Claim 1:
A device for protecting animal ears comprising:
a pair of generally tubular protectors each of which is formed of a sheet of self-biasing material which in their free state tend to form themselves into said generally tubular protectors;
each of said protectors being longitudinally openable to allow easy insertion of one of said animal ears; and positioning means for flexibly joining one end of one protector in spaced apart relationship with one end of the other protector and for securing said device to the head of said animal such that the longitudinal axis of each protector and a portion of each ear of said animal, are held generally horizontally and approximately perpendicularly to the head of said animal whereby the ends of said animal ears are separated by a distance greater than the width of the head of said animal.
Essentially, this is a hair tie for dogs.. it is a pair of protectors made out of highly morphable material that is designed for dogs' ears so that when dogs put their heads into their eating bowls, the protectors are able to pull the hair back and their ears can stay nice and free of food. This product is especially recommended for owners of long-haired breeds such as poodles, for which the feeding process can get slightly messy and sticky. But ouch, it looks quite painful to have them on..
Prior art? Perhaps hair ties for humans? Though it is a little bit of a stretch since the material and shape used in normal hair ties are pretty different from this one.
Novel? Sure. Don't think I have ever come across such a thing for pets.
Useful? Could come in hand for pet owners who find dogs getting their ears dirty from eating a problem - it does seem like it can do a good job of keeping the ears immaculate after a meal. Otherwise, it is quite useless.
Obvious? I would say it is not that obvious to think of an invention like this, except maybe for dog owners who have actually experienced this problem. I guess for those who have dealt with this problem before, it shouldn't be too difficult to think of this solution, though it is rather strange to use a concept originally designed for humans on pets.
Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US4233942
It does look painful for the dog. Maybe a bib that goes all around the dog's neck, rather than just the front might work, or even just simply using a bowtie to hold everything back, as you mentioned. However, it does seem like a problem dog owners would want fixed, especially if it's for dealing with show dogs who need their fur/hair clean.
ReplyDeleteI think it makes the dog look pretty silly, and essentially only useful for dogs with long, fluffy ears? Dogs with short or less furry ears probably would have their ears slip out of the device and feel even more discomfort. Then again, there's no need to discuss this issue unless any dog owner decides to buy it in the first place!
ReplyDeleteI agree that the device may seem a bit uncomfortable for the dog. However, I believe another glaring fact is that the market must be very niche. I do not see investors going for this unless it was part of a dog accessories lineup maybe. There is also minimal impact in propelling technologies related to dog earmuffs.
ReplyDeleteI agree with @Norman here. This is a niche market and I don't think there will be a huge market need for that. As a result, I don't think this patent will be useful in any way since there isn't any possible infringers out there for litigation case.
ReplyDelete