Patent Publication Number: US-2016219833-A1

Title: Animal grooming device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Field of the Disclosure 
     The disclosure relates to grooming devices and more particularly pertains to a new grooming device for removing parasites from a mammal&#39;s fur without utilizing an insecticide. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a housing structured to resemble an animal. The housing is further structured to have a front section removably coupled to a rear section to access an interior of the housing. A vacuum is positioned within the interior of the housing. The vacuum generates suction. An actuator is coupled to the housing. The actuator is electrically coupled to the vacuum to actuate and de-actuate the vacuum. A hose is coupled to the housing to engage a mammal&#39;s fur. The hose is fluidly coupled to the vacuum to suck parasites from the mammal&#39; fur. A brush is coupled to the hose to engage the mammal&#39;s fur to facilitate dislodging parasites from the mammal&#39;s fur. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an animal grooming assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a left side view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a right side view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a left side view of an embodiment of the disclosure in an open position. 
         FIG. 6  is an in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 6  thereof, a new grooming device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 6 , the animal grooming assembly  10  generally comprises a housing  12  structured to resemble an animal. The animal may be a dog or the like. The housing  12  resembles the animal to make a mammal comfortable being near the housing  12 . 
     The housing  12  is further structured to have a front section  14  removably coupled to a rear section  16  to access an interior of the housing  12 . The front section  14  comprises a pair of front legs of the animal  18 . Each of the front legs  18  is coupled to and extends downwardly from opposite sides of a torso of the animal  20 . The front section  14  further comprises a head of the animal  22  coupled to and extending upwardly from the torso of the animal  20 . The torso of the animal  20  is substantially hollow. A rear end  24  of the torso of the animal  20  is open to access an interior of the front section  14 . 
     The rear section  16  comprises a pair of rear legs of the animal  26 . Each of the rear legs  26  is coupled to and extends downwardly from opposite sides of an abdomen of the animal  28 . The rear section  16  further comprises a tail of the animal  30  coupled to and extending upwardly from the abdomen  28 . The abdomen  28  is substantially hollow. A front end  32  of the abdomen  28  is open to access an interior of the rear section  16 . The front end  32  of the abdomen  28  engages the rear end  24  of the torso  20 . 
     A plurality of wheels  34  is provided. Each of the plurality of wheels  34  is rotatably coupled to a lowermost end  36  of an associated one of the pair of front legs  18  and the pair of rear legs  26 . The wheels  34  abut a support surface  38  such that the housing  12  is rolled along the support surface  38 . The supports surface  38  may be a floor, ground or the like. 
     A vacuum  40  is positioned within the torso  20 . The vacuum  40  is positioned adjacent to the rear end  24 . The vacuum  40  generates suction. Moreover, the vacuum  40  may be an electric vacuum or the like. An actuator  42  is coupled to the torso  20 . The actuator  42  is electrically coupled to the vacuum  40  to actuate and de-actuate the vacuum  40 . 
     A spool  44  is rotatably positioned within the torso  20 . A hose  46  is provided. The hose  46  has a first end  48  and a second end  50 . The first end  48  is fluidly coupled to the vacuum  40  such that the hose  46  is wrapped around the spool  44 . The second end  50  extends outwardly from a front  52  of the torso  20 . 
     The hose  46  is selectively extended outwardly from the spool  44  such that second end  50  is spaced away from the torso  20  to engage a mammal&#39;s fur  54 . The mammal may be a dog, cat or other similar house pet. The hose  46  is selectively retracted onto the spool  44  such that the second end  50  is positioned proximate the torso  20 . The hose  46  is fluidly coupled to the vacuum  40  to suck parasites  56  from the mammal&#39;s fur  54 . The parasites  56  may be fleas or the like. 
     A brush  58  is provided. The brush  58  comprises a tube  60  coupled to and extending upwardly from a body  62  of the brush  58 . The body  62  of the brush  58  is substantially hollow. A bottom end  64  of the body  62  is open. A plurality of bristles  66  is coupled to the bottom end  64  of the brush  58 . A free end  68  of the tube  66  is coupled to the hose  46 . Thus, the bristles  66  may engage the mammal&#39;s fur  54  to dislodge the parasites  56  from the mammal&#39;s fur  54 . 
     A bag  70  is provided. The bag  70  is positioned within an interior of the abdomen  28 . A forward end  72  of the bag  70  is positioned adjacent to the front end  32  of the abdomen  28 . The vacuum  40  is fluidly coupled to the forward end  72  of the bag  70  to deliver the parasites  56  into the bag  70 . The bag  70  is removable from the abdomen  28  after the bag  70  is filled. 
     A power supply  74  is coupled to the front section  14 . The power supply  74  is electrically coupled to the actuator  42 . The power supply  74  comprises a cord  76  extending outwardly from the front section  14 . The cord  76  is electrically coupled to a power source  78 . The power source  78  may be an electrical outlet or the like. 
     In use, the mammal&#39;s fur  54  is brushed with the bristles  66  when the mammal&#39;s fur  54  becomes infested with the parasites  56 . The assembly  10  allows the parasites  56  to be removed without the use of insecticides or other toxic chemicals. The bag  70  is removed and disposed of after the parasites  56  are removed from the mammal&#39;s fur  54 . 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.