ANIMAL APRON

TABLIER POUR ANIMAL

English Abstract

CA 02902137 2016-08-26
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.

French Abstract

CA 02902137 2016-08-26 ABRÉGÉ La présente invention concerne un vêtement de protection pour chiens (adaptable à dautres quadrupèdes) qui protège particulièrement les régions de labdomen et supérieures internes des pattes et de la poitrine de lanimal contre leau, la boue, la saleté, les insectes, la neige et le feuillage. Le vêtement est configuré pour donner à lanimal une liberté de mouvement dhorlogerie des pattes avant et arrière et la liberté duriner avec un minimum déclaboussures sur le vêtement. Le vêtement peut être porté tout seul, ou conjointement avec dautres vêtements thermiques ou imperméables pour animaux. La participation des humains permet dattacher le vêtement à lanimal, le vêtement, passant autour de son cou et de son corps, selon un moyen ajustable et libérable.

Claims

6
CLAIMS
The 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

7
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

8
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

Description

CA 02902137 2016-08-26
1
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.

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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.

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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

CA 02902137 2016-08-26
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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.

CA 02902137 2016-08-26
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.

Representative Drawing