Patent ID: 7946254
Filing Date: 2011-05-24
Classification: A01K

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for lifting the bases of the ears of a floppy eared pet, away from the pet's head and away from the openings to the pet's ear canals, to reduce problems of the ear canals, consisting essentially of: a first closed elastic ring having an inside diameter of about one to two inches receiving the base of one floppy ear of a pet, the first ring being made of an elongated ring material having a cross section that is one of round, oval and ribbon shape with a maximum outside diameter of about one eighth to one half inch so that only a short portion of the one floppy ear at the base of the one floppy ear is in the first ring and the opening to the ear canal under the one floppy ear is not covered; a second closed elastic ring having an inside diameter of about one to two inches receiving the base of the other floppy ear of the pet, the second ring being made of an elongated ring material having a cross section that is one of round, oval and ribbon shape with a maximum outside diameter of about one eighth to one half inch so that only a short portion of the other floppy ear at the base of the other ear is in the second ring and the opening to the ear canal under the other floppy ear is not covered; a single connecting band connected between the first and second rings for extending over the head of the pet, between the one and the other floppy ears, for maintaining a selected distance between the rings for raising the floppy ears away from the openings to the ear canals; length adjusting means connected to the band for adjusting the length of the band between the rings to adjust the selected distance; the connecting band having a first loop at one end of the band for engaging around the first ring for fixing the first ring to the one end of the band, an opposite end of the connecting band being looped around the second ring for connecting the band to the second ring, the opposite end of the band overlaying an intermediate portion of the band at a location between the rings; the length adjusting means comprising mating fasteners at the intermediate portion of the band and at the opposite end of the band for mating with each other at a plurality of different relative positions for adjusting the length of the band between the rings to adjust the selected distance; a retaining cord connected between the second ring and the intermediate portion of the band for retaining the second ring to the band even when the mating fasteners are not mated with each other; the mating fasteners comprising a hook fastener tape on one of the intermediate portion and the opposite end of the band, and a loop fastener tape on the other one of the intermediate portion and the opposite end of the band for mating with the hook fastener tape; and the ring material for each ring having an elastic core and a fabric outer surface.