CA2902137C

CA2902137C - Animal apron

Info

Publication number: CA2902137C
Application number: CA2902137A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Elizabeth Thomas
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-08-27
Filing date: 2015-08-27
Publication date: 2022-07-12
Anticipated expiration: 2035-08-27
Also published as: CA2902137A1

Abstract

ABSTRACT
The present invention is directed to a protective garment for dogs (adaptable to other quadrupeds) specifically protecting the abdominal and upper inner leg and chest areas of the animal against water, mud, dirt, insects, snow and foliage. The garrnent is configured to enable freedom of front and rear leg movement and freedom of urination by the animal with minimal spillage onto the garment. The garment may be worn on its own, or in conjunction with other thermal or waterproof pet garments. With human involvement, the garment is secured to the animal around the animal's neck and body, through adjustable releasable means.

Description

TITLE: ANIMAL APRON
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a new garment for quadruped animals, to protect the abdominal and upper inner leg areas and chest area from environmental elements.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Currently, there are many overcoat garments available for four-legged pets and livestock in the marketplace. There are pet and equine overcoats manufactured for warmth and insulation or waterproof or strictly fashion purposes. Typically, such overcoats cover the animal's back and chest areas, and sometimes the front legs and outer rear legs. Such overcoats are either held in place by elastic means around the front legs and neck, or by strap means encircling the pet's abdomen or rear legs. Such overcoats do not provide protection of the animal's underbelly abdominal area and upper inner front and rear leg area and chest area from environmental elements. The abdominal and inner leg areas of animals are especially prone to collection and retention of dirt, insects, foliage (such as burrs and grass seeds), mud and snow when a pet is spending time outside in or after inclement weather, and especially if the pet has a long coat or very thick or double coat. Ordinarily, owners of pets and livestock have to spend time and effort carefully grooming these particular areas of their animal after the animal has been outside during inclement weather, or following such weather. If the animal owner does not groom the animal, then the animal may become ill due to accumulated dirt, insects, foliage or water, causing matting, topical skin disorders or internal diseases. Grooming is time consuming and labour intensive for animal owners, especially if the animal has a thick, long, or double natural coat or does not enjoy being groomed. Domestic pet owners' homes can also become dirty due to dirt, mud, foliage or snow falling off the pet once the pet is inside, and house-cleaning is also time consuming and labour intensive.

2 The present invention provides simple, cost-effective protection of an animal's chest, underbelly, abdominal area and upper inner front and rear leg area against dirt, mud, insects, foliage and water and snow.

3 DESCRIPTION
In a preferred embodiment, FIGS. 1 and 2 show an animal apron 100 in accordance with the invention, with FIG. 1 showing a dog wearing said animal apron 100 and FIG. 2 showing only said animal apron 100 from a top view. In a preferred embodiment, an animal apron 100 has a substantially ovaloid body portion 110 having an anterior end 111 and a posterior end 114, having a releasable, adjustable-length neck band 120 at said anterior end 111 thereof, and having a first releasable adjustable-length body fastener 130 disposed posteriorly to said neck band 120 and a second releasable adjustable-length body fastener 140 fixedly attached thereto disposed posteriorly to said first body fastener 130. In a preferred embodiment, said first body fastener 130 further comprises a first member 131 and a second member 132 operated by encircling said first member and said second member underneath a quadruped animal's body posterior to said quadruped animal's front legs and releasably connecting said first member and said second member by known plastic buckle means 151 and 152. In a preferred embodiment said second body fastener 140 further comprises a first portion 141 and a second portion 142 operated by encircling said first portion 141 and said second portion 142 underneath a quadruped animal's body posterior to said first body fastener 130 and anterior to said animal's rear legs and releasably connecting said first portion 141 and said second portion 142 by known plastic buckle means 151 and 152. In a preferred embodiment, said body portion 110 has a first curvilinear lateral cut-out 115 and a second curvilinear lateral cut-out 116 disposed substantially symmetrically on each side of said body portion 110 proximal to and equidistant from said neck band 120 to accommodate front leg freedom of movement of an animal wearing said animal apron 100. In a preferred embodiment, a posterior end of said first cut-out 115 is fixedly attached to said first member 131 of said first body fastener 130 and a posterior end of said second cut-out 116 is fixedly attached to said second member 132 of said first body fastener 130. In a preferred embodiment, said body portion 110 further comprises a first dart 161 and a second dart 162 disposed substantially symmetrically.
Said first dart 161 runs substantially straight from a first medial point of said anterior end of said body portion 111 to a point anterior of said first cut out 115. Said second dart 162 runs substantially straight from a second medial point of said anterior end of said body portion 111 to a point anterior of said second cut-out 116. Said first dart 161 and said second dart 162 provide a more form-fitting gamient across an animal's chest area and may be tailored to a particular animal's chest depth and shape. In a

4 preferred embodiment, said posterior end 114 of said body portion 110 terminates in a first flap 112 and a second flap 113 distal from and equidistant from said neck band 120 and substantially symmetrical and equal sized, to accommodate rear leg freedom of movement and urination of an animal wearing said animal apron 100. In a preferred embodiment, an anterior end 117 of said first flap 112 is fixedly attached to said first portion 141 of said second body fastener 140 and an anterior end 118 of said second flap 113 is fixedly attached to said second portion 142 of said second body fastener 140. Said first flap 112 and said second flap 113 hang downwardly during use, and protect the animal's upper inner rear leg area from mud and dirt and moisture kicked up by the animal's front legs during ordinary forward movement. In a preferred embodiment, said body portion 110 is made from waterproof nylon fabric, of sufficient fabric weight and density to prevent casual piercing from contact with underbrush or obstacles. In a preferred embodiment, said neck band 120 and said first body fastener 130 and said second body fastener 140 are made of known strong nylon webbing fabric having thereon a known releasable plastic buckle 150 (shown in an open position at 151 and 152, and a closed position at 150). In a preferred embodiment, during use said first body fastener 130 and said second body fastener 140 are adjustably fastened by a human user around an animal's abdomen and said neck band 120 is adjustably fastened by a human user around the animal's neck so that said animal apron 100 fits snugly on the animal and said body portion 110 substantially covers the animal's chest and abdomen without causing discomfort. Other animal products, such as collars, leashes, harnesses, horse tack, service vests, and coats may be worn by the pet simultaneously with said animal apron.
While the invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments by way of illustration, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. For instance, said body portion 110, said first flap 112 and said second flap 113, and said first cut-out 115 and said second cut-out 116 and said first dart 161 and said second dart 162 may all be crafted in a variety of sizes to accommodate large or small sized quadruped animals having larger or smaller chest and abdominal areas and legs and a variety of chest/abdominal shapes. The fabric and fasteners used in manufacturing said animal apron can be adapted to accommodate different sizes and strengths of animals, different animal coats, and may be chosen to effect additional known functions such as reflective or heat retentive/heat dispersive functions.

Use of the present invention results in improved protection of animals from environmental hazards, improved animal health and in reduced human time and labour in grooming pets and livestock and in cleaning homes. Use of the present invention may assist in preventing insect and foliage and dirt based diseases of pets and livestock.
The above description is intended to be illustrative rather than construed in a restrictive sense, and variations to the specific item described may be apparent to skilled persons in adapting the present invention to specific applications where animal size or type of animal requires adaptation. Such variations are intended to form part of the present invention insofar as they are within the spirit and scope of the claims below.

Claims

6The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1, An animal apron comprising:
a body portion having an anterior and a posterior end, said posterior end terminating in two symmetrical equal-sized elongate flap members;
a body fastener means;
a neck fastener means.

2. An animal apron as claimed in claim 1, wherein said body fastener means is fixedly attached to said body portion.

3. An animal apron as claimed in any one of claims 1- 2, wherein said body fastener means is fixedly attached at substantially a mid-point of said body portion.

4, An animal apron as claimed in any one of claims 1 ¨ 3, wherein said neck fastener means is fixedly attached to said body portion.

5. An animal apron as claimed in any one of claims 1 -4, wherein said neck fastener means is fixedly attached at an anterior end of said body portion.

6, An animal apron comprising:
a body portion having an anterior and a posterior end, said posterior end terminating in two symmetrical equal-sized elongate fiap members;
a plurality of fixedly attached body fastener means at substantially a mid-point of said body portion;
a fixedly attached neck fastener means at said anterior end of said body portion.

7. An animal apron as defined in claim 6, wherein said body fastener means are fixedly attached to said body portion.
Date recue/date received 2021-10-20

8. An animal apron as defined in any one of claims 6-7, wherein said body fastener means are fixedly attached to said body portion distal from each other, such that in use, such body fastener means are located posterior to an animal's front legs and anterior to an animal's hind legs.

9. An animal apron as defined in any one of claims 6 ¨ 8, wherein said neck fastener means is fixedly attached to said body portion.

10. An animal apron as defined in any one of claims 6 ¨ 9, wherein said body portion is substantially ovaloid.

11. An animal apron as defined in any one of claims 1- 10, wherein said body portion has two symmetrical curvilinear lateral cut-out portions, one of said cut-out portions on each side of said body portion, each of said cut-out portions arcing medially from a point approximately 25% of the length of said body portion from said anterior end of said body portion to substantially a midpoint of said body portion.

12. An animal apron as defined in any one of claims 1 ¨ 11, wherein said body fastener means is adjustable in length.

13. An animal apron as defined in any one of claims 1 ¨ 12, wherein said neck fastener means is adjustable in length.

14. An animal apron as defined in any one of claims 1 ¨ 13, wherein said body fastener means are releasable.

15. An animal apron as defined in any one of claims 1 ¨ 14, wherein said neck fastener means is releasable.

16. An animal apron a,s defined in any one of claims 1 ¨ 15, wherein said neck fastener means is of known nylon webbing material terminating in a known plastic trident buckle type male/female clasp.
Date recue/date received 2021-10-20

17, An animal apron as defined in any one of claims 1 ¨ 16, wherein said body fastener means is of known nylon webbing material terminating in a known plastic trident buckle type male/female clasp.

18. An animal apron as defined in any one of claims I ¨ 17, wherein said animal apron is of known waterproof material.

19. An animal apron as defined in any one of claims 1 ¨ 18, wherein said body portion has two symmetrical substantially parallel darts each of said daxts extending straight posteriorly from said anterior end of said body portion to a point approximately 25% of the length of said body portion.
Date recue/date received 2021-10-20