Abstract:
A pet washing and drying apparatus which can wash and dry a pet simply in a short period of time, and with a simplified structure to reduce costs.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY  
       [0001]     This application claims foreign priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-100821 filed on Mar. 30, 2004.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The field of this invention relates to a pet animal washing and drying apparatus. In particular, the invention is concerned with an enclosed apparatus to automatically wash and dry a pet, such as a dog or cat.  
         [0004]     2. Background  
         [0005]     In order to maintain the health of a pet, such as a dog or cat, a certain level of exercise is fundamentally required, and daily walks should be performed and are indispensable. These walks, however, are often postponed because the dog would get dirty if it was let outside, especially on rainy days. One of the main reasons for this is that washing of the dog is time-consuming as it can take as much as two hours to wash and then dry the dog using a hair dryer and a brush, not to mention the difficulties required in restraining the dog. Pet owners may not want to waste this amount of time, and, therefore, they avoid taking the dog out for a walk. However, if the dog is not exercised sufficiently, stress might accumulate, causing the pet to be irritable or ill.  
         [0006]     Many different forms and shapes of pet washing devices are known. Generally, a pet washing device is constructed in such a way as to be a fixed length for the width of the washing and drying area that holds the blower and nozzle attachment. Due to the variety among the anatomy of pets, however, it is difficult to completely wash and dry the pet, especially on the side of the neck or on the stomach of the animal. Normally, as the drying process ends after a given period, it is common to see dogs emerging after the period with fur that is still wet. A truly effective and encompassing pet washing device has not been developed.  
         [0007]     Thus, a need exists for a pet washing device to perform a thorough and complete washing and drying in a short period of time.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     This invention satisfies the need for a pet washing and drying apparatus which can wash and dry pets simply in a short period of time, and which can reduce costs through a simplification of the device.  
         [0009]     In order to satisfy this need, the first structure of the present invention is provided with a floor plate which has a hot air discharge part and a shower discharge part in the washing and drying area within a sealed-type body; a horizontal blower and nozzle attachment shelf which has a similar hot air discharge part and shower discharge part; and a roof part with a shower discharge part, a shampoo and conditioner discharge part, and an intake port; wherein it is possible to move said blower and nozzle attachment shelf as desired in the vertical direction.  
         [0010]     In this first structure, when washing the pet, it is possible to discharge the warm water from the floor plate side towards the top, or from the left or right side in an approximately horizontal direction, or even from the top part towards the bottom, making it possible to wash the entire body of the pet.  
         [0011]     At this time, the shower from the right and left sides can be moved vertically within a given vertical range to match the size of the pet. Through this vertical movement of the shower from the left and right sides, it is possible to effectively wash the pet by ensuring that a shower of the appropriate strength is applied to the entire surface of the pet. Also, it is possible to discharge air at the same time as performing the shower, allowing for improved washing efficacy, especially for long-haired dogs. Next, using shampoo, dirt and fleas are washed off the animal, and then, using conditioner, hair damage is prevented.  
         [0012]     Once the washing operation is complete, a drying operation will be performed by discharging warm air with the blower from either the left or right side, or from the top or bottom side. The horizontal blower from either the left or right side can be moved vertically as warm air is blown onto the sides of the pet ensuring a complete drying operation. As the humidity is discharged from the discharge port on the top part, the drying operation will be fast within the cleaning and washing area. In this way, it is possible to perform pet washing and drying with high efficacy and in a short period of time.  
         [0013]     The second structure of the present invention is one wherein the horizontal movement frame, which holds the blower and nozzle attachment shelf, can be moved closer to or farther away from the shelf.  
         [0014]     Through this second structure, it is possible to perform discharge of the washing water and of the warm air from a distance which is as close to the pet as possible through adjustment of the spacing of the blower and nozzle attachment shelf to match the size of the pet.  
         [0015]     The third structure of the present invention is one wherein the opening part on the inner side of said movement frame is covered by a curtain which can be raised along with said blower and nozzle attachment shelf.  
         [0016]     Through this third structure, it is possible to protect the pet from the danger of entering and being trapped inside the opening part of the movement frame.  
         [0017]     According to the present invention, it is possible to construct a space which matches the size of the animal, in particular, a dog, and by moving the discharge ports of the shower and the warm air on the side surfaces vertically, it is possible to apply a shower and warm water flow of the appropriate strength to the dog, making it possible to wash and dry the animal in a short period of time. Also, by moving the discharge ports for the shower and the warm air closer in accordance to the size of the dog, it is possible to wash and dry the animal in close proximity, and in particular, by using a strong warm air flow to blow off any water, it is possible to increase the speed of the drying operation. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]      FIG. 1 ( a ) is a front view which omits the door of the pet washing and drying apparatus according to the present embodiment.  
         [0019]      FIG. 1 ( b ) is a partial front view showing the door of the embodiment of the invention.  
         [0020]      FIG. 2  is a cross sectional diagram with a side view of the embodiment of the invention.  
         [0021]      FIG. 3  is a top plain view of the embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0022]     In the following description of the preferred embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawing figures, which form the part thereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration of specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and functional changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.  
         [0023]     On the inside of the sealed-type body  1 , which is formed of a rust-resistant material such as stainless steel or plastic, there is a floor plate  2  made of a grating that forms the washing and drying area  3 . On the front surface of this body  1 , there is a door  4  with reinforced transparent glass, which can be opened, closed, and locked. There are also sensors (not shown in the figure) to detect when the door  4  is opened or closed. On the right and left side of the washing and drying area  3  inside the body  1 , there are movement frames  5  and  6 . On each of these movement frames  5  and  6 , there are perpendicular guide rails  7 , and a blower and nozzle attachment shelf  8 , which can be freely raised through these perpendicular guide rails  7 .  
         [0024]     On the blower and nozzle attachment shelf  8  attached to the movement frames  5  and  6 , nozzles  20  are secured for emitting liquid and discharging the shower and blowers  21  are secured for drying and discharging the warm air. Said movement frames  5  and  6  are capable of movement in a horizontal direction relative to the floor plate  2  in order to move closer to and farther away from the animal.  
         [0025]     The blower and nozzle attachment shelf  8  is attached in one location to the timing belt  12  which bridges the space between the drive pinion  10  of the raising hoisting motor  9  which is set on the top part of the movement frames  5  and  6  and the passive pinion  11  which is set on the bottom part of the movement frames  5  and  6 , and can be raised.  
         [0026]     On the top part of the body  1 , there is a handle  13 , and by rotating this handle  13 , it is possible to rotate the handle axis  14 , whose rotation is then transmitted via the directional conversion gear  15  to the screw rods  16  and  17 , making it possible to adjust the width of the washing and drying area  3  by moving each of the movement frames  5  and  6  either outwards or inwards using the nuts  18  and  19  which are attached to the top part of the movement frames  5  and  6 .  
         [0027]     The amount of movement of the movement frames  5  and  6  due to the rotation of the handle  14  can also be displayed around the handle  13  of the body  1 . Further, this handle mechanism can also be constructed to be driven using a motor, rather than by hand.  
         [0028]     The opening surface of the side of the washing and drying area  3  of the movement frames  5  and  6  are covered by a curtain  47  which is wrapped around the curtain roll reels  45  and  46  on the top and bottom, making it possible to move the edge of the curtain  47  up or down along with the movement of the blower and nozzle attachment shelf  8 .  
         [0029]     On the roof part of the washing and drying area  3 , there is a shower nozzle  22  and an intake port  23 . The intake port  23  is connected to the intake fan  24 , which discharges the humidity within the washing and drying area  3 .  
         [0030]     Also, on the lower part of the floor plate  2 , there is a duct  25  in order to discharge the warm air from the entire surface of the floor plate  2 , a blower  26 , and a shower discharge port (not shown in the figure). Further, on the lower part of the floor plate  2 , there is a discharge water pan  27 , a filter  28 , and a discharge water drain pipe  29 . The filter  28  is used to filter the hair of the animal, and is set such that it can be removed from the outside and cleaned.  
         [0031]     On the back part of the body  1 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , there is a warm water mixing apparatus  30  which mixes the water from the water tank with the water from the tap. Each are connected via the pipes  31 ,  32 , and  33  to the nozzles  20  of the movement frames  5  and  6  as well as to the shower nozzle  22  on the ceiling and the shower discharge port on the floor plate (not shown in the figure). Control of the tap water amount and of the water tank amount as well as opening and closing of the valves are performed through remote control (automatic control) using the flow adjustment valves  34 ,  35 ,  36  and  37 . On the shower nozzle  22  on the top part, it is possible to discharge the shampoo from the shampoo tank  38  and conditioner from the conditioner tank  39  at the desired timing from the respective pumps.  
         [0032]     On the upper surface of the body  1 , there is an operation part  40 , consisting of a start/stop button  41 , a warm air discharge time adjustment knob  42 , a shower temperature adjustment know  43 , and a shower time adjustment knob  44 .  
         [0033]     A typical embodiment of the present apparatus is on the scale of height 1240 mm, width 860 mm, and depth 1150 mm, and the breadth of the washing and drying area  3  are on the scale of height 760 mm, width 440 mm, and depth 760 mm. The width of the washing and drying area  3  can be adjusted using the handle  13  from 300 mm to 440 mm, making it possible to adjust it according to the size of the pet.  
         [0034]     Operation of the pet washing and drying apparatus is described below: 
        1. Plug in the power switch (not shown in the figure).     2. Perform adjustment of the water tank water flow amount.     3. Perform adjustment of the warm water flow amount.     4. Using the handle  13 , adjust the protrusion distance in the horizontal direction of the movement frames  5  and  6 ; in other words, adjust the width of the washing and drying area  3  according to the size of the pet.     5. Using the vertical movement width control sequencer, set the vertical movement range of the blower  21 .     6. Using the shower time set knob  44 , set the duration for the shower. For instance, set the appropriate shower duration between 5 and 15 minutes.     7. Using the shower temperature set knob  43 , adjust the shower temperature.     8. Using the warm air discharge time set knob  42 , adjust the warm air temperature.     9. The liquid levels of the shampoo tank  38  and of the conditioner tank  39  are observed, and if the level falls below a certain level, a refill warning will be shown. The above settings are recorded for each pet, so when using the apparatus for the same pet, or for the same type of pet, it is possible to perform setup easily by calling up the recorded details.     10. The door  4  is opened, the pet is placed inside, the door  4  is closed, and the start/stop button  41  on the operation part  40  is pressed. At this time, it is only possible to operate the device when the door  4  has been closed, ensuring safety.     11. Washing—Warm water will be discharged from the lower nozzle (not shown in the figure), the upper shower nozzle  22 , and from the nozzles  20  on the movement frames  5  and  6 . The nozzles  20  of the movement frames  5  and  6  can be raised or lowered by raising or lowering the nozzle attachment shelf  8  within the established vertical range using the hoisting motor  9 .     12. Shampoo and Conditioner (Rinse)—Shampoo will be discharged from the shampoo tank  38 . During this time, the shower water will continue to be discharged. After a given period of time, conditioner will be discharged from the conditioner tank  39 .     13. Rinse—Stopping the discharge of the conditioner, a rinse operation will be performed for a period of time using the shower water.     14. Dry—After completing the rinse operation, warm air will be discharged from the blowers  21  and  26  for a set period of time. The blower  21  can be raised or lowered by raising or lowering the nozzle attachment shelf  8  within the established vertical range using the hoisting motor  9 . During this time, by discharging air from the intake port  23 , it is possible to increase the speed of the drying operation. After a given drying period, for instance, 15 to 60 minutes, the fan and exhaust will stop.     15. End—When the washing and drying operations are completed, the finished lamp will light up, and the lock on the door  4  will be released.        
 
         [0050]     Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The foregoing is a description of the preferred embodiment of the invention and has been presented for the purpose of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive and so limit the invention to the precise form disclosed.  
         [0051]     The invention is to be determined by the following claims: