includes a case having a size that fits in a hand of a user walking the dog, a plurality of bristles supported by the case and extending from a first side of the case, and a pouch defining an interior area of the case, the pouch being accessible through a scalable opening in the case, wherein the storing includes inserting the one or more items into the pouch through the opening; securing the grooming device to one of the user and the dog; and, during the dog walk, detaching the grooming device, securing the grooming device to the hand, brushing the dog with the plurality of bristles, and reattaching the grooming device to one of the user and the dog.
The grooming device may further include an elastic band attached across a second side of the case opposite the first side, and the step of securing the grooming device to the hand may include sliding the hand between the elastic band and the case. The grooming device may further include one or more Velcro strips attached to a second side of the case, and the steps of securing and reattaching the grooming device to one of the user and the dog may each include: opening the one or more Velcro strips; placing a leash attached to the dog within the opened one or more Velcro strips; and, closing the one or more Velcro strips around the leash. The grooming device may further include a snap hook and a strap attached at a first end to the snap hook and at a second end to the case at a point inside the pouch, and the steps of securing and reattaching the grooming device to one of the user and the dog may each include: unsealing the opening to access the pouch; withdrawing the snap hook from the pouch; and, resealing the opening to close the pouch with the snap hook outside the case.
The grooming device may further include a dispenser supported by the case and a pocket disposed within the pouch approximate the dispenser. The step of storing the one or more items may include placing a roll of plastic dog waste bags in the pocket. The method may further include the steps of: pushing a first bag on the roll through the dispenser, the dispenser retaining the first bag therein; and, during the dog walk, pulling the first bag from outside of the case to remove the first bag for use, the pulling causing a second bag attached to the first bag to be pulled through the dispenser and retained therein.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variation can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
This application is a non-provisional and claims the benefit of U.S. Prov. Pat. App. Ser. No. 63/472,209, filed under the same title on Jun. 9, 2023, and incorporated fully herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63472209 | Jun 2023 | US |
