Liquid dispenser and grooming brush for animals

Claim 1

A brush-type dispenser for applying a plurality of streams of a free-flowing liquid between the hairs of and directly to the skin of an animal when the dispenser is moved in at least one of two opposed directions, comprising in combination: a generally flexible housing having a flat, bottom wall including an inner and an outer surface and defining a hollow, resilient chamber in which the liquid is contained; a first array of a plurality of generally flexible, solid members arranged in spaced relation along spaced rows parallel to the directions of movement of the dispenser, each member of the first array extending normally from the bottom wall and having a free end terminating in a common flat plane for combing and separating the hair of the animal as the dispenser is moved in either of the two opposed directions with sufficient pressure applied thereto to maintain the free ends of the members in contact with the skin of the animal; and a second array of a plurality of generally flexible, hollow members arranged in spaced relation to each other between and in alternate rows of the members of the first array, each member of the second array extending normally from the bottom wall, communicating with the chamber and having a free end terminating in the common plane, each free end being provided with a self-sealing slit facing one of the two opposed directions for normally retaining the liquid in the chamber and being opened for dispensing the liquid in a stream only when the dispenser is moved in the one of the two opposed directions that is in accordance with the facing direction of the slits and with sufficient pressure applied thereto to maintain the free ends of the members of both arrays in contact with the skin of the animal and for combing and separating the hair of animal when the dispenser is moved in the other of the two opposed directions.