WO2005079564A1

WO2005079564A1 - A dog ear cleaner

Info

Publication number: WO2005079564A1
Application number: PCT/KR2004/000770
Authority: WO
Inventors: Byoung-Yup Choi; Kang-Womn Kang
Original assignee: Sungshin Industry Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2004-02-24
Filing date: 2004-04-02
Publication date: 2005-09-01

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dog ear cleaner. An ear canal of the dog is a L-shape structure in such a manner that the ear canal is divided into a vertical external ear canal 1 and a horizontal external ear canal (2). Therefore, a general cotton swab (3) may be used to clean only the vertical external ear canal (1) but not to clean the horizontal external ear canal (2) full of internal secretion. Furthermore, since the structure of the dog's ear is complicated, unnecessary frequent cleaning of the ear can cause otitis interna. Thus, there is a difficulty in cleaning the dog's ear with the cotton swab. In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a dog ear cleaner capable of cleaning the interior of a dog's ear with water by injecting cleaning water into the dog's ear and simultaneously sucking up the contaminated water from the ear. Further, the present invention provides a safe dog ear cleaner capable of cleaning the interior of a dog's ear without any wounds.

Description

[DESCRIPTION]

[Invention Title] A DOG EAR CLEANER

[Technical Field] The present invention relates to a dog ear cleaner.

[Background Art] In general, since worms such as ear mites live on an ear of a dog, they cause the dog's ear to be itchy. Further, since the worms excrete their wastes, the interior of the dog's ear is dampened and unsanitary. Furthermore, due to the wastes of worms, irritation or bad smell occurs in the dog's ear. To prevent the foregoing, therefore, ordinary persons periodically clean the dog's ear using a cotton swab applied with oxygenated water, ear clean or the like. As shown in Fig. 1, however, an ear canal of the dog is a L-shape structure in such a manner that the ear canal is divided into a vertical external ear canal 1 and a horizontal external ear canal 2. Therefore, a general cotton swab 3 may be used to clean only the vertical external ear canal 1 but not to clean the horizontal external ear canal 2 full of internal secretion. Furthermore, since the structure of the dog's ear is complicated, unnecessary frequent cleaning of the ear can cause otitis interna. Thus, there is a difficulty in cleaning the dog's ear with the cotton swab.

[Description of Drawings] Fig. 1 is a view illustrating a method of cleaning a dog ear according to a prior art. Fig. 2 is a first perspective view of a dog ear cleaner according to the present invention. Fig. 3 is a second perspective view of a dog ear cleaner according to the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a view showing a detailed configuration of the dog ear cleaner according to the present invention. Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a cleaning water heating device for use in the dog ear cleaner according to the present invention. Fig. 6 is a sectional view illustrating a state where the cleaning water heating device is installed to the dog ear cleaner according to the present invention. Fig. 7 shows a state of a first embodiment of a cleaning gun of the present invention before its use. Fig. 8 shows a state of the first embodiment of the cleaning gun of the present invention after its use. Fig. 9 shows the configuration of a second embodiment of a cleaning gun according to the present invention. Fig. 10 shows a state of the second embodiment of the cleaning gun of the present invention before its use. Fig. 11 shows a state of the second embodiment of the cleaning gun of the present invention after its use. Fig. 12 is a view illustrating a state where the dog ear cleaner is used according to the present invention. Fig. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a process of controlling the cleaning water heating device of the dog ear cleaner according to the present invention.

[Explanation of Reference Numerals for Major Portions Shown in Drawings 1 : Vertical external ear canal 2: Horizontal external ear canal 10: Main body 11: Housing 20: Cleaning water container 30: Drain container 40: Cleaning gun 50: Cleaning water heating device 71: Discharge tube 72: Suction tube 80: Vacuum pump 90: Driving motor 101: First air tube 102: Second air tube 103: Relief valve 410: Pressurizing valve 420: Push valve

[Disclosure]

[Technical Problem] A main object of the present invention is to provide a dog ear cleaner capable of cleaning the interior of a dog's ear with water by injecting cleaning water into the dog's ear and simultaneously sucking up the contaminated water from the ear. Further, another object of the present invention is to provide a safe dog ear cleaner capable of cleaning the interior of a dog's ear without any wounds.

[Technical Solution] According to an aspect of the present invention for achieving the above objects, there is provided a dog ear cleaner, comprising a main body including a housing; hermetic cleaning water and drain containers that are installed within the main body; a vacuum pump that is installed within the main body and connected to the containers through air tubes so as to cause the drain container to be in a low-pressure state and the cleaning water container to be in a high-pressure state by sucking up air from the drain container and supplying the sucked air to the cleaning water container; a driving motor for operating the vacuum pump; and a cleaning gun that is positioned outside the main body and connected to the cleaning water and drain containers through suction and discharge tubes, respectively, so as to cause the cleaning water to be discharged through the discharge tube and also contaminated water to be returned to the drain container through the suction tube due to air pressure in the containers. Further, the housing may be provided with a storage space for detachably accommodating the cleaning water and drain containers therein, and the storage space may be opened and closed by a pivoting cover. The housing may be provided with a gun holder for holding the cleaning gun and causing the tubes connected to the cleaning gun to be wound thereon. Preferably, a relief valve for regulating air pressure in the cleaning water at a constant value is installed on a first air tube that connects the vacuum pump and the cleaning water container. Preferably, a rotary switch for adjusting an amount of the cleaning water to be discharged is installed on the main body. More preferably, a cleaning water heating device is installed at the bottom of the cleaning water container, and the cleaning water heating device comprises a metal plate corresponding to a bottom surface of the cleaning water container, a conduction plate brought into contact with the metal plate, a base plate coupled with both the conduction plate and the main body, and a cleaning water heater installed between the conduction and base plates and subjected to on/off control by means of a power button installed on the main body. The cleaning water heater may be a device selected from the group consisting of a thermoelectric module, an electric heater and a semiconducting ceramic heater. Preferably, a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the cleaning water is installed in the cleaning water container. The cleaning gun may be provided with a pressurizing valve for closing or opening a flow passage of the discharge tube by pressing the discharge tube by means of a push button or not. Further, the pressurizing valve includes a tube holder that is installed fixedly in a casing of the cleaning gun and formed with a through hole, through which the discharge tube passes in a horizontal direction, at the center thereof and with a vertical groove, which communicates with the through hole, at the top thereof; a tube-pressing member that is installed vertically movably within the vertical groove and formed with a center hole, through which the discharge tube passes, at the center thereof and with an upper portion thereof being brought into contact with the push button; and an elastic member for elastically supporting a lower portion of the tube-pressing member and upwardly pushing the tube-pressing member such that the center hole is eccentric with the through hole when the push button is not pressed. Alternatively, the cleaning gun may be provided with a push valve for opening and closing a divided flow passage of the discharge tube by manipulating a push button. Further, the push valve includes a valve housing that is formed with inlet and outlet ports, both of which are connected to both ends of the divided discharge tube; and a valve stem that is installed elastically and movably in a vertical direction between the inlet and outlet ports and causes the inlet and outlet ports not to communicate with each other when the valve stem is raised and also causes the inlet and outlet ports to communicate with each other when the valve stem is lowered by a pressing force of the push button.

[Advantageous Effects] Since a dog ear cleaner of the present invention is configured in such a manner that cleaning water is injected into the dog's ear to clean the ear, a deep horizontal external ear canal can be cleaned. Further, since the ear is cleaned with water such that no wounds are produced, a safe cleaning can be made. In addition, since cleaning water is heated to and kept at a proper temperature, a dog can be prevented from being startled during the cleaning process. Therefore, an easy cleaning can be made. Further, since an amount of cleaning water to be discharged can be controlled, an appropriate cleaning condition can be set according to the sizes and kinds of the dog. Furthermore, since water pressure is always kept to be constant, reliability of the apparatus can be improved in view of its stability.

[Best Mode] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 2 to 13. A dog ear cleaner of the present invention comprises a main body 10 having a housing 11. The housing 11 is composed of an upper housing 11a and a lower housing lib which are engaged with each other. A storage space S is provided at the rear of the upper housing 11a for accommodating a cleaning water container 20 and a drain container 30 which will be described later. Further, a transparent pivoting cover 12 is provided at the top of the storage space for allowing the storage space to be opened or closed. In addition, a gun holder 13 is installed in the front of the upper housing 11a. The gun holder 13 includes a holding portion 13a into which a cleaning gun 40 to be described later can be inserted and held and a bobbin portion 13b on which suction and discharge tubes (to be explained later) can be wound. Furthermore, a foldable handle 14 is provided at the top of the upper housing 11a for allowing the cleaner to be easily carried. The dog ear cleaner of the present invention is further provided in the storage space S of the upper housing 11a with the cleaning water container 20 for containing cleaning water therein and the drain container 30 for collecting contaminated water therein. The cleaning water container 20 is made of a heat resistant plastic that is relatively strong against heat. A cleaning water heating device 50 is installed at the bottom of the cleaning water container so as to cause the cleaning water in the container to be heated at a temperature suitable for the cleaning process. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the cleaning water heating device 50 comprises a metal plate 51 which is engaged with the bottom of the cleaning water container 20 through insert molding, a conduction plate 52 which is brought into contact with the metal plate, a base plate 53 which is coupled to the conduction plate and the upper housing 11a with screws 54, and a thin cleaning water heater 55 which is interposed between the conduction and base plates and turned on/off by a power button 15 installed on the main body 10. The metal plate 51 rapidly absorbs heat from the cleaning water heater 55 to raise the temperature of the cleaning water. The base plate 53 efficiently radiates heat generated from the cleaning water heater 55 to prevent the heating device to be overheated. Therefore, it is preferred that the metal plate 51 and the base plate 53 be made of a metal with good thermal conductivity, e.g. aluminum, copper, silver, gold or the like. It is preferred that the cleaning water heater 55 be any one of a thermoelectric element or module, an electric heater, and a semiconducting ceramic heater. For reference, the thermoelectric module is a device using a so-called Peltier effect in which when direct current is applied to two kinds of metal plates superimposed on each other, one metal plate absorbs heat and the other metal plate releases heat according to the current direction. That is, the absorbing-side metal plate can cool the objects or fluids adjacent to the plate, whereas the releasing-side metal plate can heat the objects or fluids adjacent to the plate. Since it is required in the present invention that the cleaning water, i.e. the fluid adjacent to the plate, should be heated up to a certain temperature, therefore, the thermoelectric module can be merely installed such that the heat releasing-side metal plate faces the cleaning water. Also, the electric heater may be generally made of a conductive material and into a shape in which its heat wires are installed in a thin metallic casing in serpentine mode. Alternatively, the semiconducting ceramic heater is a device using a positive temperature coefficient thermistor heating element, i.e. semiconducting ceramics. The positive temperature coefficient thermistor heating element is also operated in such a manner that a heat release rate can be spontaneously increased or decreased in accordance with variation in ambient temperature. Thus, there is no overheating problem. Since the element is initially made from oxide, there is no change over time. Thus, there is almost no change in resistance and good reproducibility. Consequently, precision temperature control can be made. Meanwhile, a temperature sensor 60 for sensing the temperature of the cleaning water is installed in the cleaning water container 20. This temperature sensor is connected to the cleaning water heater 55 and a electric circuit via a microcomputer (not shown) such that the cleaning water cannot be overheated up to a set temperature by allowing the cleaning water heater to be automatically turned off through a control operation of the microcomputer when the temperature of the cleaning water is equal to or greater than the set temperature. In addition, a display unit 16 is provided on a surface of the main body 10 so as to allow temperature data detected by the temperature sensor 60 to be outputted thereon. This display unit allows a user to recognize a current temperature of the cleaning water since the cleaning water temperature is outputted onto the display in real time. Therefore, although the cleaning water temperature does not reach the set temperature, a manual operation of voluntarily turning off the cleaning water heater 55 can be made through the manipulation of the power button 15 of the heater. That is, although the cleaning water temperature is set to an optimum temperature suitable for cleaning the dog ear with water, the user can voluntarily stop the operation of heating the cleaning water at a certain temperature when the cleaning temperature needs be changed according to the kinds or habits of dog. A rotary switch 16 for adjusting a heating temperature of the cleaning water heater 55 is installed on the main body 10. This rotary temperature control switch is a means for allowing the cleaning water to be rapidly or slowly heated by increasing or decreasing the heating temperature of the cleaning water heater. The dog ear cleaner of the present invention further comprises a cleaning gun 40 which is disposed outside the main body 10 to inject the cleaning water in the cleaning water container 20 and then to suck up the injected cleaning water. The cleaning gun 40 is connected to the cleaning water container 20 via the discharge tube 71 and to the drain container 30 via the suction tube 72 such that the cleaning water can be injected or sucked up by means of difference in air pressure in the cleaning water container 20 and the drain container 30. At this time, a valve for regulating the flow of cleaning water with a push button is installed within the cleaning gun 40. The valve is classified into a pressurizing valve 410 for regulating the flow of cleaning water through the deformation of the discharge tube 71 and a push valve 420 for regulating the flow of cleaning water through a valve stem without deforming the discharge tube 71. The two valves may be selectively employed. As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the pressurizing valve 410 comprises a tube holder 411 that is installed fixedly in a casing 41 of the cleaning gun 40 and formed with a through hole 411a, through which the discharge tube 71 passes in a horizontal direction, at the center thereof and with a vertical groove 41 lb, which communicates with the through hole, at the top thereof; a tube-pressing member 412 that is installed vertically movably within the vertical groove 41 lb and formed with a center hole 412a, through which the discharge tube 71 passes, at the center thereof and with an upper portion thereof being brought into contact with the push button 42; and an elastic member 413 for elastically supporting the tube-pressing member 412 in a state where it is seated onto the bottom of the vertical groove 41 lb. As shown in Figs. 9 to 11, the push valve 420 comprises a valve housing that is formed with inlet and outlet ports 421a and 421b, both of which are connected to the discharge tube, at both sides thereof; a valve seat 422 that is installed between the inlet and outlet ports 421a and 421b of the valve housing; and a valve stem 423 that is elastically installed with a spring 424 to open or close a flow passage 422a in the valve seat. At this time, the valve stem 423 is generally in a state where an upper end thereof is exposed toward the top of the valve housing 421 by means of an elastic force of the spring 424, and the exposed portion of the valve stem 423 is pushed down in a leverage manner by a pusher 425 which is hinged to the top of the valve housing 421 and in turn pushed down by the push button 42. A vacuum pump 80 and a driving motor 90 are further installed within the main body 10 of the dog ear cleaner of the present invention and provide power for causing the cleaning water in the cleaning water container 20 to be discharged through the cleaning gun 40 and simultaneously the discharged cleaning water to be sucked up through the gun. At this time, a discharge port 81 of the vacuum pump 80 is connected to the cleaning water container 20 via a first air tube 101 while a suction port 82 of the vacuum pump 80 is connected to the drain container 30 via a second air tube 102. The second air tube 102 is a tube for sucking air in the drain container 30 into the vacuum pump 80 whereas the first air tube 101 is a tube for supplying the cleaning water container 20 with the air sucked into the vacuum pump from the drain container 30. Further, a relief valve 103 for providing constant air pressure to the cleaning water container 20 is installed on the first air tube 101. This relief valve is a pressure-regulating valve for always regulating pressure in the cleaning water container 20 automatically into the set pressure by discharging a part or all of the fluid to the outside when the pressure in the cleaning water container reaches the set pressure. Reference numeral 45, which has not yet been explained, designates a tune connector for connecting the discharge and suction tubes 71 and 72 to the cleaning gun 40. Hereinafter, the operation of the dog ear cleaner according to the present invention so configured will be explained with reference to Figs. 2 to 13. If the power button 18 installed on the main body 10 is pressed in a state where an appropriate amount of the cleaning water or chemicals is filled in the cleaning water container 20, the vacuum pump 80 is operated by means of the driving motor 90. Then, air in the drain container 30 is sucked into the vacuum pump through the second air tube 102 that connects the drain container 30 and the suction port 82 of the vacuum pump 80. The sucked air is injected into the cleaning water container through the first air tube 101 that connects the cleaning water container 20 and the discharge port 81 of the vacuum pump. Accordingly, the drain container 30 from which air is continuously discharged is kept at a low-pressure state whereas the cleaning water container 20 into which air is continuously filled is kept at a high-pressure state. At this time, a front end of the cleaning gun 40 is inserted into the dog ear. Then, if the push button 42 of the cleaning gun is pressed, the flow passage of the discharge tube 71 that is still closed is opened. As a result, the amount of cleaning water corresponding to the amount of air injected into the cleaning water container 20 is injected into the dog ear through the discharge tube 71 and an injection port 43 of the cleaning gun 40. In a case where the valve for opening and closing the discharge tube 71 is the pressurizing valve 410, the tube-pressing member 412 is in a vertically lifted state by means of the elastic member 413 as shown in Fig. 7 when the push button 42 is not pressed.

Therefore, the center hole 412a of the tube-pressing member and the through hole 411a of the fixed tube holder 411 are in an eccentric state where they are not aligned with each other. Accordingly, the flexible discharge tube 71 is pulled into the vertical groove 411a of the tube holder 411 while being fitted into the center hole 412a of the tube-pressing member 412. That is, since the tube portion pulled into the groove is pressed, the flow passage of the discharge tube is shut off. If the push button 42 is pressed in such a state, the tube-pressing member 412 close below the push button is pressed down and moved downwardly as shown in Fig. 8. Thus, the center hole 412a of the tube-pressing member and the through hole 411a of the tube holder 411 are substantially in a concentric state and the pressed discharge tube 411 is again restored. Consequently, the flow passage is opened and the cleaning water is injected through the opened flow passage accordingly. On the other hand, in a case where the valve for opening and closing the discharge tube 71 is the push valve 420, the valve stem 423 is in a vertically lifted state by means of the spring 424 as shown in Fig. 10 when the push button 42 is not pressed. Therefore, the flow passage 422a formed at the center of the valve seat 422 is closed by a lower portion of the valve stem 423. Therefore, since the inlet and outlet ports 421a and 421b connected to the discharge tube 71 are in a blocked state, the cleaning water is not injected. On the other hand, if the push button 42 is pressed, the exposed upper portion of the valve stem 423 is pushed down by means of the pusher 425 and the valve stem 423 is then urged to move downwardly, as shown in Fig. 11. Therefore, the lower portion of the valve stem is moved away from the flow passage 422a of the valve seat 422 and the flow passage is opened accordingly. Consequently, the cleaning water staying in the inlet port 421a is injected through the outlet port 421a via the flow passage 422a of the valve seat 422. If the cleaning water is injected into the dog ear, the water is deeply poured into the horizontal external ear canal 2 as well as the vertical external ear canal 1 so that the ear can be cleanly washed off with the cleaning water. As shown in Fig. 13, if the power button 15 of the heater is turned on as shown in

Fig. 13, the cleaning water heater 55 is operated. At this time, the heat is conducted to the conduction plate 52 and the metal plate 51 of the cleaning water container 20 that are brought into surface contact with the cleaning water heater, and the cleaning water that is brought into contact with the plates is then heated. If a user wishes to rapidly heat the cleaning water, the user can merely adjust the rotary switch 17 for temperature control in order to raise the heating temperature of the cleaning water heater 55. On the other hand, if the user wishes to slowly heat the cleaning water, the user can merely adjust the rotary switch 17 for temperature control in order to lower the heating temperature of the cleaning water heater 55. Therefore, the period of time needed for heating the cleaning water can be shortened or delayed according to the user's intention. In addition, if the temperature of the cleaning water detected by the temperature sensor 60 reaches the set temperature while the cleaning water is heated, the power of the cleaning water heater 55 is automatically turned off in response to a control command from the microcomputer (not shown). Therefore, since the cleaning water is not further heated, both unnecessary power consumption and the cleaning water overheating are prevented. Although the set temperature is a temperature that is most suitable for cleaning the interior of the dog ear, it is often necessary to change the cleaning water temperature according to the kinds and habits of dog and the atmospheric temperature. In such a case, even though the cleaning water does not reach the set temperature, the user may turn off the cleaning water heater by manipulating the power button 15 of the heater. Since the cleaning water is heated at a suitable temperature and then injected into the dog ear, the cleaning of the dog ear can be easily made in a state where the dog is calm and stable. Further, since the pressure in the drain container 30 is lower than that in the dog ear as described above, the cleaning water that was injected into the dog ear is returned to the drain container 30 through the suction tube 72 and the injection port 43_of the cleaning gun 40 due to the difference in pressure in the dog ear and the drain container. At this time, since the relief valve 103 is installed in the first air tube 101, the pressure of air supplied into the cleaning water container 20 can be always kept uniform, and thus, the discharge pressure of the cleaning water can be stably maintained. Furthermore, in order to store the cleaning gun 40 after the cleaning work, the cleaning gun 40 can be inserted into the holding portion 13a in a state where the discharge and suction tube 71 and 72 connected to the cleaning gun are wound on the bobbin portion

13b. Moreover, the user can carry the dog ear cleaner more easily by using the foldable handle 14 provided on the top of the main body 10.

Claims

[CLAIMS]

[Claim 1 ] A dog ear cleaner, comprising: a main body including a housing; hermetic cleaning water and drain containers installed within the main body; a vacuum pump installed within the main body and connected to the containers through air tubes for causing the drain container to be in a low-pressure state and the cleaning water container to be in a high-pressure state by sucking up air from the drain container and supplying the sucked air to the cleaning water container; a driving motor for operating the vacuum pump; and a cleaning gun positioned outside the main body and connected to the cleaning water and drain containers through suction and discharge tubes, respectively, for causing the cleaning water to be discharged through the discharge tube and also contaminated water to be returned to the drain container through the suction tube due to air pressure in the containers.

[Claim 2] The cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing is provided with a storage space for detachably accommodating the cleaning water and drain containers therein, and the storage space is opened and closed by a pivoting cover.

[Claim 3] The cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing is provided with a gun holder for holding the cleaning gun and causing the suction and discharge tubes connected to the cleaning gun to be wound thereon.

[Claim 4] The cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein a relief valve for regulating air pressure in the cleaning water at a constant value is installed on a first air tube that connects the vacuum pump and the cleaning water container.

[Claim 5] The cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein a rotary switch for adjusting an amount of the cleaning water to be discharged is installed on the main body.

[Claim 6] The cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein a cleaning water heating device is installed at the bottom of the cleaning water container, and the cleaning water heating device comprises a metal plate corresponding to a bottom surface of the cleaning water container, a conduction plate brought into contact with the metal plate, a base plate coupled with both the conduction plate and the main body, and a cleaning water heater installed between the conduction and base plates and subjected to on/off control by means of a power button installed on the main body.

[Claim 7] The cleaner as claimed in claim 6, wherein the cleaning water heater is a device selected from the group consisting of a thermoelectric module, an electric heater and a semiconducting ceramic heater.

[Claim 8] The cleaner as claimed in claim 1 or 6, wherein a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the cleaning water is installed in the cleaning water container.

[Claim 9] The cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the cleaning gun is provided with a pressurizing valve for closing or opening a flow passage of the discharge tube by pressing the discharge tube by means of a push button or not; and the pressurizing valve includes: a tube holder installed fixedly in a casing of the cleaning gun and formed with a through hole, through which the discharge tube passes in a horizontal direction, at the center thereof and with a vertical groove, which communicates with the through hole, at the top thereof; a tube-pressing member installed vertically movably within the vertical groove and formed with a center hole, through which the discharge tube passes, at the center thereof and with an upper portion thereof being brought into contact with the push button; and an elastic member for elastically supporting a lower portion of the tube-pressing member and upwardly pushing the tube-pressing member such that the center hole is eccentric with the through hole when the push button is not pressed. [Claim 10] The cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the cleaning gun is provided with a push valve for opening and closing a divided flow passage of the discharge tube by manipulating a push button; and the push valve includes: a valve housing formed with inlet and outlet ports, both of which are connected to both ends of the divided discharge tube; a valve seat installed between the inlet and outlet ports of the valve housing; and a valve stem installed elastically and movably in a vertical direction between the inlet and outlet ports for causing the inlet and outlet ports not to communicate with each other when the valve stem is raised and causing the inlet and outlet ports to communicate with each other when the valve stem is lowered by a pressing force of the push button.