Animal husbandry – Body- or appendage-encircling collar or band – Having or specifically adapted to support a diverse element...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-04
2001-12-04
Carone, Michael J. (Department: 3644)
Animal husbandry
Body- or appendage-encircling collar or band
Having or specifically adapted to support a diverse element...
C119S856000, CD30S152000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06325024
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a collar for a pet having decoration means.
The conventional collars to be put on pets have been made to meet the practical needs of preventing a pet from running away or fixing a chain or a leash to take a pet out for a walk. Thus, for the conventional collars for pets, their material and fixing technique are regarded as particularly important.
However, collars for pets having an added value have recently been developed. For example, Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3046174 discloses a collar serving as an accessory for removing static electricity (hereinafter referred to as “conventional collar”). This conventional collar is designed to be hung down from the neck of a pet in order to discharge static charges stored in the pet into the air. The conventional collar is an independent collar to be put on a pet, in addition to a collar for fixing a leash.
Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3054022 discloses clothing for a pet called “a fuzzy dress for a pet” (hereinafter referred to “conventional clothing”). The conventional clothing includes a long bib attached to a member to be hung down from the neck of a pet. The conventional clothing is designed so that a pet can wear it until an incision after surgery is healed.
Further, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-open No. Sho 57-080261 discloses a collar with trimmings made of fabric (hereinafter referred to as “first conventional decorated collar”). The first conventional decorated collar is an ordinary collar for a pet with trimmings made of fabric and when put on a pet, the first conventional decorated collar makes the pet look cute. Still further, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-open No. Sho 64-020178 discloses a collar having a decorating fabric attached to its surface through a Hook-and-Loop fastener (hereinafter referred to as “second conventional decorated collar).
However, the aforementioned conventional collar, conventional clothing and first and second conventional decorated collars (hereinafter collectively referred to as “conventional collars for pets) have had the following problems. First, the conventional collar only serves as a pendant to be put on a pet other than its function of discharging static electricity, and hence the collar is not provided with no personifying decoration. Therefore, with the conventional collar, it would be hard for a family to foster such an affection as to treat the pet as an equal partner. Particularly, when all the members of a family celebrate a special occasion and when they wish to enjoy the occasion together with their pet while treating their pet as a member of the family, the conventional collar is not suitable.
Further, the conventional clothing is shaped like a long bib for a pet, and is designed to be worn by the pet with the main purpose of protecting an incision after surgery until the incision is healed. Therefore, the conventional clothing serves only as a long bib that can stay in its regular position. Further, the portion wrapped around the neck of the pet in the conventional clothing has the same shape as that of an ordinary collar, and hence has no personifying decoration. As a result, the conventional clothing is not suitable to make a family think that their pet is a member of the family.
Further, the first conventional decorated collar is useful in making a pet look cute, but is not good enough in terms of personifying decoration. As a result, the first conventional decorated collar does not give a family a sense of unity with their pet. Still further, the second conventional decorated collar is constructed so that the decorating fabric is detachably attached to the collar with a fastener, but the collar has no personifying decoration. Therefore, the second conventional decorated collar does not satisfy a person loving his or her pet more than his or her family in the sense that the collar does not make his or her pet look more lovely.
Further, the conventional collars for pets have the following problem unresolved. The conventional collars for pets lack personifying decoration in the true sense of the meaning, because they use as the base a conventional type collar whose shape is simply circular. A difference between the structure around the neck of a person and that of a pet could explain the reason why the conventional collars for pets lack personifying decoration. As shown in FIGS.
26
(A) and
26
(B), the angle a formed between the neck and the shoulder of a person
81
is substantially right angles to each other. As a result, when a substantially straight neckband
83
is looped, the neckband
83
fits the neck of the person.
For the person
81
, the neck of, e.g., a shirt is too narrow when a spread collar
82
exactly overlaps with the neckband
83
. Thus, a clearance is provided between the spread collar
82
and the neckband
83
so that a predetermined angle is formed between the spread collar
82
and the neckband
83
as will be described later. That is, as shown in
FIG. 26
(C), the radius of curvature of an arc XY on an upper edge
82
b
of the spared collar
82
for the person
81
is made larger then the radius of curvature of an arc PQ of an upper edge
83
b
as viewed from the top of the neckband
83
when the neckband
83
is looped, and is made smaller than the radius of curvature of an arc ST of the upper edge
83
b
as viewed from the side of the neckband
83
.
In contrast thereto, FIGS.
27
(A) and
27
(B) show a case where a four-footed animal (a dog
90
in this case) is wearing a collar, which is part of a piece of clothing for a person. As shown in FIGS.
27
(A) and
27
(B), the dog
90
, gradually growing thick along its trunk from its neck, does not have, unlike the person
81
, the chest and the shoulder sufficiently developed for supporting the spread collar
82
. As a result, the angle &bgr; formed between the neck and the trunk of the dog
90
is extremely large compared with the corresponding angle a for the person. Therefore, as shown in FIG.
27
(A), when the collar portion of a shift to be worn by the person
81
is simply put on the dog
90
, the dog cannot be personified sufficiently, and hence looks unnatural.
That is, as shown in FIG.
27
(B), the width direction
83
c of the neckband
83
extends substantially perpendicularly, and hence does not fit the angle &bgr; formed between the neck and the trunk of the dog
90
. As a result, as shown in FIG.
27
(A) in an enlarged form, a clearance P (shaded part) is provided between the neck of the dog
90
and the upper edge of the collar. Further, the angle &ggr; formed between the spread collar
82
and the neckband
83
causes the spread collar
82
to float from the neck of the dog
90
, thereby making the collar for a pet unnatural due to a funny spread collar attached thereto.
Further, as will be described later, the collar can be fastened tightly so that the clearance should not be provided between the neck and the upper edge of the collar. However, if the collar has a decoration such as a spread collar, it cannot be fastened tightly unlike an ordinary collar. A collar having accessories comes in contact with the neck of a pet in large areas. As a result, when such a collar is fastened tightly, the pet feels uneasy and tries to take the collar off. Therefore, to prevent this from happening, a decorated collar for a pet must be designed so that it is naturally fit and felt comfortable.
When the collar is not fastened tightly, there arises another problem. When a collar with a decoration has been put on a pet, the collar stays at its regular position, but while the pet is moving around, the collar is turned. As a result, the decorative portion such as a spread collar moves from its regular position, which is the front, to the rear of the neck of the pet, thereby spoiling the decoration.
Further, as shown in
FIG. 28
, a conventional collar such as the first conventional decorated collar
85
is put on the dog
90
in such a manner that a large angle &thgr;2 is formed
Carone Michael J.
Nelson Judith A.
Reed Smith LLP
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