A PET BED

Abstract: An inflatable pet bed (1) comprising an inflatable annulus (2) and a removable cover (3) for the annulus (2) that is so sized and shaped as to substantially surround the inflated annulus (2) in use, the pet bed being characterised in that the cover (3) is provided with an opening (4), the size of which can be altered (using a closure means) from a first generally fixed position to a second generally fixed position thus enabling the cover (3) to be removed from the annulus (2) without having to deflate the annulus (2).

Description: A PET BED Field of the Invention The present invention relates to pet beds, in particular, to inflatable pet beds that are particularly suitable for use by most breeds of dogs or cats. Background Art Known to the Applicant In the prior art, various types of bedding such as old rugs, mattresses or the like have been provided for the comfort of household pets. It has been well recognised by many providers of pet products that there is a commercial market for pet beds and many purpose-built pet beds for example, the "Canac Snoozee" produced by CANAC PET PRODUCTS TM are available. In addition to old throw away items and commercially available products, any Patent Office Search employing the International Patent Classification Code A01K 1/035, A47C 27/08, A47D 7/00 or 13/06 will also provide anybody interested in searching this field of activity with an amazing array of patent applications relating to animal bedding and pet beds in particular. However, despite the plethora of filed patent applications/patents and commercially available products in this area, many drawbacks with the prior art still exist. For example, it is well accepted that the fabric material that comprises the pet bed tends to become unclean with the passage of time and as such it becomes a haven for vermin/fleas etc it will inevitably, therefore, require washing from time to time. However, most of the commercially available pet beds are either not machine washable or, if they are claimed to be machine washable, have a very limited lifetime as the padding in the bed does not tend to appreciate the rigours of "washing machine-life" inspite of the exaggerated claims of most pet bed manufacturers. In order to avoid using the washing machine, many pet owners apply a vacuum cleaner to the pet bed to remove the fleas and dirt etc however, anyone who has tried to remove pet hairs from any type of fabric material will realise how difficult such a procedure can be and invariably, the use of a vacuum cleaner on such pet beds hardly ever gets the pet bed totally clean. A further disadvantage is that the normal fabric and padding arrangements are not particularly comfortable and are not particularly suitable for use in for example, veterinary applications. In order to overcome the first problem, namely that of providing a machine washable (and therefore totally clean) pet bed, UK patent application 2 175 802 disclosed a removable cover fitted to an inflatable support. However, although this particular arrangement did provide a machine washable cover for a pet bed, the inflatable support needed to be completely deflated in order to remove the cover each time the cover needed washing. Such an arrangement would inevitably lead to people simply not removing the cover because of the effort involved in first, deflating the inflatable support and then re-inflating the inflatable support once the cover had been replaced (usually through a foot pump or mouth action) Again, a vacuum cleaner will invariably be used to clean the cover whilst it is still secured to the inflatable support. The second major problem, that of providing a comfortable pet bed has also been alleviated by UK patent application 2 175 802 together with PCT International Publication number WO 85/04550 in so far as both of these published patent applications comprise a fluid inflatable support adapted to receive a cover. Nevertheless, in the latter arrangement, the cover is not removable. Therefore, these two attempts to overcome the two major problems outlined above have either inherent problems of their own, or have failed to recognise one of the two major problems as outlined herein above. It is an object of the present invention to alleviate the two major problems by providing a comfortable pet bed with an easily removable machine washable cover. Summary of the Invention According to a first aspect of the present invention in its broadest aspect, there is provided an inflatable pet bed comprising an inflatable annulus and a removable cover for the annulus that is so sized and shaped as to substantially surround the inflated annulus in use, the pet bed being characterised in that the cover is provided with an opening, the size of which can be altered (using a closure means) from a first generally fixed position to a second generally fixed position thus enabling the cover to be removed from the annulus without having to deflate the annulus. Preferably, the cover is padded or fleeced on its upper surface in the pet beds normal attitude of operation. This provides the pet with an added layer of "comfort" when the pet has climbed onto the pet bed. More preferably still, the padded or fleeced material is located on the exterior surface of the cover thereby allowing air to be trapped within the fleece or padded material providing an insulation barrier for the pet. Preferably, the closure means comprises a cord fitted to the peripheral edge of the cover which in use is pulled tight and knotted once the cover is placed over the inflated annulus thereby securing the cover to the annulus when the pet bed is in use. Such a closure device enables the cover to be removed from the annulus without having to deflate the annulus. More preferably still, the colour of each side of the cover is different allowing a choice of colours for the pet bed (ie the cover can be used reversibly). Preferably, the inflated annulus is "doughnut" shaped. Preferably, the annulus, annulus cover or both are operatively connected to a flea repellent. The invention includes within its scope an inflatable pet bed substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by any appropriate selection or combination of Figures 1 - 8 of the accompanying diagrams. According to a second aspect of the present invention in its broadest aspect, there is provided a cot for an inflatable pet bed that is so sized and shaped as to accommodate an inflatable pet bed of the type herein before described when the pet bed is in use. The "annulus" need not be strictly circular and the "central opening" need not extend all the way through the "annulus". Brief Description of the Drawings Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying sheets of drawings wherein: Figure 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the invention. Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the invention ready for use by a pet. Figure 3 illustrates a perspective underside view of the invention just prior to turning the pet bed over ready for use as per Figure 2. Figure 4 illustrates a perspective view of the pet bed within a cot so sized and shaped as to accommodate the pet bed. Figure 5 illustrates a perspective view of the empty cot. Description of the Preferred Embodiments Figure 1 shows an inflatable pet bed in cross-section in its inflated state and is generally referenced 1. The pet bed 1 comprises an inflatable annular ring 2 which is of doughnut-like configuration " when inflated with a wall of hollow, generally circular cross- section and defining a central open area 7. The area of the ring 2 in this embodiment is made from man-made plastics material and is filled with air via the valve 6 to provide an air-filled annular support 2 for the removable cover 3. The removable cover 3 is a bag with an opening 4, the size of which can be altered via the drawstring cord 5 to enable the cover 3 to be removed from the annulus 2 without having to deflate the annulus 2. As can be clearly seen in Figures 2 and 3, the cover 3 is fleeced on the covers upper exterior surface in its normal attitude of operation. The fleecing being continuous over the entire upper exterior surface of the cover 3 and ending abruptly in a continuous fashion about a plane at substantially the widest point 13 of the pet bed 1. This can clearly be seen in Figure 2. Although the fleecing ends at this juncture, the cover 3 continues to completely surround the annulus 2 (see Figure 3). The opening 4 of the cover 3 is provided along its peripheral edge 11 with a drawstring cord 5 which is used to reduce the size of the aperture 4 to approximately that of the diameter of the central open area 7. In such an arrangement with the fleeced area uppermost, the pet bed 1 is ready for use. In this particular arrangement, the colour of the cover 3 is the same colour both internally and externally. The colour in both instances is white, enabling the pet bed owner to immediately see when the pet bed 1 is in need of cleaning. Figure 4 illustrates a cot 15 that is so sized and shaped as to accommodate a pet bed 1 as herein before described when the pet bed 1 is in use. Figure 4 illustrates such an arrangement and the upper surface of the pet bed 1 in its normal attitude of operation can clearly be seen. The continuous wall 17 of the cot 15 is provided with a flanged base 16 to add stability to the cot 15 when the pet bed 1 is not placed within the cot 15. The flanged base 16 of the cot 15 is also provided with an aperture 14 to allow the ends of the drawstring cord 5 to be knotted and therefore secured to the cot 15 thereby preventing the possibility of the pet bed 1 becoming detached from the cot 15 by the activity of an over- zealous pet when the pet bed 1 is in use. The cot 15 is formed from a resiliency flexible fibreglass material and is designed to accommodate the pet bed 1 in a substantially friction-fit type arrangement. Located about the horizontal plane of the pet bed 1 at its widest point (in other words the band 13 where the fleeced material ends and the remainder of the cover 12 begins) there is provided a collar (not illustrated) of flea repellent/killing material which completely surrounds the pet bed 1 in this plane. Of course, the embodiment that has just been described, has been described by way of example only and a number of modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For instance, the means by which the aperture 4 of the cover 3 is altered need not necessarily be via the use of drawstring cords 5 located around the peripheral edge 11 of the aperture 4 of the cover 3. Turning to Figure 8, an alternative means of altering the size of the opening 4 of the cover 3 from a first generally fixed position to a second generally fixed position could be through the use of press studs 20 that are both male 21 and female 22 in nature. As can be seen in Figure 8, the aperture 4 is considerably widened when the press studs 20 are not inter-engaged thus enabling the cover 3 to be removed from the annulus 2 without the need to deflate the annulus 2. Furthermore, the underside of the cover 3 in its normal attitude of operation could be provided with ground gripping means for example, VELCRO TM type patches or strips so designed as to enable the pet bed 1 to grip for example, a carpet if the pet bed 1 is used without the cot 15. This would prevent the pet bed 1 from sliding about the floor as the pet attempts to mount or demount the pet bed 1. Furthermore, the annulus 2 could be provided with a membrane of continuous or reticulated material across the central open area 7 which could be integral with the annulus 2 but set slightly below the horizontal plane of the top of the cover 3 in its normal attitude of operation when taut (ie when in use). This will result in an "air gap" between the top of the cover 3 and the membrane when they are both in their normal attitude of operation. The membrane will act as a resilient barrier to prevent the pet (if overweight for example) from sinking below the plane of the membrane once the pet has climbed onto the pet bed 1. In order to stabilise the pet bed 1 if the cot 15 is not to be used, the annulus 2 could be filled with a fluid other than air that has a relatively high specific heat capacity, for example water. Such a fluid will serve the dual purpose of firstly ensuring that the annulus 2 (if gripping means of the type hereinbefore described are not used) will not shift around on the floor when in use, and secondly, using a fluid with a high specific heat capacity means that warm water could be entered into the annulus 2 so that the annulus 2 could act as a so-called "hot- water bottle" for the pet during the night. In fact, in further alternative embodiments not illustrated, the annulus 2 could be compartmentalized to accommodate for example air in an upper compartment and water in a lower compartment which will achieve the same effects mentioned in the previous paragraph but to a lesser extent as the water will add weight to the pet bed 1, reducing its ability to shift around the floor when in use and the warm water will invariably heat the compartment containing the air through convection and conduction providing a warm pet bed 1 for the pet during the night. The valve 6 could also be modified to accept "hair-dryer" attachments of the type generally known per se to enable the annulus 2 to be inflated via the use of a conventional hair dryer. Such attachments can be selected without further inventive thought by the intended skilled addressee of this specification. The valve 6 could also be so adapted to receive air from a garage pump, a foot pump or a bicycle pump. In yet further alternative embodiments, the cover 3 could be reversible allowing extended use of the cover prior to the need for cleaning in the washing machine. Such an arrangement will lend itself to the cover being coloured differently on each side. The wall 17 of the cot 15 need not necessarily be continuous or the same height throughout its entire length and could be apertured or simply comprise a number of uprights linked to a continuous flanged base 16. It will be appreciated that the cot 15 couid be made in part or wholly from plastics material or any other resiliently flexible material and the nature of the resiliently flexible material will present no problem to the skilled addressee of this specification. The cover 3 could be provided with a number of apertures or ribbed sections along its peripheral edge when in use, to enable the pet if particularly small to "scramble" up the side of the pet bed 1 in order to mount it. In yet a further alternative embodiment (not illustrated) the closure means could be an elasticated band located around the peripheral edge 11 of the cover 3. Furthermore, in yet another alternative embodiment (not illustrated) a portion of the cover 3 could be either waterproof or water absorbent in a similar manner to a baby's nappy thereby preventing any possible "accidents" that may occur whilst the pet is asleep. For the avoidance of doubt, the cover 3 could be fabricated from a number of different materials. Finally, an alternative method of altering the size of the aperture 4 of the cover 3 could be through the use of a number of "eyelets" located around the peripheral edge 11 of the cover 3. The drawstring cord 5 being threaded through the "eyelets" so as to effect a reduction in the size of the opening 4 of the cover 3.

Claims: Claims 1. An inflatable pet bed comprising an inflatable annulus and a removable cover for the annulus that is so sized and shaped as to substantially surround the inflated annulus in use, the pet bed being characterised in that the cover is provided with an opening, the size of which can be altered (using a closure means) from a first generally fixed position to a second generally fixed position thus enabling the cover to be removed from the annulus without having to deflate the annulus. 2. An inflatable pet bed as claimed in Claim 1 characterised in that the cover is padded or fleeced on its upper surface in the pet beds normal attitude of operation. 3. An inflatable pet bed as claimed in Claim 2, characterised in that the padded or fleeced material is located on the exterior surface of the cover thereby allowing air to be trapped within the fleece or padded material providing an insulation barrier for the pet. 4. An inflatable pet bed as claimed in any of the preceding Claims, characterised in that the closure means comprises a cord fitted to the peripheral edge of the cover which in use is pulled tight and knotted once the cover is placed over the inflated annulus thereby securing the cover to the annulus when the pet bed is in use. 5. An inflatable pet bed as claimed in any of the preceding Claims characterised in that the colour of each side of the cover is different. 6. An inflatable pet bed as claimed in any of the preceding Claims, characterised in that the inflated annulus is "doughnut" shaped. 7. An inflatable pet bed as claimed in any of the preceding Claims characterised in that the annulus, annulus cover or both are operatively connected to a flea repellent. 8. An inflatable pet bed substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by any appropriate selection or combination of Figures 1 - 8 of the accompanying diagrams. 9. A cot for an inflatable pet bed that is so sized and shaped as to accommodate an inflatable pet bed of the type claimed in any of the preceding Claims.

Inventors: BELL GRAHAM CHARLES, BELL HILARY FRANCES, BELL, GRAHAM, CHARLES, BELL, HILARY, FRANCES
Applicants: BELL GRAHAM CHARLES, BELL HILARY FRANCES, BELL, GRAHAM, CHARLES, BELL, HILARY, FRANCES
Application year: 1997
Main classification: A01K1
IPC codes: A01K1