Portable pet grooming system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11559039-B2
Application number	US-202016990171-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2020
Priority date	Aug 22, 2019
Publication date	Jan 24, 2023
Grant date	Jan 24, 2023

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a pet grooming system and various related apparatus for grooming a pet. The pet grooming system can comprise components dedicated to pet grooming or can adapt a surface cleaning apparatus or tools normally used for cleaning floors and upholstery to instead groom a pet. The pet grooming system can include a hand tool coupled with a portable module via a conduit assembly, at least a portion of which may be in the form of a flexible hose. A plurality of pet grooming attachments are provided, and the hand tool can concurrently mount a grooming comb and a sprayer attachment to groom a pet.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pet grooming system, comprising:
a portable module including a housing, a delivery system configured to store and deliver cleaning liquid, and a recovery system configured to remove and collect spent cleaning liquid and debris;
a conduit assembly comprising a delivery conduit in fluid communication with the delivery system and a suction conduit in fluid communication with the recovery system;
a hand tool coupleable with the portable module via the conduit assembly, the hand tool comprising:
a body that is hand-holdable by a user;
a delivery pathway extending through the body and coupleable with the delivery system of the portable module via the delivery conduit of the conduit assembly;
a recovery pathway extending through the body and coupleable with the recovery system of the portable module via the suction conduit of the conduit assembly;
a fluid distributor at a forward portion of the body and defining an outlet opening for the delivery pathway; and
a suction nozzle at the forward portion of the body and defining an inlet opening for the recovery pathway;

a plurality of pet grooming attachments comprising:
a plurality of grooming combs, each of the plurality of grooming combs interchangeably and removably mountable to the body of the hand tool at a first location on the forward portion of the body;
a plurality of sprayer attachments, each of the plurality of sprayer attachments interchangeably and removably mountable to the body of the hand tool at a second location on the forward portion of the body; and
wherein the hand tool is configured to concurrently mount one of the plurality of grooming combs and one of the plurality of sprayer attachments.

2. The pet grooming system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of grooming combs each comprising a comb body carrying a plurality of tines, the comb body attachable to the body of the hand tool with the plurality of tines disposed forwardly of the fluid distributor and the suction nozzle.

3. The pet grooming system of claim 2 , wherein a first one of the plurality of grooming combs comprises polymer tines and a second one of the plurality of grooming combs comprises metal tines.

4. The pet grooming system of claim 2 , wherein the tines of a first one of the plurality of grooming combs comprise pin-shaped tines and the tines of a second one of the plurality of grooming combs comprise ball-end tines.

5. The pet grooming system of claim 2 , wherein:
the tines of a first one of the plurality of grooming combs comprise a first tine length and a first tine thickness;
the tines of a second one of the plurality of grooming combs comprise a second tine length and a second tine thickness; and

the second tine thickness is greater than the first tine thickness.

6. The pet grooming system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sprayer attachments each comprise a sprayer body carrying a plurality of spray tips, the sprayer body attachable to the body of the hand tool with the plurality of spray tips in fluid communication with the fluid distributor.

7. The pet grooming system of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of sprayer attachments each comprise a brush on the sprayer body, the brush comprising a plurality of bristles.

8. The pet grooming system of claim 6 , wherein:
the spray tips of a first one of the plurality of sprayer attachments comprise a first spray tip length;
the spray tips of a second one of the plurality of sprayer attachments comprise a second spray tip length; and

the second spray tip length is greater than the first spray tip length.

9. The pet grooming system of claim 6 , wherein the spray tips of a first one of the plurality of sprayer attachments comprise flat-ended tips and the spray tips of a second one of the plurality of sprayer attachments comprise cone-shaped tips.

10. The pet grooming system of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the plurality of sprayer attachments comprises at least one parting ridge provided on one of the spray tips.

11. The pet grooming system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one parting ridge extends from a respective one of the spray tips to a narrow leading edge.

12. The pet grooming system of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the plurality of sprayer attachments comprises a trailing ridge provided on one of the spray tips, the parting ridge extending from a first, leading side of the spray tip and the trailing ridge extending from a second, trailing side of the spray tip, and wherein the trailing ridge is diametrically opposite the parting ridge.

13. The pet grooming system of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of sprayer attachments each comprise:
a connector port configured to couple with the fluid distributor of the hand tool; and a manifold having an inlet in fluid communication with the connector port and multiple outlets, each outlet supplying cleaning liquid to one of the plurality of spray tips.

14. The pet grooming system of claim 1 , wherein:
the hand tool comprises a pair of opposing rails at the forward portion of the body;
each of the plurality of pet grooming attachments comprises slots for receiving rails;
the hand tool is configured to concurrently mount one of the plurality of sprayer attachments and one of the plurality of grooming combs on the rails, with the one of the plurality of sprayer attachments sitting rearwardly of the one the plurality of grooming combs on the rails; and
the hand tool comprises a latch for latching one of the pet grooming attachments on the hand tool.

15. The pet grooming system of claim 1 , comprising:
a grooming tool caddy in which the plurality of pet grooming attachments are storable; and
a caddy recess at an upper portion of the portable module, the caddy recess configured to removably receive the grooming tool caddy.

16. The pet grooming system of claim 1 , wherein the portable module comprises:
a carry handle at an upper portion thereof; and
a handle recess in which the carry handle is stowable;
wherein the carry handle pivotally coupled to the housing and is moveable between a stowed position in which the carry handle is stowed in the handle recess and a carry position in which the carry handle is pivoted out of the handle recess; and
wherein the handle recess has a depth substantially equal to or greater than a thickness of the carry handle such that in the stowed position the carry handle does not extend beyond the handle recess and is substantially flush with the upper portion of the portable module.

17. The pet grooming system of claim 1 , wherein the delivery system comprises:
a first supply tank;
a second supply tank;
a first pathway between the first supply tank and an inlet to the delivery conduit; and
a supply valve controlling a flow of liquid from the second supply tank to the first pathway; and
a user-engageable control lever coupled to the supply valve and including a user-input end accessible from an exterior of the housing, wherein the control lever is configured to open the supply valve to permit flow of the liquid from the second supply tank to the first pathway, and to close the supply valve to prevent flow of liquid from the second supply tank to the first pathway.

18. The pet grooming system of claim 17 , wherein the delivery system comprises:
a pump in the first pathway; and
a mixing manifold in the first pathway, fluidly upstream of the pump, that selectively receives cleaning liquid from the first supply tank and the second supply tank;
wherein a second pathway fluidly connects an outlet of the supply val

Assignees

• Bissell Inc

Inventors

• Hoffmann Jeremy W
• Dexter Brian Robert

Classifications

• A47L7/0009

  with means mounted on the nozzle; nozzles specially adapted for the recovery of liquid · CPC title

• A01K13/001 Primary

  Washing, cleaning, or drying devices (for veterinary purposes A61D7/00, A61D11/00) · CPC title

• A01K13/003

  Devices for applying insecticides or medication (A01K27/007 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A01K13/002

  Curry combs; Brushes (shearing sheep B26B19/24) · CPC title