Abstract:
A pet or human battery operated grooming apparatus having a housing, a number of tines formed in the housing, each tine having a slot, and a number of disk shaped blades mounted to a shaft, the shaft mounted in the housing and the blades disposed in the tine slots. A protective cover encloses most of each blade leaving only a slit open to the blade. The tines direct knots or tangles in the hair or fur of the pet, or hair of a human, to the slits and the blades. The user may then rotate the blades to cut the knots. This process occurs without any undue pulling of the associated skin of the animal or human.

Description:
PRIORITY CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or 120 from U.S. Provisional Applications No. 61/995,195, filed Apr. 3, 2014. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a grooming apparatus, and more particularly, to a grooming apparatus that makes animal hair and fur knot removal easy, safe and relatively painless. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    A major problem plaguing pet owners involves the grooming of dogs and cats having hair or fur that knots or become entangled with foreign matters. The usual solution is brushing and/or combing. However, brushing and combing is often painful for the pet as the pet&#39;s skin may be pulled during the brushing or combing process. The brushing and combing process is also tedious and time consuming for the pet owner. Existing grooming tools include combs with sharp edges that cut knots and tangles but these are often dangerous for both the pet and the user who may be cut by such tools. Furthermore, such tools may leave a pet&#39;s hair or fur damaged and unsightly if the cut is made across the grain of the hair. The cuts become visible and are not very attractive. 
         [0004]    The invention discussed below in connection with the described preferred and other embodiments addresses these and other deficiencies of the prior art. The features and advantages of the present invention will be explained in, or become apparent from, the following summary and detailed description of the preferred and other embodiments considered together with the accompanying drawings. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    In accordance with the present invention, an advantageous method and apparatus are provided in the form of a grooming apparatus that reduces or eliminates pain during the grooming of a pet. The apparatus is easy to use, very efficient and provides for an enhanced pet appearance. Typically the hair or fur of a pet becomes knotted especially if the animal is kept out of doors. Combing or brushing may be painful if a knot is encountered and the comb or brush pulls the skin of the animal as the device works through the knot. Pulling the skin is also unavoidable as the brush or comb comes upon the knot and during the time when the knot must be held because the user wishes to cut the knot with a scissors. With the grooming apparatus disclosed in detail below, the combing action is smoothly accomplished because when a knot is encountered a user merely activates cutting blades incorporated in the apparatus to remove the knot almost simultaneously with the encounter. The grooming apparatus is simple to make, inexpensive and yet, is structurally robust. 
         [0006]    Briefly summarized, the invention relates to a grooming apparatus including a housing having a handle portion and a comb portion, the comb portion having a plurality of tines, a rotatable shaft mounted in the housing, a plurality of blades activated with the shaft, each blade of the plurality of blades being aligned with a corresponding tine of the plurality of tines, a protective guard connected to the housing and partially covering the plurality of blades, and structure connected to the shaft and mounted in the housing for causing the shaft to rotate. 
         [0007]    The invention also relates to a method for making a grooming apparatus, the steps of the method including forming a housing, the housing including a handle portion and a comb portion, the comb portion having a plurality of tines, wherein each tine includes a slot, mounting a shaft with spaced apart blades in the housing, each blade of the plurality of blades being aligned with and disposed through a corresponding tine slot, connecting a protective guard to the housing for partially covering the plurality of blades, mounting a motor to the housing for engaging the shaft, and forming a battery compartment in the housing for storing batteries to energize the motor. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the invention, the accompanying drawings and detailed description illustrate a preferred and other embodiments thereof, from which the invention, its structures, its construction and operation, its processes, and many related advantages may be readily understood and appreciated. 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a preferred embodiment of a grooming apparatus of the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is an isometric view of tines, blades and a protective cover of the grooming apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is an exploded isometric view of the tines, the blades and the protective cover shown in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a diagrammatic isometric view of modified tines, the blades, spacers and a motor. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is an exploded isometric view of the grooming apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a diagrammatic plan view of the tines, the blades, slots in the tines and a handle. 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is an isometric view of a user combing a dog with the grooming apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is a diagrammatic plan view of the tines, the blades, the slots in the tines and the handle when encountering a couple of fur knots. 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is a diagrammatic plan view as shown in  FIG. 8 , illustrating the knots being cut by the blades. 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  is a diagrammatic isometric view of the modified tines, the blades, spacers and a manual crank. 
           [0019]      FIG. 11  is a diagrammatic isometric view of an alternative embodiment showing tines and extending blades. 
           [0020]      FIG. 12  is an isometric view of the grooming apparatus with a nail file accessory. 
           [0021]      FIG. 13  is an exploded isometric view of the grooming apparatus with the nail file accessory shown in  FIG. 12 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 14  is a bottom isometric view of the grooming apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 , illustrating an access panel. 
           [0023]      FIG. 15  is an isometric view of the access panel illustrating a sharp pick and two pins. 
           [0024]      FIG. 16  is an isometric view of the grooming apparatus shown in  FIG. 14  with the access panel removed and illustrating two safety switches and a pick slot. 
           [0025]      FIG. 17  is a flow diagram of a method for making a grooming apparatus. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0026]    The following description is provided to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the described preferred and other embodiments set forth in the best mode contemplated for carrying out the invention. Various modifications, equivalents, variations, and alternatives, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Any and all such modifications, variations, equivalents, and alternatives, such as the other embodiment described in detail here, are intended to fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
         [0027]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , there is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention in the form of a grooming apparatus  10  having a housing  12 ,  FIG. 1 , the housing  12  including a handle portion  14  and a comb portion  16 . The comb portion  16  of the housing includes a plurality of tines  18 ,  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28 . Mounted in the handle portion  14  of the housing  12  is a rotatable shaft  30 ,  FIG. 3 . Mounted to the shaft  30  is a plurality of cutting blades  32 ,  34 ,  36 ,  38 ,  40 ,  42 , which are rotatable with the shaft  30 . Accordingly the plurality of cutting blades  32 ,  34 ,  36 ,  38 ,  40 ,  42  may be activated by being mounted to and rotatable with the shaft in the present embodiment. Each blade of the plurality of blades  32 ,  34 ,  36 ,  38 ,  40 ,  42  is aligned with a corresponding tine of the plurality of tines  18 ,  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . A protective guard  44 ,  FIG. 2 , is connected to the housing  12  for partially covering the plurality of blades, the protective guard  44  having an forward portion  46  which may be molded integral with the tines  18 ,  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28  and a rear portion  48  integral with a portion of the housing and mounted to the forward portion  46 . Structure connected to the shaft  30  and mounted in the housing  12 , for example, a motor  50 ,  FIG. 5 , and a set of batteries  52 ,  54 ,  56 ,  58  cause the shaft  30  to rotate when the motor is activated. 
         [0028]    Each of the tines  18 ,  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28  is tapered with a rounded nose portion  60 ,  62 ,  64 ,  66 ,  70 ,  FIG. 3 . Each of the tines also includes a slot  80 ,  82 ,  84 ,  86 ,  88 ,  90 . Each of the blades  32 ,  34 ,  36 ,  38 ,  40 ,  42  is disposed in a corresponding one of the slots  80 ,  82 ,  84 ,  86 ,  88 ,  90 ,  FIG. 5 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  4 . The protective guard  44  extends like a hood over each of the blades and each of the slots to expose only a small portion of each blade through slit openings  100 ,  102 ,  104 ,  106 ,  108 ,  110 ,  FIG. 2 . The slit openings  100 ,  102 ,  104 ,  106 ,  108 ,  110  allow fur and hair pick up by the tines to be directed to the blades while the protective guard protects a user&#39;s hand from inadvertently coming into contact with the blades. A rearward end  112 ,  FIG. 5 , of the shaft  30  may have a hexagon cross-section and is engaged with the motor  50 . A forward end  114 ,  FIG. 5 , of the shaft  30  may have a circular cross-section and is mounted in a bushing  116  and enclosed by a cap  118 . The motor  50  is connected to the batteries  52 ,  54 ,  56 ,  58  and the batteries are located in a battery compartment  120 . A switch button  122 ,  FIGS. 1 and 5 , mounted to the handle portion  14  of the housing  12  may be depressed by a user, shown in  FIG. 7 , to activate the motor  50  to rotate the blades  32 ,  34 ,  36 ,  38 ,  40 ,  42 . 
         [0029]    A plurality of spacers  130 ,  132 ,  134 ,  136 ,  138 ,  FIG. 5 , are mounted to the shaft  30  and alternate with the plurality of blades  32 ,  34 ,  36 ,  38 ,  40 ,  42  such that each of the blades is separated from an adjacent blade by a precise distance as shown in  FIG. 5 . Each of the blades is shaped as a thin circular disk with a sharp periphery. The blades and spacers may have hexagon shaped openings to mate with the hexagon shaped shaft  30  as shown for the blades in  FIG. 3 . A guide tine  150 ,  FIG. 1 , may be connected to the housing  12  and an oppositely disposed guide tine  152  may be connected to the cap  118 . 
         [0030]    In the alternative, the tines may be shaped differently, for example as shown in  FIG. 4 , and the blades and spacers may have grooves that receive and engage a key mounted on the shaft. Or, the blades and spacers may be threaded onto the shaft, or connected in some other suitable fashion. 
         [0031]    In operation, the handle portion  14  of the housing  12  is gripped by a user and positioned to move along the hair or fur of a pet  154 , for example, as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . Movement of the grooming apparatus  10  is illustrated by an arrow  160 ,  FIGS. 6 ,  8  and  9 , causes knots  162 ,  164 ,  FIG. 8 , in the fur to be scooped up by the tines  18 ,  24  as shown in  FIG. 8 . The knots are pushed back along the tines by the movement  160  and are presented to the blades  32 ,  38 . When the user energizes the blades by depressing the switch button  122 , the knots are severed from the fur as shown in  FIG. 9 . This process minimizes or eliminates stretching of the skin and provides for a smooth aesthetic appearance as opposed to the chopped-up appearance often resulting from the use of a comb and scissors. 
         [0032]    A variation of the grooming apparatus  10  is shown in  FIG. 10 , where a grooming apparatus  170  includes a manual crank  172 , and the crank  172  is used as the structure to rotate the shaft  30   a  to which blades  32   a,    34   a,    36   a,    38   a,    40   a,    42   a  are mounted. A modified apparatus is shown in  FIG. 11 , where a grooming apparatus  180  includes a comb portion  182  with tines  184 ,  186 ,  188 ,  190 ,  192 ,  194 . Each tine includes a corresponding slot  200 ,  202 ,  204 ,  206 ,  208 ,  210 , and extending through each slot is a corresponding knife shaped cutting blade  220 ,  222 ,  224 ,  226 ,  228 ,  230 . The blades may otherwise be activated to move up and down in a scissors fashion to cut knots in the fur, or the blades may be mounted to vibrate where the vibrating blades cut the knots. 
         [0033]    Referring to  FIGS. 12 and 13 , the grooming apparatus  10  is shown with an accessory nail file or sander  240 . The nail file accessory  240  includes a bushing  242 , a file housing  244  that snaps over the cap  118 , a hexagon shaped shaft  246  with a rotating disk  248  and a peel-and-stick sand paper disk  250  mounted to a sand paper cap  252 . 
         [0034]    An access panel  260 ,  FIGS. 14-16 , with a sharp pick  262  is connected to the bottom of the comb portion  16  of the housing  12  by a fastener  264 . The pick  262  is provided to help cut hair, fur and other debris that may be wound around the spacers, the blades and the shaft after use so that the hair, fur and debris may be easily removed. The access panel  260  includes two pins  265 ,  267  for engaging two safety switches  266 ,  268  that prevent activation of the motor  50  when the panel  260  is removed as shown in  FIG. 16 . The safety switches are recessed so that a user&#39;s fingers are unable to come into contact. A slot  270  in the housing is provided to accommodate the pick  262 . 
         [0035]    It is noted that throughout this description, words such as “upper,” “lower,” “forward” and “rearward” as well as similar locational or positional terms, refer to portions or elements of the grooming apparatus as it is viewed in the drawings relative to other portions of the apparatus. 
         [0036]    It is now apparent that the grooming apparatus described in detail here has the advantage of easily eliminating knots in hair or fur and may even be used for people with long hair. 
         [0037]    The present invention also includes a method  300 ,  FIG. 17 , for making a grooming apparatus, the steps of the method including forming a housing, the housing including a handle portion and a comb portion, the comb portion having a plurality of tines, wherein each tine includes a slot  302 , mounting a rotatable shaft with spaced apart blades in the housing, each blade of the plurality of blades being aligned with and disposed through a tine slot  304 , connecting a protective guard to the housing for partially covering the plurality of blades  306 , mounting a motor to the housing for engaging the shaft  308 , and forming a battery compartment in the housing for storing batteries to energize the motor  310 . The method may also include the steps of mounting a plurality of spacers to the shaft, each spacer being disposed between adjacent spaced apart blades  312 , and mounting a switch to the housing, the switch being electrically connected to the motor and batteries in the battery compartment  314 . 
         [0038]    The grooming apparatus disclosed in detail above have the important advantages of reducing injury by not pulling on the skin when hair or fur is groomed, of being easy to operate, and yet the grooming apparatus is simply constructed, producible at a reasonable cost and structurally robust. From the foregoing, it can be seen that there has been provided features for an improved grooming apparatus and a disclosure of a method for making the apparatus. While a preferred and other embodiments of the present invention has been shown and described in detail, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made as shown without departing from the invention in its broader aspects. Therefore, the aim is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. The matters set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings are offered by way of illustrations only and not as limitations. The actual scope of the invention is to be defined by the subsequent claims when viewed in their proper perspective based on the prior art.