Animal husbandry – Animal controlling or handling – Hitching or tethering
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-22
2002-06-04
Price, Thomas (Department: 3643)
Animal husbandry
Animal controlling or handling
Hitching or tethering
C119S856000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06397784
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to animal restraints, and more specifically, to animal restraint apparatus and methods for producing animal restraint apparatus.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various configurations of prior art animal restraints have been in wide-spread use. By “animal restraint” we mean an apparatus which is configured to limit the range of mobility of an animal relative to a given reference point. For example, prior art animal restraints in the form of harnesses have been used to limit the mobility of draft animals relative to a reference point which can be in the form of a load such as a cart, wagon, or sled. Prior art animal restraints in the form of harnesses and collars have also been used in combination with a lead, or leash, to limit the mobility of pet animals relative to a reference point such as the pet owner. An animal restraint can provide a means of controlling an animal during exercise or during medical examination of the animal, for example. An animal restraint can also be a useful tool for training an animal.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, a perspective view of a prior art animal restraint
10
is depicted. The prior art animal restraint
10
of
FIG. 1
is shown to be generally configured as a dog harness, although it is understood that similar prior art harnesses have been configured for use as restraints for animals other than dogs. The prior art animal restraint
10
comprises various separate lengths of flexible belting
20
which can be in any of a number of various forms such as woven nylon webbing or leather strapping, or the like. Various openings
22
are formed in the belting
20
by way of stitchings
24
.
The prior art animal restraint
10
also comprises a plurality of metal rings
32
,
34
. At least one of the metal rings
32
can be employed as a joint to join various lengths of belting
20
to one another as shown. Another of the rings
34
can be utilized as an attachment point for a lead or leash (not shown). Various metal buckles
36
are also included in the prior art animal restraint
10
. The buckles
36
are employed to adjust the length of the various lengths of belting
20
in order to tailor the fit of the restraint
10
to the size of the animal by which the restraint is worn.
Fastener portions
42
,
44
are also included in the prior art animal restraint
10
in order to securely place the restraint on the animal by which it is worn. A first fastener portion
42
is configured to releasably fasten to a second fastener portion
44
. Other alternative configurations of fasteners (not shown) have been used. When the first and second fastener portions
42
,
44
are fastened to one another, the prior art restrain forms a front loop
52
and a rear loop
54
. The front loop
52
is generally configured to be placed around the neck or upper chest and in front of the fore limbs of an animal, while the rear loop
54
is generally configured to be placed around the chest of the animal and behind the fore limbs.
As is seen, the prior art animal restraint
10
harness comprises various separate parts and components such as belting lengths
20
, stitchings
24
, metal rings
32
, buckles
36
, and fastener portions
42
,
44
. This can result in a relatively high number of parts and components which are subject to wear, breakage, or malfunction. For example, the stitchings
24
can become worn and frayed, resulting in weakening of the restraint
10
. Also, the belting lengths
20
can become worn due to rubbing against one another or against the metal rings
32
,
34
. The metal parts such as the rings
32
,
34
and buckles
36
can become corroded. The relatively high number of components of the prior art restraint
10
can also result in a relatively complex fabrication procedure.
In addition, the several buckles
36
as well as the fastener portions
42
,
44
can lead to difficulty of use or confusion of the user when the user attempts to place the restraint
10
on an animal. This can be especially so in cases where the user has an incapacity of some sort, such as loss of use of a hand, or poor sight. Furthermore, the prior art restraint
10
harness can be uncomfortable for the animal by which it is worn. Such discomfort can be caused by edges of the belting lengths
20
digging in to the animal, and especially so if the belting lengths become twisted.
Also, the animal can suffer discomfort due to the relatively high weight of the prior art restraint
10
, which in turn, is due to the many parts, including various metal parts, which make up the restraint. Finally, the use of belting
20
limits the size of the prior art restraint
10
harness that can be constructed, precluding the use of such a restraint on relatively small animals such as mice and the like.
Other configurations of prior art animal restraints have also been used. Turning to
FIG. 2
, a perspective view of a prior art restraint
20
in the form of a dog collar is depicted. As in the case of the animal restraint
10
discussed above for
FIG. 1
, it is understood that collars similar to the prior art animal restraint
20
depicted in
FIG. 2
have been used on animals other than dogs. The prior art animal restraint
20
collar comprises a belt length
60
which can be in any of a number of forms, including woven nylon webbing, leather strapping, or the like.
The prior art animal restraint
20
also comprises at least one fastener portion
64
which is configured to fasten the ends of the belt length
60
into a closed loop when placed around an animal's neck. The prior art restraint
20
can also comprise at least one metal ring
62
which is attached to the length of belting
60
, and which can be employed as an attachment point for a lead or leash (not shown).
It is seen that the prior art animal restraint
20
collar is somewhat less complex than the animal restraint
10
harness which is depicted in FIG.
1
. However, the animal restraint
20
depicted in
FIG. 2
can be unreliable as well as dangerous. If the prior art animal restraint
20
collar is placed to loosely around the neck of an animal, it could unexpectedly come off of the animal by sliding from the neck and past the head of the animal. Of course, this can be a very undesirable occurrence in situations where the animal must be restrained.
The prior art animal restraint
20
collar can also prove to be dangerous and even deadly in the event that the restraint is placed too tightly around the neck of the animal. Numerous animals have been seriously injured or killed by strangulation in cases where a tightly fitting prior art restraint collar such as the restraint
20
becomes ensnared by an object which is too far above the ground for the animal to stand.
Moving now to
FIG. 3
, yet another prior art animal restraint
30
in the form of a choker is shown. The animal restraint
30
choker generally comprises a length of metal chain
80
as well as a pair of metal rings
82
,
84
. A first metal ring
82
is attached to one end of the length of metal chain
80
while a second metal ring
84
is attached to the other end of the length of chain. The length of chain
80
is passed through the first metal ring
82
to form a loop as shown. The loop formed by the chain
80
is passed over an animal's head and placed around the animal's neck. A lead or leash (not shown) can be connected to the first ring
82
. In that case, since the loop must be big enough to fit around the animal's head, there is a possibility that the restraint
30
can be pulled off the animal if enough force is exerted.
Alternatively, the lead can be connected to the second ring
84
in which case the chain can become cinched tightly around the animal's neck, and from which case the name “choker” is derived. In either case, problems are associated with the use of the prior art animal restraint
30
choker. On the one hand, if the lead is connected to the first ring
82
, the restraint
30
can be relatively easily pulled off of the animal. On the other hand, if the lead is connected to the secon
Geideman Cybele
Gray Loralee
Morgan-Albertson Rebecca
Price Thomas
Reid John S.
Reidlaw, L.L.C.
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