IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,060,496
Granted Patent B2
US 9,060,496 · App. 12/719,583 · Granted Jun 23, 2015

Toothed pet grooming tool with fur ejecting mechanism

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,060,496
App. No.
12/719,583
Granted
Jun 23, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A pet grooming tool is provided with a fur ejector portion that is at least partially movable relative to the teeth of the pet grooming tool and can be manually moved into engagement with fur that is wedged or lodged between the teeth. The engagement of the fur ejector portion with the fur forces the fur from the gaps between the teeth. Preferably, the fur ejector portion can be manually moved by the same hand a person uses to support and hold the grooming tool.

Claims (28)

1. A method of removing loose fur from a pet:

providing a pet grooming tool, the pet grooming tool comprising a toothed portion, a handle portion, and a fur ejector portion, the toothed portion comprising a plurality of teeth arranged in at least one row and a plurality of edge segments, there being a gap between each adjacent pair of the teeth, the edge segments alternating with the teeth and bridging the gaps between the teeth, the fur ejector portion comprising an edge, the edge of the fur ejector portion being movable between a first position and a second position relative to the toothed portion, the edge segments of the toothed portion being generally between the edge of the fur ejector portion and tips of the teeth when the fur ejector portion is in the first position;

moving the teeth of the toothed portion relative to a pet's coat by applying an external force to the handle portion while the fur ejector portion is in the first position, the moving causing a portion of loose fur of the pet's coat to pass into the gaps between the teeth of the toothed portion and causing the edge segments of the toothed portion to contact the portion of loose fur in a manner removing the portion of loose fur from the pet's coat; and

applying an external force to the pet grooming tool in a manner moving the edge of the fur ejector portion away from the first position toward the second position, the moving of the edge of the fur ejector portion away from the first position toward the second position causing the edge of the fur ejector portion to contact fur passing through the gaps of the toothed portion.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the pet grooming tool comprises a biasing portion that biases the edge of the fur ejector portion away from the second position and toward the first position, and wherein the step of applying the external force to the pet grooming tool in a manner moving the edge of the fur ejector portion toward the second position counteracts the bias.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein the biasing portion and the fur ejector portion are integral portions of a homogenous piece of material, and wherein the step of applying the external force to the pet grooming tool resiliently deforms the biasing portion.

4. A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein the step of applying the external force to the pet grooming tool causes the edge of the fur ejector portion to slidably contact the teeth of the toothed portion.

5. A method in accordance with claim 4 wherein the step of applying the external force to the pet grooming tool causes the edge of the fur ejector portion to slidably contact the edge segments of the toothed portion.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the external force applied to the handle portion to move the teeth of the toothed portion relative to the pet's coat is applied via a person's hand, and the external force applied to the pet grooming tool in the manner moving the edge of the fur ejector portion away from the first position toward the second position is applied by a thumb of the hand of the person while the handle portion is held by the hand.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the pet grooming tool comprises at least one threaded screw, and wherein the method further comprises removing the fur ejector portion from the pet grooming tool via removing the screw from the pet grooming tool.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein each of at least a plurality of the edge segments of the toothed portion comprises a leading surface portion and a trailing surface portion, the trailing surface portion and the leading surface portion of each of the plurality of the edge segments forms an acute included angle, and the step of moving the teeth of the toothed portion relative to a pet's coat causes the trailing surface portions to trail the leading surface portions.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein the trailing surface portion and the leading surface portion of each of the plurality of the edge segments form an included angle of approximately 40 degrees.

10. A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein the trailing surface portion and the leading surface portion of each of the plurality of the edge segments form an included angle of less than approximately 40 degrees.

11. A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein the leading surface portions of the plurality of the edge segments are generally coplanar.

12. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein the edge of the fur ejector portion slidably contacts the leading surface portions of the plurality of the edge segments as the edge of the fur ejector portion moves from the first position to the second position.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12 wherein the edge of the fur ejector portion slidably contacts at least a plurality of the teeth as the edge of the fur ejector portion moves from the first position to the second position.

14. A method in accordance with claim 13 wherein the edge of the fur ejector portion is adjacent the tips of the teeth when the edge of the fur ejector portion is in the second position.

15. A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein the pet grooming tool is adapted and configured such that the edge of the fur ejector portion slidably contacts the leading surface portions of the plurality of the edge segments as the edge of the fur ejector portion moves from the first position to the second position.

16. A method of removing loose fur from a pet:

providing a pet grooming tool, the pet grooming tool comprising a toothed portion, a handle portion, and a fur ejector portion, the toothed portion comprising a plurality of teeth arranged in at least one row and a plurality of edge segments, there being a gap between each adjacent pair of the teeth, the fur ejector portion comprising an edge, the edge of the fur ejector portion being movable between a first position and a second position relative to the toothed portion;

moving the teeth of the toothed portion relative to a pet's coat by applying an external force to the handle portion while the fur ejector portion is in the first position, the moving causing a portion of loose fur of the pet's coat to pass into the gaps between the teeth of the toothed portion and causing the edge segments of the toothed portion to contact the portion of loose fur in a manner removing the portion of loose fur from the pet's coat; and

applying an external force to the pet grooming tool in a manner moving the edge of the fur ejector portion away from the first position toward the second position, the moving of the edge of the fur ejector portion away from the first position toward the second position causing the edge of the fur ejector portion to contact fur passing through the gaps of the toothed portion in a manner forcing such fur from the gaps of the toothed portion.

17. A method in accordance with claim 16 wherein the pet grooming tool is configured such that the edge of the fur ejector portion is biased from the second position toward the first position, and wherein the step of applying the external force to the pet grooming tool in a manner moving the edge of the fur ejector portion toward the second position counteracts the bias.

18. A method in accordance with claim 17 wherein the fur ejector portion comprises a resilient portion and the edge of the fur ejector portion and the resilient portion are integral portions of a homogenous piece of material, and wherein the step of applying the external force to the pet grooming tool resiliently deforms the resilient portion of the fur ejector portion.

19. A method in accordance with claim 17 wherein the step of applying the external force to the pet grooming tool causes the edge of the fur ejector portion to slidably contact the teeth of the toothed portion.

20. A method in accordance with claim 19 wherein the step of applying the external force to the pet grooming tool causes the edge of the fur ejector portion to slidably contact the edge segments of the toothed portion.

21. A method in accordance with claim 16 wherein the external force applied to the handle portion to move the teeth of the toothed portion relative to the pet's coat is applied via a person's hand that also applies the external force applied to the pet grooming tool in the manner moving the edge of the fur ejector portion away from the first position toward the second position.

22. A method in accordance with claim 16 wherein the pet grooming tool comprises at least one screw, and wherein the method further comprises removing the fur ejector portion from the pet grooming tool via removing the screw from the pet grooming tool.

Assignments (14)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 23, 2024
From: SPECTRUM BRANDS, INC.; GLOFISH, LLC; SPECTRUM BRANDS PET GROUP, INC.; SPECTRUM BRANDS PET LLC; EMPOWER BRANDS, LLC; UNITED INDUSTRIES CORPORATION
To: ROYAL BANK OF CANADA
Reel/Frame 067201/0653 →
NOTICE OF SUCCESSOR AGENT AND ASSIGNMENT OF SECURITY INTEREST (INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY) REEL/FRAME 036131/0272 Recorded Jun 5, 2018
From: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH
To: ROYAL BANK OF CANADA
Reel/Frame 046301/0425 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 20, 2015
From: SPECTRUM BRANDS, INC.
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 036131/0272 →
MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 14, 2015
From: UNITED PET GROUP, INC.; SPECTRUM BRANDS, INC.
To: SPECTRUM BRANDS, INC.
Reel/Frame 036082/0452 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 14, 2015
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL TRUSTEE
To: APPLICA CONSUMER PRODUCTS, INC.; APPLICA CONSUMER PRODUCTS, INC., A CORP. OF FLORIDA; KWIKSET CORPORATION; LIQUID HOLDING COMPANY, INC.; NATIONAL MANUFACTURING CO.; PRICE PFISTER, INC.; ROV HOLDING, INC., A CORP. OF DELAWARE; ROVCAL, INC.; ROVCAL, INC., A CORP. OF CALIFORNIA; RUSSELL HOBBS, INC., A CORP. OF DELAWARE; SALIX ANIMAL HEALTH, LLC; SEED RESOURCES, L.L.C.; SPECTRUM BRANDS, INC.; SPECTRUM BRANDS, INC. AS SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO ROVCAL, INC.; SPECTRUM BRANDS, INC., A CORP. OF DELAWARE; TELL MANUFACTURING, INC.; TETRA HOLDING (US), INC., A CORP. OF DELAWARE; TETRA HOLDINGS (US), INC.; UNITED INDUSTRIES CORPORATION; UNITED INDUSTRIES CORPORATION AS SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO LIQUID HOLDING COMPANY, INC.; UNITED PET GROUP, INC.; UNITED PET GROUP, INC., A CORP. OF DELAWARE
Reel/Frame 036102/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 2, 2015
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS AGENT
To: RUSSELL HOBBS, INC.; APPLICA CONSUMER PRODUCTS, INC.; TOASTMASTER INC.; SPECTRUM BRANDS, INC.; ROVCAL, INC.; TETRA HOLDING (US), INC.; UNITED PET GROUP, INC.; SEED RESOURCES, L.L.C.; PRICE PFISTER, INC.; KWIKSET CORPORATION; NATIONAL MANUFACTURING CO.; LIQUID HOLDING COMPANY, INC.; TELL MANUFACTURING, INC.; SALIX ANIMAL HEALTH, LLC
Reel/Frame 036052/0845 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 28, 2012
From: UNITED PET GROUP, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 027775/0165 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 24, 2012
From: UNITED PET GROUP, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 027756/0688 →
MERGER Recorded Feb 22, 2012
From: FURMINATOR, INC.
To: UNITED PET GROUP, INC.
Reel/Frame 027741/0132 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 31, 2012
From: CAPITAL SOUTH PARTNERS FUND II LIMITED PARTNERSHIP; CAPITALSOUTH PARTNERS SBIC FUND III, L.P.; EAGLE FUND I, L.P.; EAGLE FUND II, L.P.
To: FURMINATOR, INC.
Reel/Frame 027628/0985 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 11, 2012
From: FIFTH THIRD BANK
To: FURMINATOR, INC.
Reel/Frame 027513/0621 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 18, 2011
From: FURMINATOR, INC.
To: CAPITALSOUTH PARTNERS FUND II LIMTED PARTNERSHIP; CAPITALSOUTH PARTNERS SBIC FUND III, L.P.; EAGLE FUND I, L.P.; EAGLE FUND II, L.P.
Reel/Frame 026604/0951 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 13, 2011
From: FURMINATOR, INC.
To: FIFTH THIRD BANK
Reel/Frame 026436/0356 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 8, 2010
From: PORTER, DAVID R.; PORTER, ANGELA L.
To: FURMINATOR, INC.
Reel/Frame 024046/0293 →