Pet grooming and skin care tool and methods of making and using the tool

Abstract

An animal grooming and conditioning appliance for rotation by a hand held power drill. The appliance includes a drum secured to a rigid arbor. The drum defines an axis of rotation and has an array of flexible and resilient fingers that extend radially outward from the axis of rotation. The arbor extends coaxially away from a proximal end of the drum. The arbor is configured and arranged for operable engagement to the power drill for rotation of the drum about the axis of rotation.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A pet grooming and skin care appliance for use in combination with a hand held power tool, comprising:
 (a) a drum defining an axis of rotation and having an array of flexible and resilient fingers extending radially outward from the axis of rotation, and   (b) a rigid arbor extending coaxially away from a proximal end of the drum, the arbor configured and arranged for operable engagement to the power tool for rotation of the arbor and the drum about the axis of rotation by a powered drive shaft on the power tool.   
     
     
         2 . The appliance of  claim 1  wherein the power tool includes a housing and the appliance further comprises an enclosure operable for surrounding the drum within an interior volume of the enclosure, with a peripheral side opening through the enclosure for operably exposing fingers of the drum rotated into the peripheral side opening for contact with a pet. 
     
     
         3 . The appliance of  claim 2  wherein the enclosure includes a conduit having a first end in fluid communication with the interior volume defined by the enclosure and a second end adapted for releasable fluid communication connection with a source of suction or a source of pressurized fluid. 
     
     
         4 . The appliance of  claim 2  wherein the enclosure is a cylindrical segment comprising between 50% to 67% of the volume of a complete cylinder from which the segment is formed. 
     
     
         5 . The appliance of  claim 1  wherein the power tool is a power drill having a chuck, and the arbor is configured and arranged for operable rotational engagement within the chuck. 
     
     
         6 . The appliance of  claim 1  wherein the drum comprises (i) a rigid core having a cylindrical sidewall, and (ii) a flexible and resilient integrally molded element comprising a sheet from which the array of fingers project, with the sheet wrapped around and secured to the sidewall of the core with the array of flexible and resilient fingers projecting radially outward from the axis of rotation of the drum. 
     
     
         7 . The appliance of  claim 1  wherein the drum has at least sixty fingers each having a length of at least 2 cm. 
     
     
         8 . The appliance of  claim 1  wherein the drum has at least sixty fingers each having a length of at least 4 cm. 
     
     
         9 . The appliance of  claim 1  wherein the fingers have a shore A durometer of between 30 and 100. 
     
     
         10 . A method of making a pet grooming and skin care appliance for use in combination with a hand held power tool, comprising the steps of:
 (a) obtaining an attachment configured and arranged for rotational engagement with a chuck on a power drill, the attachment comprising an arbor with a cylinder mounted to a distal axial end of the arbor, wherein the cylinder has a cylindrical sidewall and defines an axis of rotation,   (b) obtaining a flexible and resilient integrally molded element comprising a sheet having first and second ends, first and second side edges, and first and second major surfaces with an array of fingers projecting from the second major surface of the sheet, and   (c) securing the element to the sidewall of the cylinder with the first major surface facing the cylinder and the fingers projecting radially outward from the axis of rotation defined by the cylinder.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising the step of interlocking the first and second ends of the sheet together to shape the element into a cylinder with the fingers projecting radially outward. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the element is secured to the cylinder by interference fit. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the element is adhesively secured to the cylinder. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the element is mechanically secured to the cylinder. 
     
     
         15 . A method of using the appliance of  claim 1  comprising the steps of:
 (a) securing the arbor to the power tool for powered rotation of the appliance about the axis of rotation by the power tool, 
 (b) activating the power tool so as to effect rotation of the appliance about the axis of rotation by the power tool whereby the fingers on the appliance spin, and 
 (c) grooming a pet by stroking the coat of the pet with the spinning fingers. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the arbor is secured to the power tool by securing the arbor within a chuck on the power tool. 
     
     
         17 . A method of using the appliance of  claim 3  comprising the steps of:
 (a) securing the arbor to the power tool for powered rotation of the appliance about the axis of rotation by the power tool, 
 (b) securing the enclosure to the housing of the power tool, 
 (c) placing a source of suction in fluid communication with the second end of the conduit, 
 (d) activating the hand tool so as to effect rotation of the appliance about the axis of rotation by the power tool whereby the fingers on the appliance spin, 
 (e) activating the source of suction to apply suction to the interior volume defined by the enclosure, and 
 (f) grooming a pet by stroking the coat of the pet with the spinning fingers. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the arbor is secured to the power tool by securing the arbor within a chuck on the power tool. 
     
     
         19 . A method of using the appliance of  claim 3  comprising the steps of:
 (a) securing the arbor to the power tool for powered rotation of the appliance about the axis of rotation by the power tool, 
 (b) securing the enclosure to the housing of the power tool, 
 (c) placing a source of a pressurized liquid in fluid communication with the second end of the conduit, 
 (d) activating the power tool so as to effect rotation of the appliance about the axis of rotation by the power tool whereby the fingers on the appliance spin, 
 (e) activating the source of a pressurized fluid to deliver the liquid into the interior volume defined by the enclosure, and 
 (f) grooming a pet by stroking the coat of the pet, wetted by the liquid, with the spinning fingers. 
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the arbor is secured to the power tool by securing the arbor within a chuck on the power tool. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the liquid is water. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the liquid is an aqueous solution containing at least one of a shampoo, a conditioner, and a topical medicament.