Abstract:
The present invention may be used for removal of hair or fur from an animal. A blade holder may be rotatetably attached to a handle. The blade holder may have a body that may have a cavity that may be shaped to receive a cutting blade. A blade clamp may be disposable on a cutting blade and a fastener may be attached to attach the blade clamp and the cutting blade on the body.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to devices for use in grooming and removal of loose hair or fur. The new hair grooming tool may be useful in grooming animals that may have a double hair coat, such as, certain breeds of dogs; however, the device may be useful for other hair grooming and removal applications. The new device may have a handle and a blade holder that may be attached by a rotatable element that may allow angular positioning of the blade holder relative to the handle. 
     Various hair grooming tools may be known for use in grooming animals. A common tool is a stiff comb that may be constructed of metal or other suitable material. A comb may be drawn or pushed through an animals hair or fur to remove loose hair and fur. Another common tool is a wire brush that may be drawn or pushed through an animals hair or fur to catch loose hair and fur. Other grooming tools that may have a handle perpendicular to a comb or blade with comb teeth may also be known. These tools or devices may be restricted in use to being pulled through an animals hair and may have no provision for other orientations of a blade or comb relative to a handle. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to devices for removal of hair or fur from an animal. A blade holder may be rotatetably attached to a handle. The blade holder may have a body that may have a cavity that may be shaped to receive a cutting blade. A blade clamp may be disposable on a cutting blade and a fastener may be attached to attach the blade clamp and the cutting blade on the body. 
     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of the hair grooming tool according to an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of the hair grooming tool according to an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a perspective exploded view of the hair grooming tool according to an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a side view of the tool with angular positioning of the blade holder according to an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 5  Illustrates a blade holder end view of the tool according to an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a handle end view of the tool according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following detailed description represents the best currently contemplated modes for carrying out the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 3 , an animal hair grooming tool  10  may have a handle  12  and a blade holder  14  attached by a rotatable element  16 . The blade holder  14  may allow attachment of standard, wide or other size snap on blades  18  that may also be used with hair clippers. The snap on blades  18  may have comb teeth  20  that may have cutting edge  22  surfaces between the comb teeth  20 . The blade holder  14  may have a body  24  and blade clamp  26  wherein a blade  12  may be positioned in a cavity  28  of the body  24  and retained by the blade clamp  26  and by screws  30 . The screws  30  may be inserted through blade apertures  21  and clamp apertures  31  to then be threadably engaged in threaded bores in the body  24 . 
     The handle  12  may have two elements  40 ,  42  that may have mating edges  44 ,  46 . The mating elements  40 ,  42  may be disposed together and retained by clip elements  48  and screws  30  threaded into threaded attachment elements  50 . The handle elements  40 ,  42  may generally be hollow and have structural ribs formed interior in the hollow portion for strengthening elements. 
     A rotatable element  16  may have a sleeve  60  that may be attached at an end  54  of a handle element  40  positioned to mate with two spaced apart rings  62  that may be attached to the body  24  opposite the cavity  28 . The sleeve  60  and the rings  62  may be rotatably attached by a latching apparatus  64 . The latching apparatus  64  may have two shaft elements  66  having a hollow rod  68  with an annular flange  69  that may have radial teeth  70 . A spring  72  may be disposed on each hollow rod  68  when the shaft elements  66  may be inserted, opposed one to the other, in the sleeve  60 . The spring  72  may bias annular flanges  69  outwardly to engage radial slots  74  in latching caps  76  disposed in rings  62 . 
     There may be push elements  78  that may have elastic tabs  80  with annular grooves  82 . The elastic tabs  80  may be inserted through an aperture  84  in latching caps  76  to be forced partially through attachment apertures  86  disposed in shaft elements  66 . The attachment apertures  86  may have interior flanges  88  to engage the annular grooves  82 . 
     When assembled the latching caps  76  may be held rigid relative to rings  62  by flat portion  90  engagement with ridges  92 . The shaft elements  66  may be restrained from rotating in sleeve  60  by slots  94  engaging keys  96 . When both push elements  78  may be forced inwardly the shaft elements  66  may be disengaged from the latching caps  76  to allow the blade holder  14  to rotate relative to the handle  12 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 through 6 , the latching apparatus  64  may allow the blade holder  14  to be rotated to various angular positions relative to the handle  12  as may be illustrated in  FIG. 4 . The hair grooming tool  10  may be pushed through the hair of an animal to groom and remove loose hair or fur. This may be particularly useful for double hair coat breeds of animals. 
     There may be a handle aperture  58  adjacent the end  56  opposite the end  54 . A line, strap or the like may be looped through the handle aperture  58  as an aid in retaining the tool  10  while grooming an animal. A balance weight  38  may be disposed in the handle  12  to aid in use of the tool  10 . The handle  12  may be wider in the mid portion relative to the ends  54 ,  56  to aid in gripping the handle  12 . The cavity  28  in the blade holder  14  may have an elevated portion  32  or ridge adjacent a forward edge  35 . The cavity  28  may also have opposed side walls  36  and a back wall  37 . The blade  18  may have a raised portion  34  that may abut the elevated portion  32  when the blade  18  is disposed in the cavity  28 . The opposed side walls  36 , back wall  37 , and elevated portion  32  of the cavity  28  that may fit together with a raised portion  34  of a blade  18  wherein the raised portion  34  abutting the elevated portion  32  may aid in retaining the blade  18  to inhibit movement of the blade  18  when the grooming tool may be in use. 
     While the invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to the illustrated embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.