Patent Publication Number: US-2009223464-A1

Title: Animal bathing apparatus

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
     The present invention relates to apparatus for enabling a pet owner to bathe a small animal, such as a dog or cat. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
     Many pet owners struggle greatly when bathing small pets. Dogs submit reluctantly to being bathed and frequently try to escape. Controlling a dog during a wash can require constant vigilance and, to avoid bending down, this strenuous task is most conveniently performed using an elevated tub. 
     Various neck restraints have been used for immobilising animals, however the somewhat restricted access for washing may cause problems in this application. Moreover, the cost and complexity of such devices means that they would have limited application outside of a professional grooming facility. 
     An example of apparatus better suited for home use is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,974,601, and includes a tub which may be supported in an elevated position by removable folding legs. A short tether fixed at a longitudinal end to the rim of the tub restrains the animal&#39;s movements. Advantageously, dogs are familiar with being restrained in this way, either with a neck collar, or a shoulder harness. However with such a tether, a dog that leaps out of the tub may pull the tub to the floor, or else is held hanging from the tub, and either outcome could traumatise or injure the animal. One solution to this problem is to provide a high fence around the periphery of the tub, but this restricts access for washing and substantially increases the size and cost of the apparatus. 
     Additionally, prior art apparatus for bathing pets, including that taught by the above-mentioned patent, have not satisfactorily addressed the problems associated with their storage. Particularly for domestic use, units require disassembly for storage and suffer from the drawback that essential components may become separated or misplaced, a problem that increases with the number of parts 
     It is an object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantages or, more generally, to provide an improved animal bathing apparatus. 
     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION  
     According to one aspect of the invention there is provided apparatus for bathing an animal including: 
     a tub having a bottom and a peripheral wall integrally attached to and extending upwardly from the bottom; 
     the peripheral wall having an outermost rim; 
     a plurality of leg-receiving apertures; 
     a plurality of elongate legs, each adapted to be received and removably retained in a respective one of the apertures for supporting the tub upright in an elevated position; 
     a tether assembly for engaging a fixture on the tub to restrain movement of the animal, the tether assembly including at least one coupling for releasable connection to the fixture, and a flexible member connecting the coupling to the animal, whereby the coupling and fixture cooperate such that tension applied through the flexible member holds the coupling in engagement with the fixture within an angular range subtended between the flexible member and the fixture to restrain an animal that is within the tub and a tensile load applied through the flexible member when the animal is suspended by the tether assembly outside the tub separates the coupling and fixture so as to release the animal. 
     The angular range provides restraint for animals of different sizes at different positions within the tub. The tensile load required to release the suspended animal is small to provide reliable release and to avoid trauma to a tethered animal which leaps from the tub. The release is therefore substantially dependent upon the direction of loading, rather than the magnitude of the loading. Drawbacks associated with the release being dependent upon the magnitude of the loading, such as the need to provide means to vary the release load in proportion to the mass of the animal, are thereby avoided. 
     Preferably each fixture comprises a slot provided at or adjacent the rim for ready access and the at least one coupling includes a neck part adapted to be slidingly received in the slot, and a head part fixed to the neck part for retaining the coupling in the slot. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the release dependent upon the direction of loading could be provided in a number of other alternative ways. For instance, the fixture may include locking elements such as a pivoting jaw engaging the coupling so that the tension applied through the flexible member holds the jaw closed when the animal is within the tub and the change in direction, when the animal is outside the tub, acts to open the jaw and release the coupling. 
     Preferably the tub includes a re-entrant lip outwardly spaced from and integral with the peripheral wall and the fixture includes a slot extending generally transversely to the lip, the slot having an inner portion adjacent a closed end of the slot and separated from a mouth portion of the slot by a waist portion, the at least one coupling includes a neck part adapted to be slidingly received in the slot, and a head part fixed to the neck part for retaining the coupling in the slot, whereby the neck part may be pushed past the waist portion to retain the neck part in the inner portion. 
     The tether assembly preferably further includes a fastener fixed to the flexible member for releasable fastening to a neck collar or harness of the animal and fittings for adjusting the length of the flexible member to accommodate animals of differing sizes. Optionally the tether assembly may further include a neck collar or shoulder harness. 
     Preferably the inner portion of the slot is provided in the rim. 
     Preferably the tub is elongate, the peripheral wall including opposing end walls separated by longitudinally-extending side walls, 
     the tether assembly includes first and second couplings joined by the flexible member to the fastener, 
     the tub includes first and second fixtures either side of an imaginary upright longitudinally-extending plane, whereby 
     the first and second couplings cooperate with respective ones of the first and second fixtures such that tension applied through the flexible member is resisted by each fixture within respective first and second angular ranges subtended between the flexible member and each fixture to restrain an animal that is within the tub, and a tensile load applied through the flexible member when the animal is suspended by the tether assembly outside the tub separates the each coupling and fixture so as to release the animal. 
     Preferably each of the first and second fixtures includes a slot extending generally transversely to the lip, each slot having an inner portion adjacent a closed end of the slot and separated from a mouth portion of the slot by a waist portion, each coupling includes a neck part adapted to be slidingly received in the slot, and a head part fixed to the neck part for retaining the coupling in the slot, whereby the neck part may be pushed past the waist portion to retain the neck part in the inner portion. 
     Preferably recesses are disposed in opposing portions of the rim, the recesses being aligned in pairs, a recess of each pair configured to receive one of the legs, each recess having a narrow throat section for retaining the legs by a snap action. Thus, after use when the apparatus disassembled for storage the legs are fastened to the tub, avoiding the possibility of them becoming separated and misplaced. 
     Preferably the tub further includes a reinforcing rib in each corner, the rib being laterally positioned between the lip and peripheral wall, extending downwardly from the rim, with longitudinal ends of the rib blending tangentially into the lip. 
     The apparatus preferably further includes at least one upwardly-opening pocket in the tub for holding bathing accessories. Preferably at least one channel is also provided for receiving a spray wand. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       Preferred forms of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of apparatus of the invention assembled for bathing an animal; 
         FIG. 2  is an end view of the apparatus if  FIG. 1  shown collapsed for storage; 
         FIG. 3  is a view of detail A of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a fragmentary pictorial view of a fixture detail of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a pictorial view of the tether assembly of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a fragmentary pictorial view of a spray wand-receiving recess of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is an orthogonal view from below of a corner of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 8  is an end elevation of the tub of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 , and 
         FIG. 9  is a fragmentary side elevation of the tub of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , apparatus for bathing a small animal such as a dog, includes a one-piece moulded polymeric tub  1  supported upright in an elevated position upon four elongate tubular legs  2 . The tub  1  includes a bottom  3  and a peripheral wall  4  integrally attached to and extending upwardly from the bottom  3 . The tub  1  is elongate, the peripheral wall  4  including opposing end walls  4   a ,  4   b  separated by longitudinally-extending side walls  4   c ,  4   d . The peripheral wall  4  has an outermost rim  5  lying generally in a horizontal plane and a re-entrant lip  6  outwardly spaced from and integral with the peripheral wall  4 . 
     Recesses  8  with partly-cylindrical faces  9  are disposed in longitudinally opposing portions of the rim  5  and aligned in four pairs  8   a ,  8   b . The recesses  8   a ,  8   b  of each pair are coaxial to receive one of the legs  2  when the apparatus is disassembled for storage as shown in  FIG. 2 . At the outermost side of the recesses  8  is a narrow throat  10  through which the legs  2  must pass into the recess  8 , and the resilience of the material retains the legs by a snap action. Thus, after use the legs  2  are fastened to the tub  1  in this manner to avoid the possibility of them becoming separated and misplaced. Downwardly-opening apertures  7  adjacent the corners of the tub, are provided for receiving the legs  2 . Detents (not shown) are provided for holding the legs  2  in the aperture  7 . 
     A pocket  11  for holding bathing accessories, such as soap, shampoo and brushes, is formed between two substantially upright integral panels  12 ,  13  and the adjacent walls  4   b ,  4   c . A narrow gap  14  between the panels  12 ,  13  extends to the bottom  3  for drainage of the pocket  11 . 
     Adjacent the corners joining the side walls  4   c ,  4   d  and the end wall  4   a , either side of an imaginary upright longitudinally-extending plane  16 , are fixtures in the form of slots  17 . As best seen in  FIG. 4 , each slot  17  has an inner portion  17   a  formed in the rim  5  adjacent a closed end of the slot  17 . A mouth portion  17   b  of the slot is separated by a waist portion  17   c  from the inner portion  17   a . The elongate, tapered mouth portions  17   b  extend generally transversely to the lip  6  but each diverges slightly, their respective longitudinal axes being inclined at an angle  52  of around 3 degrees to the plane  16 . 
     Shown in detail in  FIG. 5 , at the opposite end from the slots  17 , either side of the plane  16  are recesses  30  for receiving a spray wand  31 . Like the slots  17 , the recesses  30  extend from a mouth opening  30   a  in the lip  6  to a closed end  30   b  in the rim  5 . 
     To avoid the discontinuities in the lip  6  caused by the recesses  30  and slots  17  from reducing the stiffness of the tub  1 , a reinforcing rib  32  is provided in each corner of the tub, as shown in  FIGS. 4 to 6 . The rib  32  is laterally positioned between the lip  6  and peripheral wall  4 , extending downwardly from the rim  5 . The longitudinal ends of the rib  32  blend tangentially into the lip  6  and the rib  32  is spaced apart from the lip  6  sufficiently to receive the head  27 . 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a tether assembly  18  for engaging the fixture  15  to restrain movement of the animal. The tether assembly  18  includes two couplings  19  for releasable connection to respective fixtures  16 . The couplings  19  are fastened by a flexible member comprising straps  20 ,  21  to a fastener  22  for releasable fastening to ring  23  fixed to a neck collar  24 . The length of the straps  20 ,  21  are individually adjustable by means of buckles  25  to accommodate animals of differing sizes. Each coupling  19  includes a neck part  26  adapted to be slidingly received in the slot  17 , and an enlarged head part  27  formed on the end of the neck part  26 . An elongate opening  28  receives a loop  29  in the end of each strap  20 ,  21 . Each of the fixtures  15  includes slot  17  extending generally transversely to the lip  6 . The slot  17  has an inner portion  17   a  formed in the rim  5  adjacent a closed end of the slot  17 . A mouth portion  17   b  of the slot is separated by a waist portion  17   c  from the inner portion  17   a.    
     A drain  50  is provided in the lowest part of the bottom  3  and an elongate hose  51  is connected to the drain  50 . 
     In use, the legs  2  are secured in the aperture  7  and the couplings  19  connected to the slots  17 . The neck part  26  of each coupling  19  is pushed into the slot  17 , past the waist portion  17   c  into the inner portion  17   a , where the resilience of the material provides a snap-type connection for retaining the coupling. The hose is run to a waste, such as in a bath or shower. A collar  24  (or a harness—not shown) is secured about the animal&#39;s neck and the animal is allowed to stand upon the bottom of the tub, with its head adjacent the end wall  4   a . The animal is then tethered to the bath  1  by engaging the fastener  22  with the ring  23 . The length of the straps  20 ,  21  may be adjusted, such that with the animal standing normally, each strap  20 ,  21  generally subtends a straight line between the ring and the slot  17 . 
     An angular range subtended between the respective flexible strap  20 ,  21  and the slot  17  varies depending upon the size and position of the animal and the placement of the attachment point to the animal. As seen in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , this angular range has a component  40  measured in the plane  16  and a component  41  measured in an upright plane orthogonal to plane  16 . 
     An animal tethered in this way cannot escape from the tub  1  over the side walls  4   c ,  4   d , but it may be able to leaps forward over the end wall  4   a . In this event, the tension applied through the straps  20 ,  21  as they are angled downward outward of the rim  5  beyond the angular range  40 ,  41  serves to separate both couplings  19  from their respective slots  17  so as to release the animal. The stiffness of the material and dimension of waist portion  17   c  are chosen such than any animal large enough to require restraint to avoid it escaping the tub  1  has sufficient weight to release the coupling from the slot  17  when the animal is suspended by the tether assembly outside the tub. This avoids the animal being held hanging from the tub or pulling the tub to the floor. 
     Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only and it should be appreciated that modifications and additions may be made thereto without departing from the scope thereof.