US 5,870,851 A · Flea removal assembly and conversion kit

Abstract

The assembly of the invention comprises a comb externally disposed at one end of a housing member adjacent an air inlet opening for separating fleas from the outer skin of an animal. A specific embodiment comprises a retrofit kit combination for converting a hand-held battery-powered vacuum cleaner into a flea removal assembly. A comb assembly has a structural configuration effective to fit in registered alignment with the air inlet opening of the vacuum cleaner for separating fleas from the outer skin of an animal. The comb may be coupled in a fixed manner or be removably secured to the outer distal end of the housing member adjacent the air inlet opening. A flea disposal module is effective to entrap fleas separated from the outer skin of an animal with the comb and subsequently carried into the air inlet opening of the housing member when the suction providing mechanism of the vacuum cleaner operates to produce a current of air flowing into the air inlet opening, through the housing member, and out of the air outlet opening of the housing member.

Claims24

Dependent claims

An assembly for removing fleas from the outer skin of animals while protecting an animal caretaker from becoming a host for separated fleas, said assembly comprising:

a) housing means defining material collection chamber means having air inlet means at one end thereof and air outlet means at the other end thereof,
b) comb means externally disposed at said one end of the housing means adjacent the air inlet means for separating fleas from the outer skin of an animal,
c) flea disposal means removably disposed within the housing means for entrapping separated fleas within said chamber means,
d) said flea disposal means including support base means, air pervious means, and adhesive surface carrier means mounted to said support base means to adhesively capture said separated fleas upon contact within said housing means,
e) air current producing means and connecting means for removably attaching said housing means to said air current producing means for causing an air current to flow into said material collection chamber means through the air inlet means and out of said air outlet means,
f) said support base means being removably mounted to said air producing means and said air pervious means being effective to allow said current of air to flow through said flea disposal means.

3 more elements

A retrofit kit combination for converting a hand-held vacuum cleaner into a flea removal assembly wherein the vacuum cleaner includes a material collection housing member removably attached to hand-held suction providing means wherein the housing member has air inlet means at an outer distal end thereof, air outlet means at an inner end thereof, and air filter means disposed within the air outlet means to allow an air current to flow through the housing member while collecting material carried by the air current within the housing member, and said air inlet means includes receiving means for removably mating with an insertion portion of a nozzle member, said kit combination comprising:

a) a nozzle member including an air inlet opening at a distal end thereof and an insertion portion having a structural configuration to removably fit into said air inlet receiving means, and
b) flea separating comb means including a tine portion and mating surface portion shaped to conform to and mate with an outer surface portion of said nozzle member,
c) said comb means including mounting means for fixing said tine portion adjacent said air inlet opening so that said tine portion is fixedly located at an angular disposition to and in registered alignment with said air inlet opening of the nozzle member.

a) comb means having a structural configuration effective to fit in registered alignment with the air inlet means of said vacuum cleaner for separating fleas from the outer skin of an animal,
b) comb coupling means for securing the flea separating comb means to the outer distal end of said housing member adjacent said air inlet means, and
c) a flea disposal module having a structural configuration effective to fit in registered alignment with the outlet means of the housing member in place of the air filter means of the vacuum cleaner,
d) said flea disposal module being effective to entrap fleas separated from the outer skin of an animal with said comb means and carried into said air inlet means of the housing member when the suction providing means produces a current of air to flow into the air inlet means, through the housing member, and out of said air outlet means,
e) said flea disposal module includes connecting means for securing said flea disposal module to said suction providing means in exchange for said air filter means of said vacuum cleaner, and baffle means disposed on base frame means to form an entrapment zone adjacent said air outlet means within said material collection housing member,
f) said baffle means including air current flow control means for increasing the velocity of air as a current of air flows through said baffle means, and
g) said baffle means including adhesive surface portions to entrap said separated fleas upon contact.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Flea removal assembly and conversion kit

Life of this patent

Flea removal assembly and conversion kit

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims24