Self-cleaning Pet Grooming Implement

Abstract

An implement to groom a pet's coat and remove shed hair by means of a modulated array of combs. The comb array graduates from coarse to fine, with respect to tine to tine spacing, row to row spacing, and tine diameter, in a direction opposed to the grooming motion. The tines, which are aligned to a curved surface, also have modulated length, row by row, from long to short, so that the combs collect shed hair from the base of, and throughout, the pet's coat. The aforementioned modulation enables the user to detangle and deshed a pet's coat using this single implement. There is also an integral self-cleaning mechanism, which amplifies the user's input, to produce a large cleaning stroke to remove collected hair, including the coarse region with long tines. The cleaning cross-bar sub-assembly has a minimal form factor, in keeping with the implement's lightweight and ergonomic design.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An implement for grooming hair of an animal, comprising:
 a comb support having a longitudinal axis, and first and second opposed ends, at distinct locations along the longitudinal axis;   an array of substantially rigid tines mounted to the comb support, each tine having (i) a base, by which it is mounted to the comb support, (ii) a tip, (iii) a length that protrudes from the base to the tip, and (iv) a width at where the tine protrudes from its base, the tines of the array being configured to penetrate and groom the hair of the animal;
 wherein the array is configured so that a selected tine has a length that is more than three times greater than the width of the selected tine, the array having a plurality of generally parallel combs, each comb defining a comb row, wherein any selected comb in the array has a set of regularly spaced generally parallel tines of similar length, and each comb has a length disposed transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis, and the comb support is configured in relation to the combs so that substantially all of the length of each tine is exposed for use in grooming; 
 wherein the length of a selected comb in the array is greater than the length of another comb therein that is closer, by at least two comb rows, to the second end; 
   so that, as the comb support is drawn in the direction of motion along the longitudinal axis to effectuate the grooming of the hair of the animal, hair at the selected location experiences a progression in comb length from longer to shorter.   
     
     
         2 . An implement according to  claim 1 , wherein each tine in the array has a bending stiffness of at least about 4.2 N/mm, wherein the bending stiffness is a measure of how much force is required to deflect the tip laterally by a unit of distance. 
     
     
         3 . An implement according to  claim 1 , wherein the array of tines is divided into parts by a cleft region, devoid of tines, the cleft region interrupting regularity of spacing of tines in each comb and being disposed in a direction transverse to the comb rows, and having a width wider than a spacing between any pair of adjacent combs in the array;
 so that, after the comb support has been drawn to effectuate the grooming of the hair of the animal, shed pet hair collected in the tines may be pinched between the thumb and index finger within the cleft region to gain purchase, to facilitate manual cleaning of the implement.   
     
     
         4 . An implement according to  claim 1 , wherein (i) the array of tines is divided into parts by a cleft region, devoid of tines, the cleft region interrupting regularity of spacing of tines in each comb and being disposed in a direction transverse to the comb rows, (ii) the comb support defines a vertical direction that is normal to a surface of the support, and (iii) each pair of adjacent combs defines an interstice that is transverse to the longitudinal axis, the implement further comprising:
 a comb cleaner having a plurality of generally parallel bars, mounted to a central spine, the spine being mounted in the cleft region and configured for movement in the vertical direction, with each bar (a) disposed in a distinct one of the interstices, and (b) configured and constrained by mounting of the spine, so as to travel substantially the same vertical distance as the other bars, when the spine is moved in the vertical direction, so that the motion of the spine and the bars in a direction away from the comb support forces shed pet hair, collected in the tines, away from the comb support to facilitate cleaning of the implement.   
     
     
         5 . An implement according to  claim 4 , wherein the comb cleaner includes a mounting mechanism, coupled to the comb support, and to which the generally parallel bars are mounted, and wherein the mounting mechanism includes:
 a user-operable handle; and   a pantograph operably coupled between the comb cleaner and the user-operable handle, the pantograph configured to transfer the user's input actuating stroke of the user-operable handle so as to move the comb cleaner in a direction away from the comb support.   
     
     
         6 . An implement according to  claim 1 , wherein the array of tines is mounted in the comb support in a manner wherein the tips of the set of tines of each comb collectively define a surface that is curved. 
     
     
         7 . An implement according to  claim 1 , wherein the width of the tine is a diameter of the tine. 
     
     
         8 . An implement for grooming hair of an animal, comprising:
 a comb support having a longitudinal axis, and first and second opposed ends, at distinct locations along the longitudinal axis;   an array of substantially rigid tines mounted to the comb support, each tine having (i) a base, by which it is mounted to the comb support, (ii) a tip, (iii) a length that protrudes from the base to the tip, and (iv) a width at where the tine protrudes from its base, the tines of the array being configured to penetrate and groom the hair of the animal;
 wherein the array is configured so that a selected tine has a length that is more than three times greater than the width of the selected tine, the array having a plurality of generally parallel combs, each comb defining a comb row, wherein any selected comb in the array has a set of regularly spaced generally parallel tines of similar length, and each comb has a length disposed transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis, and the comb support is configured in relation to the combs so that substantially all of the length of each tine is exposed for use in grooming; 
 wherein the array of tines is divided into parts by a cleft region, devoid of tines, the cleft region interrupting regularity of spacing of tines in each comb and being disposed in a direction transverse to the comb rows, and having a width of at least that of an average adult human index finger; 
 so that, after the comb support has been drawn to effectuate the grooming of the hair of the animal, shed pet hair collected in the tines may be pinched between the thumb and index finger within the cleft region to gain purchase, to facilitate manual cleaning of the implement. 
   
     
     
         9 . An implement according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein each comb is established by mounting a row of tines to the comb support, and the tines have a thickness in cross-section where they are mounted to the comb support, the thickness of tines of the selected comb also monotonically decreases as a function of distance of the selected comb from the first end;   so that, as the comb support is drawn in the direction of motion along the longitudinal axis to effectuate the grooming of the hair of the animal, hair at the selected location experiences a progression from thicker to thinner tines.   
     
     
         10 . An implement according to  claim 8 , wherein the tines comprise a wrought aluminum alloy. 
     
     
         11 . An implement according to  claim 10 , wherein the tines comprise a wrought 7075-T6 aluminum alloy. 
     
     
         12 . An implement according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein (i) the array of tines is divided into two parts, about the longitudinal axis, by a central cleft region, devoid of tines, and (ii) any selected comb in the array has a number of tines greater than the number of combs in the array;   so that, after the comb support has been drawn in the direction of motion along the longitudinal axis to effectuate the grooming of the hair of the animal, shed pet hair collected in the tines may be pinched within the cleft region to gain purchase, to facilitate manual cleaning of the implement.   
     
     
         13 . An implement for grooming hair of an animal, comprising:
 a comb support having a longitudinal axis, and first and second opposed ends, at distinct locations along the longitudinal axis;   an array defined by substantially rigid tines of uniform length and uniform diameter mounted to the comb support, the array having at least four generally parallel rows such that the spacing between tips of the tines in each of the rows of the array is substantially the same;   each tine having: (i) a base, by which it is mounted to the comb support, (ii) a rounded tip, (iii) a width at where the tine protrudes from its base, (iv) a length that protrudes from the base to the tip, the length being more than three times greater than the width, and (v) a bending stiffness of at least about 4.2 N/mm, the bending stiffness of the tine being a measure of how much force, applied at the tip, is required to laterally deflect the tip by a unit of distance;   the tines being mounted to the comb support so that substantially all of the length of the tines is exposed for use in grooming.   
     
     
         14 . The implement according to  claim 13 , wherein the width is a diameter of the tine. 
     
     
         15 . The implement according to  claim 13 , wherein the uniform spacing between the tips of the tines is less than about 5.0 mm. 
     
     
         16 . The implement according to  claim 13 , wherein a position of the tips of the tines are staggered from row to row. 
     
     
         17 . The implement according to  claim 13 , wherein the spacing between adjacent rows is less than about 5.0 mm. 
     
     
         18 . The implement according to  claim 13 , further comprising a cleft region disposed transverse to the rows, the cleft region having rows on both sides. 
     
     
         19 . The implement according to  claim 18 , wherein the cleft region has a comb cleaner mounted therein. 
     
     
         20 . The implement according to  claim 13 , wherein further comprising a handle coupled to the comb support, the handle coupled along the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         21 . The implement according to  claim 13 , wherein each row has at least five tines.