Animal husbandry – Animal controlling or handling – Hitching or tethering
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-20
2002-11-05
Poon, Peter M. (Department: 3643)
Animal husbandry
Animal controlling or handling
Hitching or tethering
C254S409000, C119S794000, C119S770000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06474270
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pet leash and more particularly to a pet leash used in connection with walking multiple pets simultaneously.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many people own dogs and in fact own multiple dogs. One of the niceties and/or necessities in owning such an animal is taking the dogs for a walk. This usually entails the use of a leash, and when multiple dogs are owned the owner must resort to either using more than one conventional leash or a leash specifically designed to handle more than one dog.
A variety of inventions have been created to cater to the walking of multiple dogs using a leash having but one handle. The advantages of having a single handle for multiple dogs is chronicled in various patents such as Parker, U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,234, Tozawa U.S. Pat No. 5,702,848, Crowe et. al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,972, Gish U.S. Pat. No. 5,852,988 as well as others. However, Parker '234 illuminated the deficiencies with the previous designs and whose design addressed those shortcomings. Although the '234 patent resolved some the problems the previous designs failed to correct, the '234 patent had limitations of its own. The invention identified herein resolves those limitations through a refined design using an existing product.
All of the previously identified patents attempt to relieve the stresses induced upon the owner when two leashes are used. As the '234 patent states, the previous designs fail to take into account when two dogs desire to roam in different directions. It is common that two dogs being held by their owner will naturally roam in different directions. The '234 patent attempted to resolve the issues confronted by an owner of multiple dogs by addressing not only the stresses placed on the owner but also considering the natural predilections of dogs to roam in different directions and to roam at different paces. The current embodiment attempts to resolve this issue by creating a second point of flexibility, that is, a retracting means held and manipulated by the owner.
Further, the '234 patent identified the need to design a leash to account for the different activity levels, strength and sizes of dogs. The '234 patents specifically addressed the needs of the animals and not just the owner. Nonetheless, the '234 patent failed to address an active small dog being walked with a larger active dog. To accomplish resolving the problems of the previous designs, the '234 patent relied on a single elongated pet lead in which the two animals would be attached to either end. Unfortunately, when the first animal would move in a direction opposite the second animal, the second animal would be pulled in the direction of the first animal. Consequently, when the elongated pet lead becomes taunt the larger or more stronger dog would tend to drag the smaller dog in the direction of the larger animal. Furthermore, even if the dogs were of the same size and strength, once the dogs found themselves in the situation above, the '234 design can no longer resolve the deficiencies it sought to alleviate from the previous designs.
In addition, the '234 design does not account for the urban dweller who often will walk their dogs to a park where they may roam more freely. An owner is lives in an urban area will find that at times he must keep the dogs on a short leash. The '234 patent has a static length thereby allowing one or more of the dogs to roam into dangerous situations.
Thus, there remains a need for a new and improved design which more aptly accounts for the differences in size, strength and activities of the dog. Further, a need remains to allow the dogs greater freedom to roam independently of one another while allowing the owner to adjust this freedom as he so wills.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of multiple dog leashes now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new dog leash for use with multiple dogs which not only reduces the stresses incurred by the owner in walking such animals, but also allows dogs of different strengths, sizes and activity levels greater independence of one another. Further, the current embodiment permits the owner to reduce the freedom enjoyed by the dogs in one integral unit.
To attain this, the present invention partially comprises a leash that automatically retracts and releases a dog leash which is commercially available as a product known as Flexi-2® Other commercially available products exist which have the same basic characteristics as the Flexi-2® and any suitable leash which has a retracting means for retracting and releasing a leash may be similarly used. Similar devices as the Flexi-2® are described in such patents as U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,693,596, 3,937,418 and 4,562,792. The retractable leash is comprised of a narrow cord whose one end is attached to a retracting means for retracting and releasing the narrow cord which is contained within the body of the retractable leash. The retracting means is generally comprised of a spool and a spring means attached to said spool to force said spool to rotated in a manner coiling the narrow cord. However, other variations may exist. The other end of the narrow cord is attached to a pulley stop. The pulley stop is then connected to one end of a first nylon strap. The opposite end of the first nylon strap is attached to a first fastener the type of which is commonly used to connect to a dog collar nor the body of the retractable leash. The retracting means not only automatically retracts the leash but also permits the leash to be released when one or more of the dogs exerts tension on the narrow cord.
The second part of the current embodiment is a second leash having a second nylon strap in which one end of the second nylon strap is attached to a second fastener, the type of which is commonly used to connect to a dog collar. The other end of the second nylon strap is attached a pulley. The pulley runs over the narrow cord but cannot traverse the pulley stop.
The invention is used by connecting the first fastener to the collar of one dog and connecting the second fastener to the collar of another dog. The dogs, irrespective of their size, strength or activity levels roam in different directions. As the dogs begin to exert tension on their respective nylon straps, the tension is minimized by the release of the narrow cord from the retractable leash. Only when the narrow cord is completely released by the retractable leash may the dogs have a direct effect on one another.
The owner has the ability to change the length in which the dogs may roam by retracting the narrow cord into the body of the retractable leash. This owner has greater control over the freedom of the animals within seconds. This protects the animals and the owner while allowing the owner to permit the dogs to roam more freely when the space permits.
The current embodiment permits the dog attached to the second fastener to run the length of the narrow cord with hindrance so long as this dog does not exert any tension on the narrow cord. However, the current embodiment additionally addresses the situation in which the dog attached to the second fastener exert tension on the narrow cord by providing a release point via the retracting means for the retracting and releasing of the narrow cord of the retractable leash. By permitting the release of the narrow cord by the retracting means for the retracting and releasing of the narrow cord, when the dog attached to the second fastener exerts tension on the narrow cord, the other dog does not feel any appreciable pull.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to reduce the stresses on the owner when walking two dogs.
Another object of the present invention is provide greater control to the owner to direct the level of freedom enjoyed by the dogs while allowing one dog freedom to roam with minimal effect by the other dog.
Another object of the present invention is to allow two
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