Abstract:
A vessel in the form of a flexible, pleated bag for receiving a paw, hoof or hand of an animal or person. The bag may contain a treatment agent and be manipulatable with the item in the bag. A membrane closes the open end of the bag and includes an insertion opening. A cloth for wiping the item is supported at the open end.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/810,781, filed Jun. 2, 2006, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a vessel for receiving a paw, hoof or hand, etc. and the adjacent leg or arm portion of an animal or person and for having a treatment material or liquid in the vessel so that the item in the vessel may be exposed to the material in the vessel. Further, the vessel may be manipulated to apply the material for treatment of the item in the vessel. 
         [0003]    The invention may be used for any type of item as noted. The particular embodiment disclosed herein is contemplated for use with a domestic animal, in particular, dogs, but the use thereof is not limited to this type of animal and might be adapted to use for a person. 
         [0004]    There are occasions when the paw and leg of an animal or other such item should be subjected to a treatment. These treatments might include washing, massaging, applying a medicament, etc. For example, a dog may pick up dirt or foreign objects on its paws, and in the winter, may pick up corrosive salt that was spread on the pavement for melting, etc. The vessel of the invention is adapted for receiving the appropriate treatment agent therein for the paw and leg of the dog. 
         [0005]    Vessels into which the paw and leg of an animal may be placed for a treatment are shown for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,378,004 and 6,851,391. A primary purpose of such vessels is to clean or treat the paw and/or the area of the leg above the paw in the vessel. For this purpose, a cleaning or treatment agent may be disposed in the vessel. However, a convenient way to treat the paw or to manipulate the known vessel for that purpose is not known to the inventor hereof. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The invention concerns an item treatment vessel. It may be designed for treating a paw, a hoof, a hand, a leg, an arm, etc., that is an item on a living being that is to be treated. Item herein includes any such part of an animal or person. 
         [0007]    The vessel is in the form of a flexible bag capable of holding a cleaning or treatment agent, such as a liquid. The vessel or bag is so shaped and of such a size and length as to receive the item, e.g., a paw and a leg portion above the paw. The vessel is flexible so that it may be manipulated with the item in the bag, and manipulated preferably manually and by a user, to massage the item and/or to apply a treatment agent in the vessel on the item. 
         [0008]    The treatment agent is likely to be in liquid form and may comprise water, detergent, a medicated bath, etc., whatever treatment the item might need or benefit from. To contain that agent, and particularly if it is liquid, the top open end of the vessel is closed by a cover, particularly in the form of a membrane with a normally closed but openable item insertion opening. Before the item is inserted in the vessel insertion opening, the vessel is closed, and the vessel is opened by the insertion of the item. The entrance opening of the membrane may be such as to cause the membrane to press lightly against the item, maintaining an at least partial seal around the item to prevent undesired exit of the treatment agent or liquid in the vessel. 
         [0009]    The membrane is preferably separate from and installable in the vessel opening. Removal of the membrane permits filling and emptying of treatment agent in the vessel and enables cleaning of the interior of the vessel and of the membrane. 
         [0010]    The open end of the vessel is held open by a frame. The membrane is attached to a support, such as a ring, which is adapted to be attached around the top open end of the vessel, thereby applying the membrane to the top of the vessel. For example, the ring supporting the membrane may be screwed onto cooperating threads at the open end of the vessel. 
         [0011]    Paws and legs of animals, such as domestic animals like dogs and cats, and other such items have different cross-sections usually dependent upon the size of the animal. The opening through the membrane might be large enough for all expected leg sizes to pass through. The ring which holds the membrane in place may extend partly over the top of the membrane and have a central opening through it directly above the opening in the membrane. The opening through the ring may be sized relative to the cross section of a leg or other item to be installed, so as to help provide a guide for insertion of the item and a support for the vessel around the item preventing the vessel from flopping or falling to the side. 
         [0012]    An optional wiping or drying cloth may be removably attached to the vessel near the top, e.g., at the above mentioned ring. It hangs free and is able to be raised up to rub against the item, e.g., the leg and paw, particularly as they are withdrawn through the membrane opening. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the vessel of the invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a cross-section along the arrows  2  in  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  shows an alternate version with a wiping cloth. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0016]    The vessel is described here with reference to an animal paw. It may be adaptable for use with other items as indicated above. With reference to the drawings, the vessel  10  according to the invention includes a flexible vessel portion, such as a flexible bag  12 , which is of flexible, soft material, that may be manipulated for massage of a leg in the bag and so that the bag likely expands upon insertion of a liquid treatment agent  14  into the interior  16  of the vessel or bag  12 . The bag is flexible so it can be manipulated from the exterior, for example to massage an animal&#39;s leg and paw. The bag is preferably a fabric bag with vertical orientation pleats at  18 , etc. The pleats enable the bag to expand when treatment agent is placed in it, e.g., poured into it, and when an item is placed in it and also enables the bag to be manipulated and changed in shape more easily than if the bag of the vessel were not pleated. 
         [0017]    Since the bag  12  is flexible, a support frame  22  is installed in the top of the vessel. A clamping ring  24  around the outside of the vessel clamps the outside of the top end portion of the vessel against the support frame within and thereby supports the round shape of the open entrance into the vessel  12 . 
         [0018]    The open top of the bag is closed by a flexible membrane  25  of flexible rubber, plastic, or the like material. The membrane  25  serves as an essentially splash prevention seal over the open end of the vessel. The membrane has a conventional cross slit opening  28  which defines flaps that close the opening against exit of a liquid agent from within the vessel. Yet, the opening  28  can easily be opened by insertion of an animal paw or hoof and leg. The tips  32  of the sections of the membrane  25  would contact the leg and maintain a partial seal to minimize exit of treatment agent. 
         [0019]    A ring  34  permanently holds the membrane  25  at its periphery, e.g. by being permanently attached to the membrane. The ring includes a collar  36  which engages the periphery at the top end of the vessel to hold the ring  34  and membrane  25  on the top edge. For example, there may be a threaded connection between the interior of the ring and the cooperating exterior surface of the vessel. 
         [0020]    The ring  34  extends radially inward over the top of the membrane  25  to the inner margin  38  of the ring which defines an open region through which the leg and paw may be inserted. Depending upon the size of the leg and paw, the margin  38  of the ring may help guide the paw and leg into the vessel and keep the vessel from shifting laterally or flopping over with the leg in the bag. The opening  38  of the ring may be selected according to the particular animal whose paw and leg are being inserted into the vessel. Different size openings may be defined by different rings  34 , and a vessel may be sold with several different membranes and rings. 
         [0021]    The interior  16  of the vessel or bag and of the membrane  25  may be made of, layered with or impregnated with an appropriate material or fabric that is antimicrobial, antibacterial, and/or antiodor and may be provided with a known impregnating material. The treatment agent  14  in the vessel may be water, soap or detergent, a disinfectant, a medication, etc. in liquid or semi-liquid, or gelatinous form, or even a solid. 
         [0022]      FIG. 3  illustrates an optional cloth  40  attached to the vessel  10  to be used to rub or dry the paw and leg, particularly as they exit the vessel. The cloth is shown attached at the top of the vessel, at the collar  36 . It hangs down and may be raised up when it is used. 
         [0023]    For example, the exterior of the collar may have a separable fastening such as a hook and loop type fastener strip  42  around it, or may have support hooks, an adhesive strip, etc. which is able to separably hold a cloth  40 . The cloth has an edge  44  with a cooperating attaching fixture  46  for the fastening on the ring  36 . For example, if the fastening on the ring includes a hook and loop type fastener, the fixture  46  is a strip that cooperates to separably hold the cloth. The cloth is flexible and is capable of being lifted to be held against the leg and paw as they are removed from the vessel. 
         [0024]    Although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modifications and other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is preferred, therefore, that the present invention be limited not by the specific disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims.