Abstract:
A pet grooming tool is provided with a fur ejector portion that is at least partially movable relative to the teeth of the pet grooming tool and can be manually moved into engagement with fur that is wedged or lodged between the teeth. The engagement of the fur ejector portion with the fur forces the fur from the gaps between the teeth. Preferably, the fur ejector portion can be manually moved by the same hand a person uses to support and hold the grooming tool.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     None. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable. 
     APPENDIX 
     Not Applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to pet grooming tools and, more particularly, to toothed pet grooming tools of the type used to remove loose fur (i.e., fur that is not attached to the skin) from the coat of a pet. 
     2. Related Art 
     Various types of pet grooming tools have been developed for the specific purpose of removing loose fur from the coats of pets. One of the most successful types of such grooming tools is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,222,588, 7,077,076, and 6,782,846 and comprises a plurality of teeth arranged in a row. While such tools are effective in removing loose fur from pets, fur may become wedged or lodged between the gaps formed between the teeth of such tools and removing the such fur from the pet grooming tool can, in some cases, be somewhat time consuming. Typically, when fur becomes wedged in such a tool, the person using the tool simply closes his or her hand over the teeth and then pulls the fur out of the gaps. While this is a relatively simple action, it can be cumbersome when a person is using one hand to hold his or pet in place and therefore doesn&#39;t have a free hand. Additionally, some people find touching loose fur unpleasant. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The methods and pet grooming tools of the present invention improve the usability of pet grooming tools by providing a pet grooming tool with a fur ejector portion that is at least partially movable relative to the teeth of a pet grooming tool and can be manually moved into engagement with fur that is wedged between the teeth. The engagement of the fur ejector portion with the wedged fur forces the fur from the gaps between the teeth. Preferably the fur ejector portion can be manually moved by the same hand a person uses to support and hold the grooming tool. 
     In one aspect of the invention, a pet grooming tool comprises a toothed portion and a fur ejector portion. The toothed portion comprises a plurality of teeth arranged in a row and a plurality of edge segments. Gaps lie between each adjacent pair of the teeth. The edge segments of the toothed portion are adapted to engage loose fur in a pet&#39;s coat as such loose fur extends through the gaps in a manner removing the loose fur from the pet&#39;s coat. The fur ejector portion comprises an edge that is movable between a first position and a second position relative to the toothed portion. The edge of the fur ejector portion is biased from the second position toward the first position such that an external force is required to move the edge of the fur ejector portion from the first position to the second position. The fur ejector portion is configured and adapted to permit fur to pass through the gaps of the toothed portion when the edge of the fur ejector portion is in the first position. The edge of the fur ejector portion is adapted to slidably contact the teeth of the toothed portion and to contact fur passing through the gaps of the toothed portion in a manner forcing fur from the gaps of the toothed portion as the fur ejector portion moves away from the first position toward the second position. 
     In another aspect of the invention, a method of removing loose fur from a pet comprises a step of providing a pet grooming tool. The pet grooming tool comprises a toothed portion, a handle portion, and a fur ejector portion. The toothed portion comprises a plurality of teeth arranged in at least one row and a plurality of edge segments. A gap exists between each adjacent pair of the teeth. The fur ejector portion comprises an edge which is movable between a first position and a second position relative to the toothed portion. The method further comprises a step of moving the teeth of the toothed portion relative to a pet&#39;s coat by applying an external force to the handle portion while the fur ejector portion is in the first position. The movement causes a portion of loose fur of the pet&#39;s coat to pass into the gaps between the teeth of the toothed portion and causes the edge segments of the toothed portion to contact the portion of loose fur in a manner removing the portion of loose fur from the pet&#39;s coat. Still further, the method comprises a step off applying an external force to the pet grooming tool in a manner moving the edge of the fur ejector portion away from the first position toward the second position. The movement of the edge of the fur ejector portion away from the first position toward the second position causes the edge of the fur ejector portion to contact fur passing through the gaps of the toothed portion in a manner forcing such fur from the gaps of the toothed portion. 
     In yet another aspect of the invention, a method of modifying a pet grooming tool comprises a step of providing a pet grooming tool. The pet grooming tool comprises a handle portion, a toothed portion, and a first screw. The toothed portion comprises a plurality of teeth. A gap exists between each adjacent pair of the teeth. The handle portion is in contact with the toothed portion and is removably attached thereto via at least the first screw. The method further comprises a step of attaching a fur ejector portion to the pet grooming tool by removing the first screw from the pet grooming tool, sandwiching the fur ejector portion between the handle portion and the toothed portion, and securing the fur ejector portion to the handle portion and to the toothed portion via at least a second screw. The fur ejector portion comprises an edge which is movable between a first position and a second position relative to the toothed portion when attached thereto. The fur ejector portion is configured and adapted to permit fur to pass through the gaps of the toothed portion when the edge of the fur ejector portion is in the first position. The edge of the fur ejector portion is adapted to engage fur passing through the gaps of the toothed portion in a manner forcing fur from the gaps of the toothed portion as the fur ejector portion moves toward the second position. 
     Further features and advantages of the present invention, as well as the operation of various embodiments of the present invention, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective exploded assembly view of a pet grooming tool in accordance with the invention. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates another perspective exploded assembly view of the tool shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a right side elevation view of tool shown  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a front elevation view of the toothed portion of the tool shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the toothed portion of the tool shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , taken about the line  5 - 5  shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the tool shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , taken about the line  6 - 6  shown in  FIG. 3 , and is shown with the edge of the fur ejector portion in the first position. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a cross-sectional view similar to  FIG. 6 , but is shown with the edge of the fur ejector portion in the second position. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a perspective exploded assembly view of the pet grooming tool shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , with the fur ejecting portion removed therefrom. 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a perspective exploded assembly view of an alternative embodiment of a fur ejector portion of a pet grooming tool in accordance with the invention. 
         FIG. 10  illustrates another perspective exploded assembly view of the fur ejector portion shown in  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 11  illustrates a perspective assembly view of the fur ejector portion shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , with the edge of the fur ejector portion in the first position. 
         FIG. 12  illustrates a perspective assembly view of the fur ejector portion shown in  FIGS. 9-11 , with the edge of the fur ejector portion in the second position. 
     
    
    
     Reference numerals in the written specification and in the drawing figures indicate corresponding items or steps. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     An embodiment of a pet grooming tool in accordance with the invention is shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . The pet grooming tool  20  comprises a handle portion  22 , a toothed portion  24 , and a fur ejector portion  26 . Preferably, but not necessarily, the handle portion  22 , toothed portion  24 , and fur ejector portion  26  are formed as individual parts that are separable from each other. 
     The handle portion  22  is configured to be held in one hand and is preferably elongate about a longitudinal axis. Preferably, the handle portion  22  is formed primarily of a relatively rigid plastic and has a softer rubbery grip portion. The handle portion  22  also preferably comprises a bearing surface  28  at one of its longitudinal ends. Two threaded holes  30  extend into the handle portion  22  from the bearing surface  28 . Preferably the threaded holes  30  are formed by threaded metal inserts. 
     The toothed portion  24  of the pet grooming tool  20  is preferably formed of metal and comprises a plurality of teeth  32 . The teeth  32  preferably form a straight row. Preferably, the toothed portion  24  comprises a main body  34  having opposite forward facing  36  a rearward facing  38  surfaces. The forward facing  36  and rearward facing  38  surfaces are preferably parallel planar surfaces. The teeth  32  preferably extend from a front surface  40  to a back surface  42 . The front surface  40  preferably tapers toward the back surface  42  as said surfaces extend toward the tips  44  of the teeth  32 . Preferably the sides  46  of the teeth  32  intersect the back surface  42  in a manner forming a plurality of edge segments  48 . The edge segments  48  formed by the sides  46  of the teeth  32  have an angle of approximately ninety degrees. Forward facing surface segments  50  extend between the teeth  32  and intersect the back surface  42  in manner forming additional edge segments  48 . The edge segments  48  formed by the forward facing surface segments  50  are preferably significantly acute (≈40 degrees or less). The toothed portion  24  also preferably comprises a pair of through holes  52  that extend through its main body  34 . 
     The fur ejector portion  26  preferably comprises a fixed portion  54 , a movable portion  56 , and a biasing portion  58  that are preferably formed together as a monolithic piece of homogeneous plastic. The fixed portion  54  of the fur ejector portion  26  preferably comprises a pair of through holes  60  that extend through the thickness of the fur ejector portion. The fixed portion  54  also comprises a plurality of guide surfaces  62 . The movable portion  56  has a thickness that is slightly less than that of the fixed portion  54  and comprises a front edge  64  that is preferably linear and oriented perpendicular to the guide surfaces  62  of the fixed portion  54 . The movable portion  56  also preferably comprises a plurality of guide surfaces  65 . The biasing portion  58  preferably comprises a pair of resilient bridges  66  that connect the movable portion  56  to the fixed portion  54 . The resilient bridges  66  are relatively slim and nonlinear such that they can flex relatively easily without fracturing or fatiguing. Preferably, part of the movable portion  56  of the fur ejector portion  22  forms an actuation button  68 . The fur ejector portion  26  of the pet grooming tool  20  also preferably comprises a fur guard  70 , which is preferably a piece of plastic sheet having two through holes  72 . 
     The pet grooming tool  20  described above also preferably comprises a trim cap  74  and two screws  76 . The trim cap  72  is preferably a piece of plastic having a recess  78  that is dimensioned to receive the main body  34  of the toothed portion  24  of the pet grooming tool  20 . The trim cap  72  also has two countersunk through holes  80 . 
     The pet grooming tool  20  is assembled by placing the fur guard  70  against the bearing surface  28  of the handle portion  22 , with the through holes  72  of the fur guard  70  aligned with the threaded holes  30  of the handle portion. The fixed portion  54  of the fur ejector portion  26  is then placed against the fur guard  70  with its through holes  60  also aligned with the threaded holes  30  of the handle portion  22 . Similarly, the toothed portion  24  of the pet grooming tool  20  is placed against the fur ejector portion  26  with its through holes  52  aligned with the threaded holes  30  of the handle portion  22 . Additionally, the trim cap  74  is placed against the toothed portion  24  with the main body  34  of the tooth portion positioned in the recess  78  of the trim cap and the countersunk through holes  80  of the trim cap aligned with the threaded holes  30  of the handle portion  22 . The screws  76  are then aligned with the threaded holes  30  of the handle portion  22  and are threaded thereinto, thereby clamping the components of the pet grooming tool  20  to one another. As assembled, the trim cap  74  conceals the main body  34  of the toothed portion  24 , thereby improving the aesthetics of the pet grooming tool  20 . Additionally, the fur guard  70  prevents fur from becoming lodged between the movable portion  56  and the fixed portion  54  of the fur ejector portion  26 , where it could otherwise interfere with the proper operation of the fur ejector portion and make the pet grooming tool  20  difficult to clean. 
     In use, the teeth  32  of the toothed portion  24  of the pet grooming tool  20  are preferably pulled through the coat of a furry pet by grasping the handle portion  22  and applying a force thereto. As the teeth  32  of the toothed portion  24  is pulled through the pet&#39;s coat, the front surface  40  of the toothed portion trails the back surface  42 . During this process, the edge segments  48  of the toothed portion  24  of the pet grooming tool  20  grab loose fur within the pet&#39;s coat and force said loose fur from the coat. This effectively removes loose fur from the pet&#39;s coat. However, some of loose fur may become lodged in the gaps between the teeth  32  of the toothed portion  24 . To remove the lodged fur, the person using the pet grooming tool  20  presses his or her thumb against the actuation button  68  of the fur ejector portion  26 , which is otherwise biased by the biasing portion  58  in the first position shown in  FIG. 6 . The resulting force on the fur ejector portion  26  causes the resilient bridges  66  of the biasing portion  58  of the fur ejector portion to bend and expand such that the movable portion  56  moves toward the tips  44  of the teeth  32  of the toothed portion  24  as shown in  FIG. 7  (the second position). During such movement, the edge  64  of the movable portion  56  of the fur ejector portion  26  slidably moves against the back surface  42  of the toothed portion  24  of the pet grooming tool  20  and against the edge segments  48 . As such any fur that is lodged in the gaps between the teeth  32  of the toothed portion  24  of the pet grooming tool  20  is forced toward the tips  44  of the teeth and is thereby ejected from the pet grooming tool. Once released, the resiliency of the biasing portion  58  causes the resilient bridges  66  to return to their undeflected configuration, which causes the movable portion  56  of the fur ejector portion  26  to return to its first position relative to the toothed portion  24  of the pet grooming tool  20 . 
     It should be appreciated that, because the fixed portion  54  of the fur ejector portion  26  is thicker than the movable portion  56  of the fur ejector portion, the movable portion is not clamped by the screws  76 . It should also be appreciated that the guide surfaces  62  of the fixed portion  54  of the fur ejector portion  26  slidably engage against the guide surfaces  65  of the movable portion  56  of the fur ejector portion, thereby controlling the direction in which the movable portion moves relative to the toothed potion  24  of the pet grooming tool  20  when the actuation button  68  is pressed. 
     The fur ejector portion  26  of the pet grooming tool  20  described above is configured and adapted to be removed from the pet grooming tool. This is done by removing the screws  76  from the pet grooming tool  20  and then removing the fur ejector portion  26 , including the fur guard  70 . The rearward facing surface  38  of the toothed portion  24  of the pet grooming tool  20  can then be placed directly against the bearing surface  28  of the handle portion  22 . A second set of screws  82 , which are slightly shorter than the screws described above, can then be used to secure the remaining components together, as shown in  FIG. 9 . Similarly, this process can be reversed to add the fur ejector portion  26  to a similar pet grooming tool that initially lacks a fur ejector portion. 
     An alternative embodiment of a fur ejector portion is shown in  FIGS. 9-12 . This alternative fur ejector portion  100  is interchangeable with the fur ejector portion  26  described above and preferably comprises separate movable  102  and fixed  104  portions and a biasing portion that is in the form of a standard compression coil-spring  106 . The fixed  102  and movable  104  portions are configured to interlocked with each other when they are sandwiched between the handle portion and the toothed portion of a pet grooming tool, albeit the movable portion can reciprocate between first and second positions ( FIGS. 11 and 12  respectively) relative to the toothed portion. The coil-spring  88  biases the movable portion  82  toward the first position, and the fur ejector portion  80  otherwise operates similarly to the fur ejector portion  26  described in the preceding paragraphs. 
     In view of the foregoing, it will be seen that the several advantages of the invention are achieved and attained. 
     While the present invention has been described in reference to a specific embodiment, in light of the foregoing, it should be understood that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings is intended to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense and that various modifications and variations of the invention may be constructed without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the following claims. Thus, other possible variations and modifications should be appreciated. 
     Furthermore, it should be understood that when introducing elements of the present invention in the claims or in the above description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, the terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be open-ended and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Additionally, the term “portion” should be construed as meaning some or all of the item or element that it qualifies. Moreover, use of identifiers such as first, second, and third should not be construed in a manner imposing any relative position or time sequence between limitations. Still further, the order in which the steps of any method claim that follows are presented should not be construed in a manner limiting the order in which such steps must be performed.