Animal husbandry – Animal controlling or handling – Hitching or tethering
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-05
2001-04-17
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3644)
Animal husbandry
Animal controlling or handling
Hitching or tethering
C119S798000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06216641
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to a leash device for animals. More particularly, the present invention relates to an adjustable length leash device wherein the length of the lead of the leash is adjusted by winding the lead around a handle portion of the leash device.
BACKGROUND ART
The typical leash used to control a pet consists of an elongated strap, or lead, which attaches to a pet's collar, and some type of grip or handle which the handler grasps in order to control the pet attached to the lead. With a common leash, the pet is free to move around an area defined by the length of the lead. The length of the lead is not normally adjustable although many people simply wrap excess lead length around their hand when they desire to decrease the pet's freedom of movement. This can be damaging to the hand and is thus undesirable. However, adjustable length leashes are desirable because, when greater restriction of the pet's movement is required, such as when walking the pet through a busy street or a crowded walkway, or when another animal appears and makes the pet uneasy, the handler can readily adjust the length of the lead in order to lessen the pet's freedom of movement and keep the pet under control. Because of the degree of control it provides to the handler, an adjustable length leash is also useful in training a pet.
Common in the marketplace today are retractable leash devices wherein the lead is wound around a spring-biased spool retained within the handle portion of the leash device. The spring bias ensures that slack in the lead is constantly taken up by the spool; however, the length of the lead may be fixed by operating a switch located on the handle that causes a pawl to engage the spool and stop its biased rotation. Because of their relatively complex construction, these devices are more complicated to manufacture and therefore much more expensive than the common leash. Also these devices are more likely to wear out and break due to the multiple components employed in their construction.
Attempts have been made to provide adjustable length leashes which are more simple to manufacture and therefore inexpensive. These leash devices include a handle portion having a grip from which extends a thin neck having an upper flange and a lower flange. A lead is connected to the handle portion, and the length of the lead may be adjusted by wrapping the lead around the neck until the desired lead length is achieved. The upper and the lower flanges are designed in an attempt to prevent the lead from de-spooling from around the neck.
This leash, while inexpensive and simple to manufacture, has its own drawbacks. For example, having two flanges capable of retaining the lead creates a situation where the force of the pet's pull may alternate between the upper flange and the lower flange when the lead length is adjusted. This is uncomfortable and can cause soreness in the handler's wrist. Also, the thin design of the neck requires a large amount of winding in order to adjust the length of the lead or to wind the lead for storage. Additionally, this leash device fails to address the desirable concept of a locking mechanism by which the length of the lead, when extended or retracted to the desired length, can be more fixedly secured so as to ensure that, even when a pet forcefully pulls upon the lead, the lead will not have a tendency to de-spool from the neck portion.
Improvements over the prior art may also be achieved by concentrating on the ergonomics of the handle design. Specifically, it is desirable, although not addressed by the prior art, that regardless of what length the lead is retained at, the forces exerted on the lead and handle portion be focused substantially straight through the wrist and arm of one using the adjustable length leash, thereby substantially eliminating any torque upon the user's wrist.
Thus, the need exists in the art for an improved adjustable length leash which allows the handler to selectively adjust and secure the length of the lead extending from the handle portion, which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, having few or no component parts readily susceptible to breaking or wearing out, and which focuses the forces exerted on the lead and handle portion straight through the wrist and arm of the handler.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an adjustable length leash that effectively manages lead length by providing a means of incrementally adjusting and controlling the length of the lead.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an adjustable length leash, as above, which is inexpensive to manufacture.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an adjustable length leash, as above, wherein the leash is devoid of any mechanisms that could break or wear out.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an adjustable length leash, as above, in which the lead may be fixedly locked at a desired length.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an adjustable length leash, as above, having a configuration such that, irrespective of the length at which the lead is retained, the forces exerted on the lead are focused substantially straight through the wrist and arm of one using the leash, thereby substantially eliminating any torque upon the user's wrist.
These and other objects of the present invention, as well as the advantages thereof over existing prior art forms, which will become apparent from the description to follow, are accomplished by the improvements hereinafter described and claimed.
In general, an adjustable length leash made in accordance with the present invention includes a lead connected to a handle portion which includes a grip. A neck extends from the grip and provides a winding area for the lead so that the length of the lead can be adjusted by winding the lead around the neck. A lead lock maintains the established length of the lead.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an adjustable length leash includes a lead connected to a handle portion which includes a grip. A neck extends from the grip and provides a winding area for the lead so that the length of the lead can be adjusted by winding the lead around the neck. A catch flange maintains the established length of the lead when the lead is wound on the neck and positioned to extend around the catch flange such that the catch flange prevents the leads from unwinding from around the neck. A minor flange retains the wound portion of the lead on the neck.
In accordance with other aspects of the present invention, an adjustable length leash includes a lead connected to a handle portion which includes a grip. A neck extends from the grip and provides a winding area for the lead so that the length of the lead can be adjusted by winding the lead around the neck. A catch flange maintains the established length of the lead when the lead is wound on the neck and positioned to extend around the catch flange such that the catch flange prevents the lead from unwinding from around the neck. The neck extends from the grip at an angle such that, when the established length of the lead is maintained by the catch flange, the forces exerted on the lead are focused through the wrist and arm of the handler using the adjustable length leash. The angle between the neck and the grip thereby substantially eliminates any torque upon the user's wrist.
A preferred exemplary adjustable length leash incorporating the concepts of the present invention is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings without attempting to show all the various forms and modifications in which the invention might be embodied, the invention being measured by the appended claims and not by the details of the specification.
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 125944 (1941-03-01), Stickell
patent: D. 274379 (1984-06-01), Talo
patent: D. 341682 (1993-11-01), Musetti
patent: D. 351264 (1994-10-01), Stout
patent: D. 379689 (19
Eaton Edward T.
Holt, Jr. Robert C.
Tracy Richard J.
Abbott Yvonne R.
Coastal Pet Products, Inc.
Jordan Charles T.
Renner Kenner Greive Bobak Taylor & Weber
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