Patents Examined by Shadi Baniani
  • Patent number: 8069820
    Abstract: The instant invention is directed to a pet shelter for domestic pets. More specifically, the instant invention is a pet shelter constructed from a plurality of plastic panels each having integral connectors. The panels are constructed and arranged to be shipped and/or stored in a nested or stacked arrangement to reduce space requirements and shipping costs. The integral fasteners formed onto the panels intermesh to allow the panels to be snapped together without the need for additional fasteners or tools.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Suncast Corporation
    Inventors: Torrence Anderson, Jed Richardson, Robert Kopp, Robert Stein
  • Patent number: 8047159
    Abstract: A pet bowl includes a unitary housing having a front portion and a rear portion. The housing defines an internal chamber having a bottom wall upon which the housing sits in a first/dispensing orientation and a rear wall upon which the housing sits in a second/storage orientation. The housing also includes a first receptacle formed at the rear portion and a second receptacle formed at the front portion. A fluid flow port defined in the housing provides fluid communication between the internal chamber and the second receptacle. A handle is formed by a sidewall of the second receptacle defining a first lip, and a groove in the bottom wall defining a second lip. The housing may further include a transition wall angled from the bottom wall and rear wall, the housing configured to sit on the transition wall in a third/draining orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: TNT Products LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Charles Hewson, Thomas Anthony Nomina, Donald Joseph Suriani
  • Patent number: 8042490
    Abstract: The animal waste collection sheet is planar and is consisted of a top sheet which is liquid permeable, a back sheet which is liquid impermeable and an absorbent sheet disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet. The top sheet has a high fiber density region in a thickness direction thereof, with a fiber density higher than an average fiber density of the top sheet, at least in a part of a side facing the absorbent sheet. The average fiber density is preferably in the range of 0.005 to 0.20 g/cm3, and a fiber density of the high fiber density region is preferably in the range of 0.007 to 0.25 g/cm3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Uni-Charm Corporation
    Inventors: Masayuki Takahashi, Takeshi Ikegami
  • Patent number: 8042489
    Abstract: The present invention provides an animal waste collection sheet effectively inhibiting the leakage of urine, the unclean appearance and the damp or chill surface without increasing the thickness and weight of the top sheet unnecessarily, thus improving the handling property thereof. For example, the animal waste collection sheet is planar and is consisted of a top sheet which is liquid permeable, a back sheet which is liquid impermeable and an absorbent sheet disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet. The top sheet is consisted of a non-woven fabric with convex and concave portions on the surface thereof. The top sheet is preferably a non-woven fabric alternately having a plurality of groove portions and a plurality of convex portions formed in a fixed direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Uni-Charm Corporation
    Inventors: Masayuki Takahashi, Takeshi Ikegami
  • Patent number: 8015746
    Abstract: The invention involves a fishing device used for operatively connecting a first fishing line and a second fishing line from a first fishing rod and a second fishing rod, respectively, to a hook. The fishing device includes a spreader bar having a first connector at a first end, a second connector at a second end, and a third connector interposed between the first end and the second end. The first connector is shaped to connect with the first fishing line. The second connector is shaped to connect with the second fishing line. The third connector is shaped to operatively connect with the hook. The spreader bar is shaped to remain streamline when pulled through a body of water. The spreader bar thereby acts to inhibit the first fishing line from entangling with the second fishing line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Inventors: John Throssell, Dean Ibbitson
  • Patent number: 8006647
    Abstract: An animal grooming tool. The animal grooming tool comprises a handle having a proximal end, a distal end and a gripping portion disposed between the proximal end and the distal end. The handle delimits an internal channel disposed therein. The tool also comprises a brush head integrally attached to the distal end and extending therefrom, the brush head further delimiting the internal channel disposed therein. The brush head has a top wall, a bottom wall and sidewalls connecting the top wall and the bottom wall. The bottom wall includes a plurality of openings defined therethrough and communicating with the channel. The tool further comprises a stabilizer inserted into and extending within the channel. The stabilizer has an open first end, a closed second end and a body disposed between the open first end and the closed second end. The body has a plurality of apertures defined therethrough and aligned with the openings of the bottom wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Inventor: Emmanuel Raber
  • Patent number: 7963251
    Abstract: An animal toileting system including a device (10) having a zone (19) into which an animal may urinate, defecate or both. The zone (19) has an aperture (18) through which animal waste may pass. A number of inserts (30, 32, 34) are provided that reduce or block the size of the aperture (18).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Inventors: Terence Jeffery Lapidge, Joanna Fredericks
  • Patent number: 7930997
    Abstract: A head harness for walking dogs includes a nosepiece member attached to distal ends of at least one reins member having an attached leash ring, and the nosepiece further being connected to two short connecting straps. A chin strap, a neck collar with a release buckle, and the two short straps are linked at the free ends by a ring connecting means. The reins members are slidingly connected proximal the two distal ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Inventor: Paula L. Ashby
  • Patent number: 7908788
    Abstract: An apparatus for reducing by-catch of seabirds or turtles during fishing include a fish hook (220) and a barrier or shield (227) mounted in a position relative to the fish hook (220) such that the barrier (227) reduces or prevents hooking of a seabird or turtle by the fish hook or ingestion of the hook by a seabird or turtle. The apparatus includes a degradable component (226) that degrades when placed in water such that when the degradable component degrades the barrier moves away from the position relative to the fish hook or no longer exists to allow the fish hook to be taken by a fish. The degradable component (226) may be a retaining means or a mounting means. The degradable component may form part of, or all of, the barrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Huna Holdings Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Hanfried Jusseit
  • Patent number: 7886479
    Abstract: A trap having a first housing member slideably engaged with a second housing member, to provide a collapsible trapping enclosure therebetween. The trap has an opening that provides a passageway to the trapping enclosure, such as an opening disposed in one of the first and second housing members. The trap has an open position and a closed position. In the open position, the opening is unobstructed so that an animal may enter and exit the trapping enclosure. In the closed position, the opening is substantially blocked. A trigger is located inside the trap, so that when the trigger is triggered by an animal, the trap moves to its closed position, enclosing the animal inside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: SMG Brands, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Bruno, Matthew L. Phillips, Lynn Briggs, Thomas Paul Danniger, Richard Gene Foster
  • Patent number: 7882807
    Abstract: A cover and lifter for use with an outdoor device having at least one ventilation port, such as a calf hutch and the like, including a shaft having a hook on its outer end and a fastener on its inner end that holds a lift plate against the under side of the top of the outdoor device. Preferably the materials from which the cover and lifter are made are weather resistant, such as stainless steel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Inventor: James Marlin Michels
  • Patent number: 7874097
    Abstract: A lobster trap that promotes entry of lobsters into the trap while restricting lobsters from exiting the trap. Accordingly, a lobster trap comprises at least one head including an opening for entry into an interior of the trap, and a shield member mounted to the trap adjacent the opening. The shield member extends into the interior of the trap away from a plane of the opening and shields the opening from egress from the interior of the trap from at least one direction while not restricting entry to the interior of the trap. The lobster trap can further include a guard member extending from the shield so as to further restrict exit from the trap via the head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Inventor: William Hooper Goodwin, III
  • Patent number: 7861454
    Abstract: The invention is a fishing system comprising a fishing pole with a force measuring device coupled to a transmitter. The transmitter broadcasts a signal including a representation of the force measured by the force measuring device. The fishing system includes a receiver configured to receive the transmitted force data generated by the fishing pole or poles. The receiver may be configured to display, store, or process force data received from said fishing pole or multiple fishing poles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Inventor: David Pekin
  • Patent number: 7856945
    Abstract: An animal litter box having a movable hood can be used both in the open state and the closed state, and the movable hood can be compactly accommodated in the open state. The animal litter box includes an evacuation container and a hood, the hood having a fixed hood, a movable hood, and a pair of connecting portions. On the movable hood, an opening is provided to a front surface of the movable hood, wherein, the movable hood is rotatably movable with the movable hood 32 being located outside of the fixed hood, and wherein, when the movable hood is in the open state, the movable hood covers an outside of the fixed hood.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Uni-Charm Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Matsuo, Takeshi Ikegami, Kenji Hiroshima
  • Patent number: 7854091
    Abstract: A flowerpot comprises a box body and a spacer. The buckling sheets of the spacer are buckled to the buckling recesses of the box body; and the spacer is placed upon the projection sheets and the wall assembly; a lower space and rear side of the box body below the spacer is formed with a water collecting tank and the space of the upper front side of the box body above the spacer is formed with a planting tank. In use, the hook of the spacer and the hook portion of the box body is attached to one supporting rod of a frame assembly and the two protrusions are placed upon another supporting rod. The water draining opening guides water from an upper flowerpot to a lower flowerpot. The water absorption sheets installed in the spacer can guide water from the water collecting tank to the planting tank automatically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Inventor: Hsiao-An Chang
  • Patent number: 7849631
    Abstract: Method for avoiding frost damage in crops (35) and/or for improving the fructification at low temperatures, characterized in that it consists in periodically heating and cooling the air on the site of the crops (35) between a minimum and a maximum temperature with a minimal temperature variation of 0.2° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Lazo Europe, Naamloze Vennootschap
    Inventor: Polleunis Marc
  • Patent number: 7845106
    Abstract: An automatic jigging device is described that utilizes a cam to move a fishing rod upwardly and downwardly in a manner based on fish behavior and psychology for a particular type of fish to increase the probability that a fish of the prescribed type will bite. Embodiments of a fishing rod holder are also described that can be used with the automatic jiggers or separately. The holder is adapted to lockably retain a fishing rod therein without the use of additional pieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Inventor: John B Norman
  • Patent number: 7841125
    Abstract: A system for ice fishing has a base with a support surface, an arm extending up from the support surface and an upper end of the arm pivotally connected at a pivot point to a fishing pole support. The fishing pole support has a grip support back end having a fishing line brace rearward of the pivot point and pole support front end forward of the pivot point so that a fishing line passing from the pole support front end over the fishing line brace passes in a downward direction. When tension is applied to the downward fishing line, pivoting pressure is provided to the grip support back end at the line brace, elevating the pole support front end by rotation of the fishing pole support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Inventor: Daniel V. Foss
  • Patent number: 7841126
    Abstract: An improved slip sinker having a hollow non-buoyant tubular body mounted intermediate a flanged head piece having a fish line receiving aperture and a weighted ballast piece. Surface projections at the head and ballast pieces mount and fasten to the bore of the tubular body. Alternative sinker configurations provide body pieces that support a ballast connector that receives mating interchangeable ballast weights. The hollow bodies of other sinkers support reflective devices, luminous materials, luminous devices, rattle pieces, granular ballast materials, scents, and/or a plug end. Profile expanding filaments can be adapted into the ballast, head or body pieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Inventor: Mikel Huppert
  • Patent number: 7841132
    Abstract: A watering jug reliably delivers water to a hanging plant, or the like. A manually operable pump sits atop an intake tube; a valve positioned at a juncture between the intake tube and a discharge tube controls the redirecting of the measured amount of water to the distal end of the discharge tube. An optional sprinkling head may be used. A second embodiment features an extension sleeve which measures out a desired amount of water to the plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Inventor: Duane Kinnear