Animal husbandry – Grooming – With means to supply treatment material to the animal; e.g.,...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-19
2001-07-10
Poon, Peter M. (Department: 3643)
Animal husbandry
Grooming
With means to supply treatment material to the animal; e.g.,...
C119S664000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06257172
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to powder dispensing brushes, and more particularly to a brush for applying pesticidal or medicinal powder onto the skin of an animal covered by hair.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many devices known in the art are adapted to dispense pesticides such as flea powder into the fur or hair of a domestic animal during brushing or grooming. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,044,724, Merchill, discloses a flat powder-dispensing brush with a body comprising first and second angularly related faces with an inlet at the second face and a passageway therefrom to the first face. The passageway may be connected to a flexible-walled container from which powder may be squeezed while brushing an animal.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,143,982, Cox, discloses a dispensing brush tray with an upraised rim and a bottom with discontinuous longitudinal slots and projecting bristles. Slidingly attached to the tray is a powder container having a bottom with cross slots alignable with the slots in the tray. By manually moving the container relative to the tray while brushing an animal, powder may be controllably dispensed.
A number of U.S. patents disclose powder dispensing brushes which employ hollow bristles or other kinds of projections with ports through which powder is dispensed, most notably including U.S. Pat. No. 4,213,423, Bryan; U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,154, Valenza; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,762,433, Cary. U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,625, Futter, discloses a powder dispensing brush of the pressure-feed type.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,880, South, discloses a grooming and dispensing brush with an inner tubular wall having a plurality of ports through the wall and an open-ended chamber which may be filled with powder and closed. An outer tubular wall surrounds the inner tubular wall, said outer tubular wall having a plurality of ports extending through the wall and bristles. The outer tubular wall has a tightening mechanism which allows it to be released and to rotate around the inner cylinder during brushing, thereby alternatively aligning ports in the inner and outer tubular walls so as to distribute powder. While dispensing powder, the bristles rotate along with the entire outer tubular wall.
Note that the term “bristle” is used herein in its generic meaning to cover not only what is known in the art to be denoted by “bristle”, but other grooming projections such as claws, pins, pegs, posts, tines, teeth, and so forth.
The present invention allows the user to dispense medicinal or pesticidal powder onto the fur or hair of an animal and simultaneously to work the powder into the animal's skin simply by brushing. Unlike devices in the prior art, no act or movement other than brushing is needed either to dispense the powder or to control its flow. The rate of powder flow is controlled by the rapidity of brushing, and the amount of total powder dispensed is controlled by the duration of grooming.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The proper care of domestic animals often includes grooming and the application of medicinal and/or pesticidal powders. While animals typical enjoy grooming, particularly brushing and combing, many are frightened or annoyed by other kinds of care, however benign. Thus, owners face a significant challenge in calming a reluctant pet and successfully applying an effective amount of medicine or pesticide. Furthermore, application of powders independently of brushing is time consuming.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a grooming brush adapted to dispense medicinal or pesticidal powder into the hair or fur of an animal through the action of brushing alone. Additionally, the rate of powder flow and the total amount of powder dispensed is controlled exclusively by the rate of brushing and the total duration of grooming.
This is achieved by providing a brush which, in its preferred embodiment, has a handle and a head, the head being hollow and having a top, a bottom, and four sides, the fourth of which is integral with the handle. The head is divided into a first and second chamber, defined by two partitioning walls, physically separating the chambers from one another and forming a space between said walls. The chambers serve as reservoirs for medicinal or pesticidal powder.
The bottom of the brush head has a plurality of bristles, preferably composed of polyethylene. Bisecting the bottom is an elongate opening which runs the length of the head.
A hollow elongate cylinder is affixed at the first and third sides by pivot means so that the cylinder may rotate during use. The cylinder has a plurality of shallow circular depressions forming several rows along its length and fits snugly into the elongate opening on the bottom side of the head so as to prevent the discharge of powder other than through rotation of the cylinder caused by brushing motions. Affixed at the horizontal axis of the cylinder is fur engaging means, preferably a cog wheel having a plurality of scalloped teeth. The cog wheel has a radius roughly equal to that of the bristles so that when said brush is moved transversely along the hair or fur of an animal, the cog wheel is rotated and causes said cylinder to rotate. Powder held within one or both of the chambers collects in the depressions of the cylinder in the interior of the head and is thereafter deposited on the animal during brushing motions as the cylinder rotates.
REFERENCES:
patent: 866523 (1907-09-01), Schneider
patent: 987433 (1911-03-01), Crawford
patent: 2565889 (1951-08-01), Schroer
patent: 3995597 (1976-12-01), Warwick
patent: 5101532 (1992-04-01), Dyson et al.
patent: 5365880 (1994-11-01), South
Abbott Yvonne R.
Johnson Larry D.
Johnson & Stainbrook
Poon Peter M.
Stainbrook Craig M.
LandOfFree
Powder-dispensing animal grooming brush does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Powder-dispensing animal grooming brush, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Powder-dispensing animal grooming brush will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2557927