Abstract:
A pet washing collar includes a flexible permeable hose for placement around the neck of a pet. A hose coupling delivers water into the interior of the hose which distributes water around part of the neck of the pet. In some embodiments, the flexible permeable hose includes inner and outer tubes. A length adjuster allows lengthening and shortening of the collar to accommodate pets of different size. A buckle connects ends of the collar together to allow it to be placed and removed from a pet. The effective water distributing length of the hose is adjustable by selectively pinching off part of the hose.

Description:
[0001]    This invention relates to a collar that may be placed around the neck of a pet to deliver water when washing the pet. 
         [0002]    This application is based on Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/071,294 filed Oct. 6, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference and the priority of which is hereby claimed. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Washing a pet, such as a dog, can be an awkward affair when done indoors or outdoors for a variety of reasons. A lease or similar restraint may be needed to control the animal. There is some difficulty delivering water to the desired location on the animal along with soap or other chemicals. In essence, a person does not have enough hands to do all of the chores needed. 
         [0004]    Some disclosures of interest relative to this invention are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 538,521; 2,161,047; 3,749,064; 4,782,792; 6,827,039; 6,948,451; 7,182,043; 8,555,819; Japan Patents 2003204729 and 2004290139 and United States Printed Patent Applications 20050000466, 20050217601, 20060174842, 20070289548 and 20090101077. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    As disclosed herein, a collar is secured around the neck of the pet and may include a flexible permeable hose to distribute water along much or all of the length of the collar so water is delivered around the neck of the pet. The collar includes a hose coupling to which may be attached a hose for delivering water to the collar. In one embodiment, the flexible permeable hose may include an outer tube of permeable material and an inner tube of impermeable material through which perforations have been made. In other embodiments, the flexible permeable hose may include a single tube of permeable material through which water exits. The collar may be of adjustable length to accommodate pets of different size and includes a latch or connection securing ends of the collar together. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a pictorial view of a pet with a pet washing collar delivering a water spray on to the pet; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a pictorial view of the pet washing collar of  FIG. 1 , certain parts being broken away for clarity of illustration, illustrating many of the features thereof; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a front view of a buckle used in the collar of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged broken view of one embodiment of a flexible permeable hose; 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is an exploded view of one type of connector used to releasably secure opposite ends of the collar together; 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is an enlarged broken view of another embodiment of a flexible permeable hose; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is an enlarged broken view of another embodiment of a flexible permeable hose. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    Referring to  FIG. 1-4 , the concept is to place a collar  10  around a pet&#39;s neck, such as a dog&#39;s neck, attach a threaded hose end  12  of a garden or other hose  14  to a female hose coupling  16  on the collar  10  and turn on the water. This produces a substantial water flow or spray onto the animal which can then be soaped followed by a rinse by water passing through the same collar  10 . In the alternative, a soap container (not shown) may be inserted between the hose  14  and the coupling  16  to discharge an amount of soap onto the animal. The pet wash collar  10  accordingly comprises, as major components, the hose coupling  16 , a flexible permeable hose  18  and an adjustable tensile element  20  securing the collar  10  into a circular or round configuration capable of surrounding the neck of a pet. The collar  10  may be designed for outdoor use in which event the hose coupling  16  may be a garden hose coupling. 
         [0014]    The hose coupling  16  may be attached to the hose  18  adjacent one end thereof and include a tubular segment  22  affixed to the hose  18  and a female connector  24  having standard coarse garden hose threads  26  therein and a conventional seal  27  to prevent water leakage. The connector  24  may preferably be rotatable on the end of the segment  22  to allow the connector  24  to be easily secured to the hose end  12  as is well known in the art. The coupling  16  may be of metal, plastic or any other suitable material. The coupling  16  may provide a groove or slot  28  near the junction of the connector  24  and segment  22  for purposes more fully apparent hereinafter. The coupling  16  accordingly delivers water into the interior of the hose  18 . The collar  10  may be designed for use in bathrooms, kitchens, garages or the like where tubs, showers, sinks and wash basins are available. In such event, the hose coupling  16  may be of any other suitable type, typically having finer threads. 
         [0015]    The bodily flexible permeable hose  18  provides one end  30  captivated to the hose coupling  16  in any suitable manner, such as by crimping, gluing or otherwise attaching the end  30  in the segment  22 . The hose  18  includes an outer tubular member  32  which may be made of a permeable material, i.e. having a very large number of passageways extending laterally of a long axis  34  of the hose  18 , thereby delivering water in the manner of a conventional soaker hose. The outer member  32  may preferably include water flow passages around 360° of the circumference of the hose perpendicular to the axis  34  to insure water being applied to the pet rather than the possibility of all water being directed away from the pet. 
         [0016]    The hose  18  may also include an inner tubular member  36  made of an impermeable member, such as an organic polymer film of polypropylene, polyethylene terephylate, polyethylene or the like, having a series of fewer but relatively larger openings  38  providing a liquid flow path between the hose coupling  16  and the interior of the outer member  32 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 4 , the outer tubular member  32  may be a woven fabric in which the fabric thread is an impermeable material but providing a very large number of passages between the adjacent threads. It will be seen that the inner member  36  is a technique for distributing water throughout the effective water distributing length of the outer member  32 . 
         [0017]    The flexible permeable hose  18  acts much like a conventional garden soaker hose but has a greater flow capacity, e.g. 5-20 times the flow capacity of a conventional soaker hose. Typically, the flow capacity of the hose  18  is in the range of ¼-1 gallons/minute per foot of hose  18  whereas a conventional soaker hose has a much lower flow capacity, i.e. normally on the order of about 0.05 gallons/minute per foot of soaker hose. 
         [0018]    In the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , the outer member  32  may be used as part of the adjustable tensile member  20 . Specifically, the outer member  32  may extend from the end  30  to an opposite end  40  attached to a central strut  42  of a buckle  44 , as by stitching  46 . It will be seen that the stitching  46  may close off the end  40  of the hose. An intermediate portion of the hose  18  may pass under the end struts  48 ,  50  of the buckle  44  and over the central strut  42  in a conventional manner so the buckle  44  acts as a length adjuster of a section of the hose  18  which, in turn, acts as a tensile element connecting the buckle  44  to the other end of the collar  10 . 
         [0019]    One end of the length adjuster  20  accordingly may be attached to the end of the collar  10  corresponding to the first hose end  30  or hose coupling  16 . This may be accomplished by a clip  52  having a circular end received in the groove  28  of the hose coupling  16  so the length adjuster  20  stays in place while the female connector  24  is free to rotate. 
         [0020]    An advantage of this arrangement is the effective water distributing length of the hose  18  is adjusted by positioning the buckle  44  because the thickness of the inner and outer tubular members  32 ,  34  passing over the outer member  32  and the central strut  42  pinches off water flow in the inner member  34 . This allows water flow upstream of the buckle  44  and restricts or prevents water movement downstream of the buckle  44  and accordingly adjusts the water distributing length of the hose  18  as a function of the position of the buckle  44 . This has the advantage of increasing the water distributing length of the hose  18  as a function of washing a larger pet. It will accordingly be seen that the inner member  36  may terminate short of the end  40  of the outer tubular member  32  as shown in the broken part of  FIG. 2  and, more specifically, may terminate before the halfway mark of the tensile element  20 . It will be seen that the length adjuster  20  may accordingly be a part of the hose  18  or may be a separate member. Similarly, the free ends of the collar  10  may be connected by the tensile element  20  to provide a circular or round device to fit over the neck of a pet to be washed. 
         [0021]    The length of the water distributing length of the collar  14  may be less than 360° around the pet&#39;s neck and may be substantially less. The water distributing length of the collar  10  may be on the order of 25-80% of the overall length of the collar  10  and may preferably lie be the range of half to three quarters of the overall length of the collar  10 , meaning that the part of the collar  10  under the pet&#39;s neck may not deliver water. This allows a water spray on the pet and avoids wasting a large amount of water on the pet&#39;s front feet and on the user&#39;s feet. 
         [0022]    In order to easily remove the collar  10  from a pet, a connector  54  may be provided to separate one end of the collar  10  from the other. The connector  54  may be of any suitable type, such as an adjustable belt analogous to a man&#39;s trouser belt or the like but is illustrated in  FIG. 5  as a conventional side release buckle having a male end  56  releasably latched into a female end  58 . It will be seen the connector  54  allows easy attachment and removal of the collar  10  from a pet. It will be seen that the tensile element  20  of the length adjuster and the mechanism connecting opposite ends of the collar  10  may be the same, as in the case of an adjustable trouser belt. It will also be seen that the tensile element  20  of the length adjuster may incorporate the mechanism  54  releasably connecting opposite ends of the collar  10  together, as in the embodiment of  FIG. 2 . 
         [0023]    In order to control a pet, it may be desirable to have an attachment such as a ring  60  to which a leash (not shown) may be applied. The ring  60  may be placed at any convenient location on the collar  10 , such as at the junction of a fabric strap  62  which connects one of the connector ends  56 ,  58  to the clip  52 . In the alternative, the user may control the pet by stepping on the garden hose  14 . 
         [0024]    The hose  18  may be of any suitable type and is illustrated in several embodiments in  FIGS. 4 ,  6  and  7 . In  FIG. 6 , the hose  64  includes an outer permeable tube or member  66  which may be of conventional soaker hose material comprising impermeable rubber particles fused together to provide a very large number of pores or passages  66  therethrough, the passages  66  basically being so small as to be imperceptible to the human eye. As in the embodiment of  FIG. 4 , the inner member  68  may be an impermeable organic polymer film having much fewer but relatively larger openings  70  therethrough. This is basically the same construction as conventional soaker hoses. 
         [0025]    In  FIG. 7 , a flexible permeable hose  74  may include a woven fabric tube  76  having a very large number of small passages between adjacent threads and a series of larger openings  78  woven into the fabric of the tube  76  acting to control the overall distribution of water flow from the pet washing collar, meaning that the openings  78  may or may not be regularly spaced along the length of the tube  76 . 
         [0026]    The collar  10  may be equipped with a soap compartment (not shown) at any location on the collar  10  such as adjacent the garden hose connection  12 . A quantity of soap placed in the compartment may be automatically dispersed through the hose  18  in much the same manner that solid fertilizer is distributed through a similar chamber in conventional tree feeding assemblies. In addition or in the alternative, a flow control valve (not shown) may be provided on or near the female hose coupling  16  in order to regulate water flow through the hose  18 . 
         [0027]    Use of the pet washing collar  10  should now be apparent. The collar  10  is attached around the pet&#39;s neck and latched with the connection  54 . The male garden hose connection  12  is attached to the coupling  16 . By stepping on the garden hose  14  or providing a leash for the leash ring  60 , the collar  10  acts as a restraint on the pet leaving all hands free to apply soap, operate a spigot  34  or otherwise wash the pet. After spraying the pet with a suitable amount of water, water flow may be stopped and soap applied, either through the soap dispenser (not shown) or directly from a container. After suitable scrubbing of the pet, the pet may be rinsed by again manipulating the spigot  80  or a separate valve (not shown) attached between the hose coupling  16  and the hose end  12 . When finished, the collar  10  may be removed by unlatching the connection  54 . 
         [0028]    Although this invention has been disclosed and described in its preferred forms with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred forms is only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of operation and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims.