Household pets, such as those with fur, often become dirty or odorous and require washing or bathing to maintain their hygiene, particularly when the pet lives indoors with humans. However, this task may be difficult when done in the home due to the lack of a proper area to perform the washing. Professional services to wash and groom an animal may be available but are often costly and not always readily available when the washing is required. Accordingly, while conventional and professional pet washing methods work well for their intended purpose, there remains a desire for improvement in the relevant art.
The present application relates generally to a washing apparatus and, more particularly, to a pet shower-type washing apparatus for dogs and other animals.
In a first aspect of the present invention, a portable shower is provided herein. The shower includes upper and lower sections.
The upper section is the shower section, and the lower section is a stand. The upper section is formed from a durable, lightweight fabric with access portals to facilitate washing the animal.
For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following detailed description and accompanying drawing, wherein like reference numerals refer to like features throughout the several views of the drawings.
As noted above, the present application is directed to a pet shower apparatus having improved air circulation, water delivery and discharge, as well as ease of manufacture and portability. The pet bathing apparatus may be folded or partially disassembled for easy transport and storage, and quickly deployed to function as a bathing station or pet crate.
With more particularity and referring now to the drawings and, in particular,
Additionally, the legs 118 are preferably removably coupled to the support platform 116 for easy set up and storage. As shown, the legs 118 are disposed at each corner of the support platform 116 to impart stability thereto.
It should be noted that the upper compartment may be used independently from the legs and be deployed as a table top version, or the like.
The upper washing compartment 112, generally, has a substantially rectangular configuration including an integrally formed bottom wall 120, opposed first and second side walls 122, 124, an opposed rear wall 126 and front wall 128, and a top 130. In this way, the upper washing compartment 112 defines an interior washing area 132 to receive an animal for washing thereof. The upper washing compartment 112 is formed from a fabric or other pliable material such that the upper washing compartment 112 may be collapsed or folded flat (e.g., see
When deployed, the interior washing area 132 is configured to receive a frame 134 to provide a support structure to hold the upper washing compartment 112 in the deployed position. The frame 134 may integrated into the upper washing compartment 112, for example, being part of the one or more walls or attached to an interior surface thereof. The frame 134 is movable from a deployed position that provides a skeleton or support frame for the upper washing compartment 112, to a retracted position that enables the upper washing compartment 112 to be folded or collapsed unto itself. Alternatively, the frame 134 may be a separate component, which is subsequently inserted into the interior washing area 132 when desired.
Preferably, the bottom wall 120 is fabricated from a substantially rigid material configured to support an animal when inside the interior washing area 132. The bottom wall 120 is configured to removably couple to the support platform 116 of the base 114 for easy set up and storage. Alternatively, the support platform 116 and the bottom wall 120 may be one and the same.
The bottom wall 120 and/or the support platform 116 includes an inclined bottom surface which is inclined or tapered toward a portion thereof (e.g., a center, toward the rear wall 126, etc.). A drainage opening 136 is provided therein which is configured to attach to a drain hose 138 (
The opposed first and second side walls 122, 124 are attached to and extend upwardly from the bottom wall 120. Each of the side walls 122, 124 may include a generally rectangular aperture or window 140 configured to selectively receive an accessory 142 such as, for example, as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
The opposed rear wall 126 and front wall 128 are attached to and extend upwardly from the bottom wall 120. The rear wall 126 and front wall 128 are also coupled to and extend between the ends of the first and second side walls 122, 124. At least one of the rear wall 126 and/or front wall 128 includes an opening or access portal 154, which enables access into the interior washing area 132, as described below.
The access portal 154 includes an associated door 156, which may be apertured/screened for ventilation. The door 156 may be detachably and/or hingedly connected to a perimeter edge 158 of the access portal 154, for example via a zipper or a hook and pile arrangement. The door 156 may be complimentarily configured to the dimensions of the rear or front wall 126, 128 and may be defined by the geometry of the portals 154, as shown.
The top 130 is attached to and extends between an upper edge of the first and second side walls 122, 124, the rear wall 126, and the front wall 128. As shown in
As shown in
Although not shown, the opposite end of the fluid port 160, which is disposed in the interior washing area 132, may also include a coupling for fluidly coupling to a washing accessory such as a shower head or nozzle to assist during the animal washing event. It will be appreciated that the fluid port 160 may be located in any suitable area that enables the pet bathing apparatus 110 to function as described herein. For example, the fluid port 160 may be located in the bottom wall 120, side walls 122, 124, or front wall 128.
As shown in
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The present device can be manufactured from any suitable material, such as polyester, nylon, and/or a synthetic resinous material like light-weight polypropylene or other plastic.
From the foregoing, it is apparent that there has been described an animal washing device that is easy to use, inexpensive to manufacture, and readily transportable.
The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.
This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/206,671, filed on Jun. 7, 2023, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, including the drawing, which application in turn, is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/147,046, filed Jan. 12, 2021, and a continuation-in-part of now abandoned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/018,416, filed Sep. 5, 2013, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties, including the drawings.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 18206671 | Jun 2023 | US |
Child | 18438786 | US | |
Parent | 17147046 | Jan 2021 | US |
Child | 18438786 | US | |
Parent | 14018416 | Sep 2013 | US |
Child | 18438786 | US |