Abstract:
An improved flea comb apparatus can be used to remove fleas from animals such as cats, dogs, and the like and advantageously includes a retractable flea comb and lights that are automatically illuminated when the flea comb is in a deployed condition. The lights attract fleas and aid in their removal by providing an intensity of light at the undercoat region of an animal that has not previously been conveniently provided. The lights also assist the user in identifying fleas during combing of the animal.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The instant application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/664,429 filed Jun. 26, 2012, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field 
         [0003]    The disclosed and claimed concept relates generally to pet care products and, more particularly, to a lighted flea comb. 
         [0004]    2. Related Art 
         [0005]    Pet such as cats, dogs, and other domestic animals can suffer from numerous undesirable physical conditions, including diseases, parasites, and the like. One typical type of parasitic condition that occurs is an infestation of the animal&#39;s fur with fleas. As is generally understood in the relevant art, fleas are tiny insects which, during such an infestation, undesirably live in an animal&#39;s undercoat and bite the animal, causing discomfort. The animal can ingest the fleas while scratching and licking of such a bite, with the result that flea larvae can undesirably grow in the animal&#39;s digestive tract. 
         [0006]    To combat such flea infestations, pet owners have employed specially configured combs with closely spaced teeth or tines which, when used to comb the fur of an infested animal, can separate the fleas from the fur for disposal. While such previously-known flea combs have been generally effective for their intended purposes, they have not been without limitation. 
         [0007]    For instance, such combing can be tedious and can require significant effort depending upon the size of the animal being treated. Previously-known flea combs have not been ergonomically designed, whereby extended combing can cause fatigue in the user. Additionally, such combing can still leave fleas behind in the fur if the user is not diligent in combing every part of the animal, potentially more than once depending upon the thickness of the fur and the fashion in which the comb is applied. Most typically, the user of a conventional flea comb continues to comb the pet until no more fleas are removed, which can take quite some time. It thus would be desirable to provide an improved tool for the removal of fleas from an animal. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    An improved flea comb apparatus can be used to remove fleas from animals such as cats, dogs, and the like and advantageously includes a retractable flea comb and lights that are automatically illuminated when the flea comb is in a deployed condition. The lights attract fleas and aid in their removal by providing an intensity of light at the undercoat region of an animal that has not previously been conveniently provided. The lights also assist the user in identifying fleas during combing of the animal. 
         [0009]    Accordingly, an aspect of the disclosed and claimed concept is to provide an improved flea comb apparatus that enables improved removal of fleas from animals. 
         [0010]    Another aspect of the disclosed and claimed concept is to provide an improved flea comb apparatus that is ergonomically configured to avoid fatigue in the user. 
         [0011]    Another aspect of the disclosed and claimed concept is to provide an improved flea comb apparatus that improves visualization of fleas in an animal&#39;s fur by providing lighting that provides illumination generally at the location where the flea comb engages the fur. 
         [0012]    Another aspect of the disclosed and claimed concept is to provide an improved flea comb apparatus that employs illumination to attract fleas out of an animal&#39;s undercoat. 
         [0013]    Another aspect of the disclosed and claimed concept is to provide an improved flea comb apparatus having a retractable flea comb and having an illumination system that is energized when the flea comb is deployed but is deenergized when the flea comb is retracted. 
         [0014]    Accordingly, as aspect of the disclosed and claimed concept is to provide an improved flea comb apparatus, the general nature of which can be stated as including a support assembly and a comb assembly. The support assembly can be stated as including a housing and an illumination system, with the housing having an interior region, and with the illumination system being switchable between an energized condition and a deenergized condition. The comb assembly can be stated as including a flea comb, with the comb assembly being disposed on the support assembly and being movable between a first position and a second position. In the first position at least a portion of the flea comb is retracted into the interior region, and in the second position at least a portion of the flea comb protrudes from the housing. At least a portion of the illumination system is situated on at least one of the housing and the flea comb. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    A further understanding of the disclosed and claimed concept can be gained from the following Description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an improved flea comb apparatus in accordance with the disclosed and claimed concept having a comb assembly that is in a retracted position and having an illumination system that is deenergized; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is another perspective view of the flea comb apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is a view similar to  FIG. 1 , except depicting the comb apparatus in a deployed position and depicting the illumination system as being energized; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is a fractional view of the flea comb apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is another fractional view of the flea comb apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  is a sectional view as taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0022]      FIG. 7  is a sectional view as taken along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 3 . 
       
    
    
       [0023]    Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the specification. 
       DESCRIPTION 
       [0024]    An improved flea comb apparatus  4  in accordance with the disclosed and claimed concept is depicted in  FIGS. 1-3  and is depicted in part in  FIGS. 4-7 . The flea comb apparatus  4  can be said to include a support assembly  8  and a comb assembly  12 . The support assembly  8  can be said to include a housing  16  and an illumination system  20 , with the illumination system  20  being disposed upon the housing  16 . 
         [0025]    The housing  16  is shaped to have an arcuate exterior configuration which is similar to that of a computer mouse and which can easily be grasped in the palm and held in place by the fingers (including the thumb). The arcuate exterior surface of the depicted exemplary housing  16  includes curves of varying radius to give the housing  16  a complex visual appearance. 
         [0026]    The arcuate exterior of the housing  16  additionally improves the ergonomic properties of the comb apparatus  4  by making the housing  16  relatively easy to grasp by a user for extended periods of time. The curved shape of the exterior surface of the housing  16  fits comfortably into the palm and fingers of the user&#39;s hand, thus requiring minimal grasping force from the user to hold the flea comb apparatus  4  and thus reducing fatigue and pain the user during period of prolonged use. 
         [0027]    The housing  16  can be said to include a first portion  24  and a second portion  28  that are connectable together. The housing  16  further includes a battery cover  32  that includes a button  36  and that is removably disposed on the first portion  24 . As will set forth in further detail below, the battery cover  32  provides access to a battery  84  of the illumination system  20 . When the first and second portions  24  and  28  are connected together, the housing  16  can be said to include an interior region  40  ( FIGS. 4-7 ) that is disposed generally between the first and second portions  24  and  28 . 
         [0028]    The comb assembly  12  can be said to include a flea comb  44  that includes a base  48  ( FIGS. 3-4  and  6 - 7 ) and a plurality of teeth  52  that protrude from the base  48 . The teeth  52  are aligned with one another and are slightly spaced apart from one another in a known fashion that permits the combing of an animal&#39;s fur, and particularly the combing of the undercoat thereof, in a fashion that will isolate and enable the removal of fleas. The comb assembly  12  further includes a lug  56  ( FIGS. 2 ,  6 , and  7 ) that protrudes from the base  48  and a handle  60  ( FIG. 2 ) which is mountable to the lug  56  and that is situated generally at the exterior of the housing  16 . The comb assembly  12  additionally includes an actuation element  64  ( FIGS. 4 ,  6 , and  7 ). As will be set forth in greater detail below, the actuation element  64  is operatively engageable with a switch  92  of the illumination system  20 . The comb assembly  12  also includes a plurality of alignment elements  68  ( FIG. 4 ) that are situated on the base  48  and which are slidably disposed on a pair of parallel and spaced apart rails  72  that are co-formed with or otherwise disposed on the first portion  24 . 
         [0029]    The second portion  28  has an elongated slot  76  ( FIG. 2 ) that is formed in an elongated depression  82  which is formed on the second portion  28 . The slot  76  extends between the interior region  40  and the exterior of the housing  16 . The lug  56  extends through slot  76  in both the retracted and deployed positions of the comb assembly  12 , and the lug  56  is slidable along slot  76 . The handle  60  is advantageously recessed in the depression  82  in the retracted and deployed positions. That is, the handle  60  being recessed in the depression  82  in the deployed position enhances the ergonomics of the flea comb apparatus  4  by avoiding interference with the user&#39;s hand during use. The handle  60  being recessed in the depression  82  in the retracted position enhances the form factor and reliability of the flea comb apparatus  4  by avoiding having the handle  60  protrude from the housing  16  and thereby avoiding the handle  60  from unintentionally engaging other structures or becoming broken or lost during periods of nonuse. 
         [0030]    With the handle  60  mounted to the lug  56 , a portion of the second portion  28  is retained between the handle  60  and the base  48  to retain the flea comb  44  slidably disposed on the second portion  28 . Such retention also permits the flea comb  44  to be translated along a direction of movement  78  ( FIG. 3 ) between a retracted position, such as is depicted generally in  FIGS. 1-2 ,  4 , and  6 , and a deployed position such as is depicted generally in  FIGS. 3 and 7 . The direction of movement  78  is parallel with the longitudinal extent of the slot  76 . The second portion  28  further has a pair of retention elements  80  (FIGS.  2  and  6 - 7 ) formed thereon that are frictionally engageable with the handle  60  and that serve as retention elements to retain the flea comb  44  in the deployed position during use. 
         [0031]    The illumination system  20  can be said to include the aforementioned battery  84  which serves as a power source, a number of LEDs  88  which serve as light sources, and the aforementioned switch  92 . As employed herein, the expression “a number of” and variations thereof shall refer broadly to any nonzero quantity, including a quantity of one. In the depicted exemplary embodiment, the illumination system  20  includes a pair of the LEDs  88 , and it is understood that the LEDs  88  could be replaced with other sources of electromagnetic radiation such as incandescent or fluorescent light bulbs, ultraviolet emitters, fiber optic elements, and the like without limitation. The switch  92  is operable to switch the illumination system  20  between an OFF condition in which the LEDs  88  are deenergized and an ON condition in which the LEDs  88  are energized, i.e., illuminated. Advantageously, when the flea comb  44  is in its retraced position wherein the teeth  52  are retraced into the housing  16 , the actuation element  64  is disengaged from the switch  92 , which causes the illumination system  20  to be in its OFF condition. However, when the flea comb  44  is translated to its deployed position wherein the teeth  52  protrude from the housing  16 , the actuation element  64  that is disposed on the base  48  is engaged with the switch  92 , which causes the illumination system  20  to be switched to its ON condition and to energize the LEDs  88 . 
         [0032]    The LEDs  88  are oriented such that when they are energized and thus illuminated, they shine and provide illumination in a direction generally along the direction of movement  78  away from the housing  16 . As mentioned above, the direction of movement  78  corresponds with the direction in which the teeth  52  extend away from the base  48  when the flea comb  44  is in its deployed position. Such orientation of the LEDs  88  generally along the direction of movement  78  may include a slight angling of the beams toward one another so that the beams at least partially converge at a central region of the free end of the flea comb  44 . 
         [0033]    The flea comb  44  is moved from its deployed position toward its retraced position by translating the handle  60  across the retention elements  80  and sliding the lug  56  within the slot  76 . During such movement, the alignment elements  68  are caused to slide along the rails  72 , and a relatively greater portion of the flea comb  44  is received in the interior region  40 . This places the flea comb  44  in its retracted position. Along with such translation of the flea comb  44  to its retracted position, the actuation element  64  becomes disengaged from the switch  92  which causes the illumination system  20  to be returned to its OFF condition. 
         [0034]    In the depicted exemplary embodiment, the flea comb  44  in the retracted position is situated in its entirety within the interior region  44 . In the deployed position of the depicted exemplary embodiment, the teeth  52  are situated in their entirety at the exterior of the housing  16 , i.e., outside the interior region  44 , and a portion of the base  48  protrudes from the housing  16  and is situated at the exterior thereof. 
         [0035]    With continued usage, the battery  84  may eventually become exhausted, and the button  36  on the battery cover  32  can be translated to remove a tab  96  ( FIGS. 6-7 ) from engagement with the first portion  24 , which permits the battery cover  32  to be removed from first portion  24 . The battery  84  can then be replaced, as needed, and the battery cover  32  replaced, which permits the illumination system  20  to be again operated in the fashion set forth above. 
         [0036]    The arrangement of the illumination system  20  with its LEDs  88  advantageously allows the user to use the LEDs  88  to identify fleas and remove them from the animal during grooming The LEDs  88  direct at the undercoat of the animal light that has not previously been conveniently provided and which facilitates identification and removal of fleas. Moreover, the intensity of the LEDs  88  can attract fleas by providing at the undercoat of the animal a level of illumination that typically does not exist at the undercoat. That is, the brilliance of the LEDs  88  can attract fleas thereto, which helps in the removal of the fleas from the animal. Additionally, the switch  92  of the illumination system  20  advantageously coordinates illumination of the LEDs  88  with the deployed position of the flea comb apparatus  4  whereas the LEDs  88  in the retracted position are deenergized. This saves effort on the part of the user and simplifies use of the flea comb apparatus  4 . Furthermore, the flea comb apparatus  4  provides light adjacent the flea comb  44 , which enables illumination of the undercoat and the removal of fleas from the undercoat to be performed with only a single hand of the user, thus freeing the other hand to hold the animal Other advantages will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art. 
         [0037]    While specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, the particular arrangements disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of invention which is to be given the full breadth of the claims appended and any and all equivalents thereof.