PET GROOMING TOOL

Abstract

A grooming tool for removing dead, shed hair from the coat of an animal such as a dog, has a blade, and a handle affixed thereto, with the blade having two separate rows of teeth along opposite edges thereof. A kit for removing shed hair from an animal's coat contains two of these grooming tools which in turn have different degrees of teeth along the respective rows to accommodate stripping shed hair of different texture.

Claims

1. A grooming tool for removing dead, shed hair from the coat of an animal such as a dog, comprising a blade, and a handle affixed to the blade, wherein the blade comprises two separate rows of teeth along opposite edges thereof.

2. The tool of claim 1, wherein the opposite rows of teeth have different spacing, density and number of teeth from one another.

3. The tool of claim 1, wherein each row of teeth is flat along one side of the blade and angled from an opposite side of the blade.

4. The tool of claim 3, wherein teeth in each said row are beveled between a top flat surface and flat perpendicular edge.

5. The tool of claim 1, wherein said rows of teeth are flat and angled along opposite sides of the blade from one another.

6. The tool of claim 5, wherein teeth in each said row are beveled between a top flat surface and flat perpendicular edge.

7. The tool of claim 1, wherein said teeth of each said row form a point at an apex of an acute angle formed by sides of each said tooth.

8. The tool of claim 1, wherein said teeth of each said row protrude over a longitudinally-extending edge along an opposite side of said blade.

9. The tool of claim 1, wherein a flat end of said blade is secured in a slot of said handle at an end remote from said rows of teeth.

10. A grooming kit for removing dead, shed hair from the coat of an animal such as a dog, comprising a pair of grooming tools, with each said grooming tool comprising a blade, and a handle affixed to the blade, wherein the blade comprises two separate rows of teeth along opposite edges thereof, and a carrying case arranged to receive and secure both said grooming tools therein.

11. The kit of claim 10, wherein the opposite rows of teeth in each said tool have different spacing, density and number of teeth from one another, and the spacing, density and number of teeth in each said row of both tools are different from one another.

12. The kit of claim 10, wherein one of said tools comprises a blade with rows of teeth having spacing, density and number intermediate from spacing density and number of teeth in the rows on said other tool, such that said other tool has rows of teeth having largest spacing, lowest density and smallest number of teeth, and closest spacing, largest density and largest number of teeth respectively, and said one tool has rows of teeth having spacing, density and number of teeth closer to one another on said one tool.

13. The kit of claim 10, additionally comprising a pair of elastic clips or loops secured inside said carrying case and configured to receive and retain a handle of a respective tool.

14. The kit of claim 10, wherein each row of teeth is flat along one side of the blade and angled from an opposite side of the blade.

15. The kit of claim 14, wherein said rows of teeth are flat and angled along opposite sides of the blade from one another.

16. The kit of claim 15, wherein teeth in each said row are beveled between a top flat surface and flat perpendicular edge.

17. The tool of claim 16, wherein said teeth of each said row form a point at an apex of an acute angle formed by sides of each said tooth.

18. The tool of claim 17, wherein said teeth of each said row protrude over a longitudinally-extending edge along an opposite side of said blade.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The present invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which

[0014] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an opened kit containing the grooming tools according to the present invention,

[0015] FIG. 2 illustrates a top plan view of a first one of the grooming tools according to the present invention,

[0016] FIG. 3 illustrates a bottom plan view of the grooming tool of FIG. 2,

[0017] FIG. 4 illustrates a top plan view of a second one of the grooming tools according to the present invention,

[0018] FIG. 5 illustrates a bottom plan view of the grooming tool of FIG. 4,

[0019] FIG. 6 illustrates a side elevational view of the grooming tool shown in FIG. 2 in the direction of arrow L,

[0020] FIG. 7 illustrates a sectional view along line 7-7 in FIG. 2, and

[0021] FIG. 8 illustrates a sectional view along line 8-8 in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] As illustrated in the drawings, the present invention is directed to a kit 1 containing a pair of grooming tools 2, 3 for removing the dead hair shed from the animal's coat, with each tool 2, 3 having a blade 4, 4′ secured in a slot at a flat end 12 thereof within a handle 5, 5′ by non-removal metal bolts 10 (analogous components in grooming tool 3 are denoted by prime symbols). The blade 4, 4′ and bolts 10 are made of metal, e.g., stainless steel, while the handle 5,5′ is preferably formed from wood.

[0023] Opposite lateral edges of the exposed portion of the blade 4, 4′ contain rows of teeth for removing the dead hair shed from the animal, as the grooming tool 2, 3 is swept over the animal's coat, without disturbing the living hair growing from the hair follicles or irritating or hurting the animal. As shown, one surface of the row of teeth is flat, and the opposite surface of teeth is beveled or angled downwardly towards the flat surface. In particular, the respective rows of teeth are flat and angled on opposite surfaces from one another. Additionally, the exposed end 6, 6′ of the blade 4, 4′ opposite the handle 5, 5′ is blunted or rounded for safety, while the opposite end 11, 11′ of the handle 5, 5′ is also rounded.

[0024] The teeth of each row form a point at an apex of an acute angle formed by sides of each tooth when viewed in the top and bottom views of FIGS. 2-5, with the teeth protruding over a longitudinally-extending edge along an opposite surface of the blade as illustrated, e.g., in the top views of FIGS. 2 and 4. The spacing 9 between the rows of teeth also slopes downwardly to the opposite surface, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4. In particular, the opposite rows of teeth in each grooming tool have different spacing, density and number of teeth from one another.

[0025] More specifically, one of the tools 3 has a blade with rows of teeth 7′, 8′ having spacing, density and number intermediate from spacing density and number of teeth 7, 8 in the rows on the other tool 2. In other words, as shown in the drawings, one of the tools 2 has rows of teeth 7, 8 having largest spacing, lowest density and smallest number of teeth, or closest spacing, largest density and largest number of teeth respectively, while the other grooming tool 3 has rows of teeth 7′, 8′ having spacing, density and number of teeth closer in degree to one another.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 2, in grooming tool 2 which has rows of teeth 7, 8 for respectively removing coarse and extremely fine shed hair, one side 13 contains teeth 7 arranged for removing shed coarse hair and sloping towards the opposite flat side 14 (FIG. 3). At the same time, the teeth 8 arranged for removing extremely fine shed hair slope from the opposite side 14 towards the flat side 13 (FIG. 2) as shown in FIG. 3. Analogous arrangement of the rows of teeth 7′, 8′ for removing medium and fine shed hair appears on the other grooming tool 3 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0027] In the illustrated embodiment, thirteen teeth 7 appear in the coarse row and 33 teeth appear in the extra fine row in grooming tool 2, while eighteen teeth 7′ appear in the medium row and 26 teeth 8′ appear in the fine row in grooming tool 3. Furthermore, as shown in the sectional views of FIGS. 7 and 8, the angled surface of teeth 7 in the coarse row is beveled between the top flat “horizontal” surface and flat “vertical” edge. Teeth 8, 7′ and 8′ are similarly-beveled in the grooming tools 2 and 3.

[0028] The kit 1 for containing these grooming tools 2, 3 can include a double-hinged carrying case 15 which can be closed by a zipper 16. Elastic clips or loops 17 can retain the respective grooming tools 2, 3. The carrying case 15 can be made from, e.g., imitation leather.

[0029] Therefore, as shown in the drawings, one of the grooming tools 2 is capable of removing either coarse or extremely fine dead hair shed from the animal, while the other tool 2 is capable of removing medium or fine shed hair. Accordingly, it is possible to conveniently remove dead hair shed from an animal with just a minimal number of grooming tools to accommodate the whole range of texture of the shed hair. This is especially advantageous, since not all shed hair from an animal possesses similar texture. For example, the trunk of an animal's body tends to shed thicker hair, while the head and face shed extremely fine hair and the legs and tail often shed intermediate degrees of hair texture.

[0030] Only a minimal number of such grooming tools need be kept on hand, and with each tool containing rows of teeth of differing degrees for removing dead hair shed from the coat of an animal. The grooming tools can be incorporated into the kit 1 for the same as illustrated, and retained therein by the elastic clips or loops 17 which receive and retain the handles 5, 5′ of the respective grooming tools 2, 3.

[0031] The preceding description of the invention is merely exemplary and not intended to limit the scope thereof in any way.