Animal husbandry – Animal controlling or handling – Hitching or tethering
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-11
2001-10-30
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3644)
Animal husbandry
Animal controlling or handling
Hitching or tethering
C119S772000, C119S778000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06308662
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an animal leash, and more particularly, to an animal leash that improves a handler'control over a leashed animal and is easily attached to and quickly released from an animal in a manner that safeguards against unintentional unleashing of the animal.
2. Background Discussion
The number of pets in highly populated localities, such as towns, cities and the surrounding suburbs, is quite significant and as a result prudent civil conduct dictates the use of leashes to retain pets when they are outside to minimize detrimental pet/human interaction. In addition, many localities have laws that require pet owners to have their pets on a leash when they take them outside for a walk although limited open areas are sometimes designated as runs for pets in parks or on the beach. Moreover, the leash is very useful in training pets to be obedient. As a result of the foregoing, it is fairly common for pet owners to own a leash in order to take their pets outside or to train them.
The legal requirement for leashing pets is of significant importance to and a substantial liability for dog owners. Pet owners can be fined significant amounts of money for not having their pets on a leash and may incur criminal and civil liability if their pet hurts or kills someone because the pet was not on a leash.
Because many pets, such as dogs, must be let out of the house on a regular basis for exercise as well as sanitation reasons, the control of the pet while leashed is of considerable important to pet owners and/or animal handlers. However, known leash designs do not always provide an animal handler with the type of control necessary to properly manage a leashed animal, such as a dog.
A good example of a leash design that has deficiencies is the flexible leash, such as a rope leash having a loop at one end that is held by the handler and a spring loaded clip or hook at the other end which is attached to the animal'collar. Due to the slack inherent to the flexible leash, the leashed animal can make a short dash away from the handler, for example, chasing after a moving object such as a cat or a car, before the leash acts to restrain the animal. In such circumstances, the animal is afforded the opportunity to build up a certain amount of momentum before being restrained and the animal can jerk or pull the animal handler off balance. If the animal is powerful enough, this can result in a situation where the handler is pulled around uncontrollable by the animal or the animal may break free from the handler altogether.
Moreover, the flexibility of this type of leash does not permit the handler to apply a lateral force to the animal, only a pulling force. As a result, the animal cannot be easily controlled by the handler using a flexible leash. As a result, the flexible leash does not provide the kind of control required for good safety or to properly train an animal.
In addition to the foregoing deficiencies, the use of a spring-loaded clip or hook to attach the leash to the collar of the animal makes it difficult to quickly and easily attach the pet to and release the pet from the leash. In particular, the spring-loaded clip typical has a small protuberance usually made of metal that the animal handler must move against the bias of a fairly strong spring in order to open the clip. Due to the small size and slick surface of the metal protuberance, it is quite possible for the finger of the handler to slip off of the protuberance as it is being slid back. In addition, due to the strength of the spring bias, it is difficult and often painful to hold the clip open while attaching or releasing the pet from the leash. Moreover, some pet owners due to age or other infirmaries simple cannot readily manipulate the conventional latch of a leash.
Further, the spring-loaded clip must be hooked around the collar for attachment and unhooked from the collar for release and if the animal is straining or pulling away from the handler during this process, the result is not only a great deal of difficulty in accomplishing the task but also the possibility for the unintentional release of the animal.
In addition to the foregoing, there are many situations where it is desirable to release an animal from a leash quickly, as for example in working with police dogs, security dogs or hunting dogs or if a person is being attacked and uses the dog in defense.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved animal leash that overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art leashes.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved animal leash that permits the quick release and easy attachment of the leash to a collar.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved animal leash that minimizes the possibility for the unintentional release of a leashed animal.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved animal leash that enhances the command of an animal handler over a leashed animal and thereby improves safety when walking the animal on the leash and the ability to train a pet due to the increased the control of an animal handler over a leashed pet.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved animal leash that is relatively inexpensive and easy to manufacture.
An important advantageous feature of the present invention is the use of an elongated leash shaft that is rigid or substantially rigid to provide greater control of the animal during training and while walking. The rigid shaft allows the handler to keep the dog away from this body and legs as well as increasing control of the dog in crowded areas where the dog may try to lunge at a moving object. As a result, the ability of the animal to build-up a certain amount of momentum before being restrained is eliminated.
Another advantageous feature of the present invention is the use of customized handholds positioned at the ends of the rigid leash shaft that are shaped to further enhance the control of the animal handler over the leashed animal and to prevent unintentional release of the animal.
Yet another advantageous feature of the present invention is that it is includes an attachment and release mechanism for quickly and easily attaching an animal to and releasing an animal from a leash in a manner that safeguards against unintentional unleashing of the animal. In this regard, the improved animal leash of the present invention includes an arrangement that permits the animal handler to release a leashed animal with the press of a button. To safeguard against the unintentional release of the animal, the present invention includes a safety that prevents the unleashing of the animal even if the release button is pushed or activated when the safety is on.
Still another advantageous feature of the present invention is that it can be constructed of materials that are relatively light weight and yet strong, such as, for example, aluminum, copper, stainless steel, fiber glass, graphite, and plastics such as teflon, nylon, polyethylene, polypropylene as well as rubber or wood. In addition, these material permit the use of a variety of different construction techniques, such as the use of solid or tubular shaft construction, which can further reduce the weight of the animal leash and still preserve the strength needed to maintain good control over the leashed animal.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is that material used to construct the leash can be decorated with colors or lights to enhance the overall appearance of the leash.
These and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention are achieved, according to one embodiment thereof, by an improved animal leash having: 1) a rigid or semi-rigid shaft which can be extendable; 2) two hand grips, a pistol grip being located at a distal end of the rigid shaft and a hand grip located at the proximal end of the rigid shaft; 3) a quick release and attachment connector connect
Jordan Charles T.
Katz Eric R.
Nelson Judith A.
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