Abstract:
A veterinary bathing station for washing animals is shown which includes a stall having a bottom wall and enclosing sidewalls. One of the sidewalls has a door opening for ingress and egress of an animal to be bathed or groomed. A ramp is connected to the stall bottom wall by a rotatable coupling and can be rotated between a retracted and extended positions which allow the ramp to easily rotate in and out of the open space created under the bottom wall of the washing stall to thereby allow the animal ingress and egress through the wall opening.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention relates generally to a veterinary bathing station and, particularly, to such a station having an improved means for the ingress and egress of an animal to be bathed or groomed. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In veterinary medicine, the traditional areas of practice are divided into large animal practice dealing with, e.g., cows and horses, and small animal practice dealing with, e.g., dogs and cats. In the discussion which follows, the expression “small animal” will be understood to mean, for example, a dog which is to be bathed or groomed, even if the dog in question weighs upward of 50 pounds and is of considerable size. Often, in while in the care of a veterinarian, such small animals must be washed, brushed, clipped and otherwise groomed for health and hygiene reasons. Veterinarian and professional groomers generally have specialized bathing stations for use in washing and grooming small animals. The bathing stations are often raised above the surrounding support surface, i.e., the floor of the building, to approximately waist height to make it easier to wash and groom the animal. Typically, the bathing stations have high sides to prevent splashing and to keep the animal from escaping. When washing a large dog, it is difficult to lift the dog into the washing station. Back strains or other injuries can occur if the animal is heavier than expected or if the animal begins to squirm or to resist being lifted. 
     Thus, there is a need for an improved veterinary bathing station that is more convenient and comfortable to use with small animals such as larger dogs. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a veterinary bathing station that is more convenient and comfortable to use and yet which is relatively economical to manufacture. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a veterinary bathing station which provided improved ingress and egress for a small animal such as a larger dog. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a veterinary bathing station that will reduce the risk of injury to the user. 
     The above objects are achieved by providing a veterinary bathing station including a washing stall having a bottom wall and surrounding side walls, at least one of the surrounding side walls having an opening of sufficient size to allow an animal to pass through. A plurality of leg elements are provided for elevating the bottom wall of the washing stall above a surrounding support surface a selected distance, wherein an open space is created between the bottom wall and the surrounding support surface. The stall also includes a ramp having an inclined ramp surface defined between a top end and a bottom end of the ramp for allowing ingress and egress of an animal from the surrounding support surface through the wall opening without the necessity of lifting the animal. A rotatable coupling attaches the top end of the ramp to the bottom wall of the washing stall, whereby the ramp is rotatable about a vertical axis between a retracted position and an extended position into and out of the open space created under the bottom wall of the stall. The extended position serves to align the ramp with the wall opening to thereby allow the animal ingress and egress through the wall opening. 
     Additional objects, features and advantages will be apparent in the written description which follows. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself however, as well as a preferred mode of use, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the veterinary bathing station of the present invention showing an animal to be groomed in phantom lines within the stall enclosure of the station. 
     FIG. 2 is a simplified top view of the veterinary bathing station of FIG. 1 showing the extended and retracted positions of the rotatable ramp. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference to FIG. 1, a veterinary bathing station  102  for washing a small animal such as a large dog is shown. The bathing station  102  comprises a washing stall  104  having an initially open interior  116  defined by a side walls  106 ,  108  and  110  and front washing wall  112 . A bottom wall  202  having a top planar surface  208  and a bottom planar surface  210  complete the enclosure. The entire bathing station  102  can be made of any conveniently available water resistant material that is structurally sound but is preferably made of stainless steel. A particularly preferred material is 16 gauge type  304  stainless steel. While the bathing station  102  has been shown as a generally rectangular enclosure, it will be understood that other wall configurations might be utilized as well, such as, for example, an oval configuration. 
     In the case of the bathing station illustrated in FIG. 1, the stall bottom wall or floor  202  measures approximately 4-6 feet in length by 1-3 feet in width such that there is sufficient room to turn a large dog around to reach the dog&#39;s hind quarter. Walls  108  and  110  are approximately 1-3 feet in width and match the width of the bottom wall  202 . The side wall  106  and washing wall  112  are approximately 4-6 feet in length and also match the dimensions of the stall floor  202 . The washing wall  112  is approximately 3-5 feet in height in order to contain splashes and splatters and to help prevent against water damage to the surrounding areas but is low enough to allow the user to easily reach the stall interior in order to place an animal within the enclosure. The overall dimensions of the bathing station  102  may be roughly 60″W×66″H×29″D. 
     The edges and corners of the washing stall  104  and in particular the exposed portions of the washing wall  112  are rounded and may be covered with a cushioning type of material such as a rubber sleeve or coating to help prevent an animal or user from coming into contact with the corner regions. The walls and floor of the washing stall may be welded, forged, or otherwise formed into the enclosed shape illustrated in FIG.  1 . 
     The front portion of the stall interior contains a bathing faucet  140  of conventional design. The bathing faucet  140  preferably has a swing nozzle or utility spray that allows the user to reach the full span of the stall. The utility spray may have a flexible stainless steel hose, typically about 72 inches in length. The front portion may also include a wall hook for hanging the hose when not in use. 
     The stall floor  202  has a drain port  204  (FIG.  2 ). The drain port  204  in the illustrated embodiment is located in the front interior region of the stall floor and is centered along a central axis  206  of the floor  202 . The floor  202  preferably slopes to the drain port  204 , the slope being in the range from about 0° to about 5° such that water or other material will flow towards the drain but not such a slope that a wet animal would have difficulty standing on the slick, wet surface and be unable to gain a secure footing. A “star” break centered around the drain port  204  may help prevent water from collecting in the corners of the stall  104 . 
     As seen in FIG. 1, the stall is supported by leg elements support members  136 . The leg elements  136  are preferably provided with adjustable feet  138  to compensate for uneven flooring or to adjust the height of the stall  202  to approximately 2-4 feet from the ground. The support members  136  themselves may also be adjustable. In addition, the feet  138  may include mounting plates to secure the bathing station  102  to the surrounding support surface of flooring. 
     The washing wall  112  has an opening  114  of sufficient size to allow an animal ingress and egress to the stall interior. The opening  114  illustrated in FIG. 1 is approximately 2 feet wide and extends from the top edge  142  of the washing wall  110  to about 0.5-3 inches from the bottom  144  of the washing wall  110 . Thus, the opening does not extend down the entire height of the washing wall  112  to the floor  202 , but rather produces a lip  146 . The lip  146  helps prevent water from being splashed outside the stall  104  when the animal exits and generally obviates the need to seal the bottom of the opening  114 . The opening  114  may have a hinged or sliding door  118  that can be secured by latch  120 , a hook, or some other means such as a magnet that can secure the door  118  in an open or closed position. The door  118  may be designed such that a lip seal is formed when the door  118  is shut or it may have a rubber lining that allows for the door  118  to be reasonably sealed with the washing wall  112  when in the closed position. The door  118  illustrated in FIG. 1 is mounted on hinges  122  which allow the door to swing open towards the interior of the stall. When closed, the door should be flush with the wall so a relatively smooth side is produced on both the inner portion  116  and outer portion of the washing basin  104 . 
     A rotatable coupling or swivel  130  is located on the bottom planar surface of the floor  210  of the stall. The coupling is located on the centerline  206  shown in FIG.  2 . The rotatable coupling  130  is capable of rotating at least 90° about a vertical axis  131  located on the centerline  206 . The rotatable coupling supports a ramp  128 . The ramp  128  is generally between about ½ and 2 feet wide and has an inclined ramp surface defined between a top end (adjacent the rotatable coupling  130 ) and a bottom end  131 . The ramp surface allows ingress and egress of an animal from the surrounding support surface through the wall opening without the necessity of lifting the animal. The rotatable coupling thus attaches the top end of the ramp to the bottom wall  202  of the washing stall, whereby the ramp is rotatable about the vertical axis  131  into and out of the open space created under the bottom wall of the stall between a retracted position and an extended position. The extended position illustrated in solid lines in FIGS. 1 and 2 serves to align the ramp with the wall opening to thereby allow the animal ingress and egress through the wall opening. 
     Preferably, the ramp bottom end  131  is solely supported by ball bearing swivel casters  134  which allow the bottom end  131  of the ramp  128  to slide, glide, or roll across the floor. The slope of the ramp  128  is steep enough so that it can slide under the washing basin  104  when not in use and still provide a means for easy access to the opening  114  but does not an unreasonable large pitch making walking up the ramp difficult. The ball bearings casters  134  allow the ramp  128  to move with very little applied force. The ramp may also be provided with a lock or soft stop which holds the ramp  128  in the extended position so there is very little movement when the animal is using the ramp  128 . The ramp  128  may be covered with a rubber matt or some other non-slip type surface. 
     An invention has been provided with several advantages. The bathing station of the invention provides a water tight enclosure with ease of access for a small animal, including large dogs which would otherwise be difficult to lift and maneuver. The animal can be easily led up the ramp  128 , through the opening  114  and into the stall  104 . Once the animal is in the stall  104 , the door  118  may be closed and latched so a reasonably water tight seal is created around the stall enclosure. The ramp  128  is moved by the user to a position underneath the stall  104 . Because the ramp  128  is connected to the stall by a rotatable connection, the user can simply pushing the ramp in the direction underneath the washing basin  104  by using the foot or leg. Once the animal is bathed, the ramp is moved from underneath the washing basin  104  to a position that will allow the animal to walk down the ramp. The ramp can then again be moved to the retracted position underneath the bottom wall of the stall. Because the animal does not have to be lifted over the side walls to an elevated position, the user is spared the likelihood of potential injuries. 
     It should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein may be employed in practicing the invention. It is intended that the following claims define the scope of the invention and that structures and methods within the scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered thereby.