Animal husbandry – Exercise or amusement device – Climbing or claw scratching device
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-17
2001-11-27
Carone, Michael J. (Department: 3643)
Animal husbandry
Exercise or amusement device
Climbing or claw scratching device
C119S849000, C119S174000, C004S496000, C004S504000, C441S080000, C441S083000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06321689
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of swimming pool accessories, in general, and in particular, to a rescue device to allow animals to escape from a swimming pool.
2. Description of Related Art
As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,377,623; 4,658,449; 4,837,869; 4,893,363; and 5,406,653, the prior art is replete with myriad and diverse accessory devices for swimming pools including items that are supported by the side of a swimming pool.
While all of the aforementioned prior art constructions are more than adequate for the basic purpose and function for which they have been specifically designed, they are uniformly deficient with respect to their failure to provide a simple, efficient, and practical swimming pool accessory that is specifically designed to allow small animals to escape from drowning within a pool.
As most pool owners are all too well aware, the water contained within a swimming pool acts as a magnet to attract all types of domestic and wild animals; wherein, a certain percentage will fall into the pool and drown due to the fact that they have no means of climbing up the side of the pool to escape.
As a consequence of the foregoing situation, there has existed a longstanding need for a new and improved type of rescue device for attachment to the side of a swimming pool that will allow small animals to climb out of the pool to escape drowning; and, the provision of such a construction is the stated objective of the present invention.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly stated, the animal rescue device for swimming pools that forms the basis of the present invention comprises in general a framework unit, a net unit suspended from the framework unit, and a negative buoyancy unit.
As will be explained in greater detail further on in the specification, the framework unit includes a collapsible framework member having a cross-piece element provided with a pair of hinged support arms having hooks on their free ends for engaging the external periphery of the side of a swimming pool.
In addition, the net unit comprises a sheet of netting that has an upper end attached to the cross-piece element and a lower end attached to the negative buoyancy unit which in one version of the invention comprises an elongated cylindrical weighted member that will maintain the sheet of netting in a vertical orientation relative to the side of the swimming pool.
In another version of the invention, the sheet of netting is fabricated from a relatively heavy rigid material wherein the weight of the sheet of netting will obviate the need for a separate negative buoyancy unit.
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Bergin James S.
Carone Michael J.
Henderson & Sturm LLP
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