Groom pouch apparatus and method of making and using the same

Abstract

A groom pouch device may be used to groom a dog and to store and carry items during a dog walk. The groom pouch device may also store and dispense plastic bags. The groom pouch device may have a case with a plurality of attached bristles, an interior area having a pocket configured to hold a plurality of plastic bags, a bottom surface, a zipper configured to open and close the interior area and a port through the case configured to allow a plastic bag in the plurality of bags in the interior area to be manually pulled out of the interior area of the pouch. The groom pouch device may also have an elastic band that may be attached across the bottom surface of the pouch and configured to hold a hand of a user using the groom pouch device is used to groom a dog.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device for grooming a dog, the device comprising:
 a case having top, bottom, left, right, front, and rear sides, and having a size that fits in a hand of a user grooming the dog;   a grooming device supported by the case, the grooming device comprising:
 a brush retained at and extending from the top side of the case; and 
 an elastic band attached across the bottom side of the case, the elastic band configured to hold the hand of the user; 
   a pouch defining an interior area of the case, the pouch being accessible through an opening in at least one of the left, right, front, and rear sides of the case; and   a closure mechanism attached to the case and actuated to open and close the opening.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the brush comprises a plurality of bristles extending through an aperture formed at a top surface of the case. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the brush further comprises:
 a substrate attached to or integral with the plurality of bristles; and   a foundation beneath the substrate rigidly supporting the plurality of bristles, the foundation and the substrate being retained in a pocket disposed at the top side of the case and accessible through the aperture, and the foundation providing structural rigidity to the case along a length and a width of the case.   
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a dispenser supported by the case, the dispenser comprising:
 a port disposed through one of the sides of the case into the interior area; and   a port hole patch disposed within the port, the port hole patch configured for a plastic bag within the pouch to be pulled through the port hole patch from outside the case, the port hole patch further retaining the plastic bag by friction fit when the plastic bag is not being pulled therethrough.   
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more Velcro strips attached across the bottom side of the case and configured to receive and retain a leash attached to the dog. 
     
     
         6 . A device for grooming a dog, the device comprising:
 a case having a size that fits in a hand of a user grooming the dog;   a grooming device supported by the case and disposed at a first side of the case; and   a pouch defining an interior area of the case, the pouch being accessible through a sealable opening in the case.   
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the grooming device comprises a brush comprising a plurality of bristles extending from the first side of the case. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 6 , further comprising an elastic band attached across a second side of the case opposite the first side, the elastic band configured to hold the hand of the user. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the case further comprises second, third, fourth, and fifth sides attached to or integral with the first side and cooperating with adjacent sides to form a perimeter of the case; and   the opening extends from approximately a midpoint of the second side along the third side adjacent to the second side, and to approximately a midpoint of the fourth side adjacent to the third side.   
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 6 , further comprising a dispenser supported by the case, the dispenser configured to allow one or more plastic bags retained in the pouch to be withdrawn from the pouch through the dispenser. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the dispenser comprises:
 a port disposed through a second side of the case into the interior area; and   a pass-through grommet attached to the case over the port.   
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 10 , further comprising a pocket disposed within the pouch approximate the dispenser, the pocket configured to retain a roll of the one or more plastic bags. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 6 , further comprising one or more attachment mechanisms attached to the case and configured to removably attach the case to one or more of: a leash attached to the dog; a belt worn by a person walking the dog; and, a ring or loop attached to the dog or the person. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more attachment mechanisms comprise one or more Velcro straps attached to one of the first side and a second side of the case, the one or more Velcro straps opening to receive the leash and closing around the leash. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more attachment mechanisms comprise a snap hook and a strap attaching the snap hook to the case at a point inside the pouch such that the snap hook is withdrawn from the pouch for use and the snap hook and strap are stowed within the pouch when the snap hook is not being used. 
     
     
         16 . A method of managing a dog during a dog walk, the method comprising:
 storing one or more items in a grooming device comprising:
 a case having a size that fits in a hand of a user walking the dog; 
 a plurality of bristles supported by the case and extending from a first side of the case; and 
 a pouch defining an interior area of the case, the pouch being accessible through a sealable opening in the case, the storing comprising inserting the one or more items into the pouch through the opening; 
   securing the grooming device to one of the user and the dog; and   during the dog walk:
 detaching the grooming device; 
 securing the grooming device to the hand; 
 brushing the dog with the plurality of bristles; and 
 reattaching the grooming device to one of the user and the dog. 
   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the grooming device further comprises an elastic band attached across a second side of the case opposite the first side, and wherein securing the grooming device to the hand comprising sliding the hand between the elastic band and the case. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the grooming device further comprises one or more Velcro strips attached to a second side of the case, and wherein securing and reattaching the grooming device to one of the user and the dog each comprise:
 opening the one or more Velcro strips;   placing a leash attached to the dog within the opened one or more Velcro strips; and   closing the one or more Velcro strips around the leash.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the grooming device further comprises a snap hook and a strap attached at a first end to the snap hook and at a second end to the case at a point inside the pouch, and wherein securing and reattaching the grooming device to one of the user and the dog each comprise:
 unsealing the opening to access the pouch;   withdrawing the snap hook from the pouch; and   resealing the opening to close the pouch with the snap hook outside the case.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the grooming device further comprises:
 a dispenser supported by the case; and 
 a pocket disposed within the pouch approximate the dispenser; 
   storing the one or more items comprises placing a roll of plastic dog waste bags in the pocket; and   the method further comprises:   pushing a first bag on the roll through the dispenser, the dispenser retaining the first bag therein; and   during the dog walk, pulling the first bag from outside of the case to remove the first bag for use, the pulling causing a second bag attached to the first bag to be pulled through the dispenser and retained therein.