Small animal bathing apparatus

A small animal bathing apparatus includes a portable enclosure having a floor, a front wall, a rear wall that is taller than the front wall and a pair of side walls, each wall having an upper edge. One or more drain openings is provided in the floor. One or more hangers are secured to the rear wall at an elevation above the upper edge of the front wall. One or more animal harnesses (each connected to a hanger) are provided that enable an animal that is to be bathed to be secured to the enclosure, preferably to the rear wall. The floor is preferably separable from the walls. The walls are collapsible one upon another for storage.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

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REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to devices for enabling a pet owner to bathe a quadruped animal that is a pet, such as a dog or a cat. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved small animal bathing apparatus having a portable enclosure of improved configuration that includes a front wall, a rear wall that is significantly taller than the front wall, having side walls and a floor with drain openings in the floor. Harnesses are fixed to the rear wall at a position above the top of the front wall. The walls can be collapsible upon one another for storage.

2. General Background of the Invention

Millions of pet owners fight a battle when it is time to bathe the pet dog or cat. For some reason, small animal pets such as cats and dogs are not happy when they are thrust before a garden hose, tub, scrub brush and/or soap that necessarily must be employed to cleanse them of soil, dirt, grime or other foreign matter that the accumulate.

Many patents have issued that are directed generally to the problem of cleaning a pet such as a cat or a dog. Some of these devices are designed to be placed inside of a common tub so that when the pet is cleaned, the rinse water can flow from the pet through the drain holes into the tub and then down a drain. Such an example of a pet bathing device that can be used inside of a common tub can be seen in the Hebert U.S. Pat. No. 4,316,433 entitled “Animal Washing Stand.” In the Hebert '433 patent, the animal bathing stand is adapted to be disposed within wash basins or the like to aid in the washing of an animal. The stand preferably comprises a generally planer, rigid central surface elevated from the bottom of the wash basin by foot structure which may be varied in length to fit individual application. A resilient pad is disposed over the supporting surface to provide secure footing for the animal to be washed. The pad preferably includes a peripheral skirt for adapting the stand for use in wash basins of varying dimensions. Perforations provided within the skirt aid in draining. Lease structure provided in the preferred form of a washing stand may be variably coupled between the supporting stand and the animal to facilitate the use of the invention with animals of different height.

The Benavides Des. 329,106 discloses a box for washing dogs.

A small animal washing container is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,974,601.

The Laliberte U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,453 discloses a small animal washing device that includes a dome enclosure. Apertures are provided in the dome to receive a pair of glove inserts in various locations for conveniently washing an animal within the dome.

A cat restrainer is discloses in U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,196. The '196 patent is directed to a restrainer harness apparatus designed primarily to function as a cat bather.

The McLaughlin U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,339 discloses a container for treating animals.

The Seymour U.S. Pat. No. 5,373,814 discloses an animal restraining device that could be used during bathing.

A pet bathing apparatus is shown in the Murphy U.S. Pat. No. 6,553,943.

The above referenced patents suffer in that they do not allow easy access to the animal during bathing notwithstanding the size of the animal while providing a portable and collapsible device that can be placed inside of a common tub and which drains continuously during bathing.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a small animal bathing apparatus that includes an enclosure have a floor, a front wall, rear wall that is preferably taller than the front wall and a pair of side walls, each wall having an upper edge.

One or more drain openings is provided in the floor so that as the animal is bathed within the enclosure, water can drain through the floor to an underlying surface such as the inside of a tub.

One or more hangers are secured to the rear wall at an elevation that is preferably above the upper edge of the front wall. One or more animal harnesses are connected to a hanger that enables an animal that is to be bathed to be secured to the enclosure, preferably to the rear wall.

The floor can be separable from the walls. The walls are optionally collapsible upon one another for storage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Pet bathing apparatus10is shown generally inFIGS. 4 and 6. Pet bathing apparatus10includes an enclosure11that is comprised of rear wall12, right side wall13, front wall14, left side wall15and floor16.

Floor16can be perforated, providing perforations17. Hinges18,19,20and21can be provided for enabling the side walls, rear wall and front wall to fold upon each other (FIG. 7). After floor16has been removed. Hinge18forms a connection between rear wall12and side wall15. Hinge19provides a hinged connection between rear wall12and side wall13. Hinge20forms a hinged connection between side wall13and front wall14. Hinge21forms a hinged connection between front wall14and side wall15.

Rear wall12has an upper edge22. Side wall13has an upper edge23that can be inclined. Front wall14has an upper edge24that can be covered with a cushion26such as a foam cushion. Side wall15has upper edge25.

Floor16has a pair of slots27that are spaced apart and next to one edge of floor16as shown inFIG. 7. Floor16also provides a handle28that enables a user46to remove the floor16when the apparatus10is to be collapsed for storage or transport. In that regard, a pair of tracks29,30are provided for slidably engaging floor16with rear wall12and front wall14. A front track29is provided at the bottom of front wall14. A rear track30is provided at the bottom of rear wall12as shown inFIGS. 4 and 5. Each track29,30can be comprised of a plurality of flanges, such as the flanges31,32,33shown inFIG. 5. These plurality of flanges31,32,33form a slot34that is receptive of an edge of floor16. Floor16can provide a plurality of feet35that can be in the form of suction cups for enabling a good connection to be formed between floor16and an underlying tub surface.

When a user46wants to store the apparatus10, he or she pulls on the handle28so that the floor16slides upon tracks29,30until the floor16has been separated from the walls12,13,14,15as indicated schematically by arrow42inFIG. 7. A pair of hooks36are provided on rear surface37of rear wall12enabling the floor16to be connected to the hooks36and remain there during storage or transport.

One of the features of the present invention is that the upper edge24of front wall14is significantly lower than the upper edge22of rear wall12, enabling the user46to have complete access to the pet such as dog47that is to be washed. In order to retain the pet47within the interior48of enclosure11as shown inFIGS. 4 and 6, front and rear harnesses44,45are provided. Each harness44,45can be removably attached to a hanger38that can comprise, for example, a ring39and u-bolt40attached to rear wall12as shown inFIGS. 1,4,6and7.FIG. 6shows that the user46can easily clean the animal47because the front wall14is much shorter than rear wall12. In the preferred embodiment, the front wall14is about one quarter to one half the height of the rear wall12.

Handle41enables a user46to carry the apparatus10once it has been placed in the folded position ofFIG. 7wherein front wall14remains parallel to but folds against rear wall12and wherein side walls13and15pivot in the direction of arrow43. Pivoting arm49can then be pivoted as shown in phantom lines inFIG. 7wherein the arm49retains side wall15in a folded position wherein it rests against rear wall12.

PARTS LIST

The following is a list of suitable parts and materials for the various elements of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.