Pet tag silencer

Details Pet tag silencer Pet tag silencer

2000-09-14

2002-04-09

Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3643)

Animal husbandry

Body- or appendage-encircling collar or band

C040S006000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06367426

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a pet tag silencer, and more particularly, to an enclosure for at least one pet tag constructed of non-rigid material and adaptable to be secured to conventional pet collars.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Pet owners are generally required by state and local statutes to have their pets licensed and vaccinated, further requiring the pet owner to provide identification tags on the pet. Conventional pet tags are typically made of metal and/or sometimes rigid plastic material which tend to rattle and jangle together and/or against metal components of a pet tag collar whenever the pet moves. The annoying rattling of pet tags generates an objectionable noise. Indeed, pet owners often complain that the rattling of their pet's tags, especially at night, interferes with pet owner's sleep. Moreover, the present inventor has discovered that the audible jangling of pet tags calls undesired attention to pet owners when taking walks or jogging through neighborhoods where other pets reside. The result if often a cacophony of dog howling which tends to create a chain reaction that resonates through an otherwise quite street. Such events interfere with the quality time between a pet owner and his/her pet. Moreover, by calling attention to particular pets and pet owners, especially if a pet is smaller than resident pets in the neighborhood, often leads to dangerous pet fights in which pets and pet owners may suffer significant physical or psychological harm.
In addition, at amateur and professional pet shows, identification and licensing tags are often removed to prevent undesired noises and unsightly display of numerous required pet tags. Similarly, hunters often are faced with the predicament of having to remove dog tags from their hunting dogs in order to eliminate undesired audible noises during hunting activities. Because tags on pets are typically required by law in most states and municipalities, and with the prospect of fines of $50.00 and more levied against owners violating such statutes and ordinances, the option of simply removing pet tags prior to engaging in a desired activity is fraught with undesired risks. Moreover, the removal of pet tags defeats the very purpose for such tags: namely, the identification of the pet owner and verification that the pet has had required vaccinations.
Others have appreciated the desirability of having pet tag holders. For example, McConnell, U.S. Pat. No. 4,259,798, discloses a tag holder with spring arms extending from a single base to hold tags together. As others have noted (e.g., Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,566), however, the McConnell tag holder suffers from various deficiencies, including the fact that McConnell's tag holder can still contact other metal parts of a pet collar to create objectionable noise due to the fact that it hangs from one or more metal loops connected to the collar. The spring arms used by McConnell also must be pried apart to insert and remove tags and the design of the McConnell device does not allow the versatility required to effectively hold various sizes, thicknesses and styles of tags commonly on the market.
The Smith pet tag holder also suffers from various deficiencies including the necessity of having at least some rigid or semi-rigid elements in the pet tag holder construction, the need to use a plier or screwdriver to insert or remove tags from the Smith pet tag holder, etc. Importantly, the Smith pet tag holder requires that the pet collar be removed so that the collar can be slid through a portion of the holder. This is problematic in that most commercially available existing pet collars do not permit the simple threading of a pet collar through a pet tag holder slot as envisioned by Smith. Indeed, most conventional pet collars feature quick release buckles sewn into both ends of such collars which simply do not permit the use of the Smith product. Still other prior inventors have disclosed pet tag holders which suffer from other various problems. For example, Jeffers, U.S. Pat. No. 3,585,743, discloses a holder for a license tag which requires the screw attachment of a flat rectangular plate directly to a collar enclosure which only permits a single tag to be displayed. Dettmann et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,137,660, similarly discloses a transparent plastic pocket secured by a rivet to a collar which only permits one tag to be secured to a pet collar. Hull et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,733, (
FIG. 4
) discloses a holding pouch having an open end and which is stitched onto a pet strap.
In view of the long felt, but unsolved need for an effective pet tag silencer, it would be desirable to have a product that could be used by pet owners, hunters and professional and amateur pet show participants which avoids the deficiencies of the prior art. Specifically, a weather-resistant pet tag silencer that contains no rigid or semi-rigid elements, that can accommodate a plurality of differently sized and configured tags, that incorporates reflective elements, and that can be installed easily and in a manner of seconds, without tools, on conventional pet collars, would be highly desirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a device and method for silencing pet tags when such tags are worn by pets. The present invention does not utilize molded sockets, screws or other rigid or semi-rigid materials which significantly differentiates it from prior art devices nor does it require tools for installation. Moreover, the present invention provides for the accommodation of a plurality of differently sized and configured pet tags, rather than just one or a few tags. Importantly, the present invention provides a device and method for silencing one or more tags from undesired rattling against other hard objects by providing a device that can be attached directly to the tags themselves, eliminating any need to remove a pet's collar or tags prior to installation. This aspect of the present invention makes it incredibly easy for a pet owner to attach the present pet tag silencer when desired, and to remove the silencer with ease and efficiency in other situations. In a preferred embodiment, the device of the present invention is manufactured using a flexible, weather-resistant stretchable material, such as Neoprene, in a manner that generally encircles and/or entraps one or more pet tags sought to be silenced. Attachment of the present device to pet tags does not require tools and does not rely upon any screws or similar attachment mechanisms. Instead, the present device, in a preferred embodiment, is provided with hook and loop structures (e.g., Velcro®) as a means for attaching the flexible components of the present device in a manner that secures the device to the pet tags.
In a further preferred embodiment of the preferred device, the material comprising the device is reflective in nature (such that the pet tag silencer can be visualized at night when light is reflected from the reflective material), thus providing additional safety for a pet and a pet owner when accompanying the pet. Such reflective material can be physically or chemically bonded directly to the product itself, or sewn or otherwise attached to the device.
In still other embodiments, at least a portion of the device is transparent to permit visualization of the contents of pet tags held within such device.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a soft pouch capable of holding a plurality of pet tags is provided which encompasses, holds and carries such tags in a manner that prevents any metallic or hard plastic rattling sound from occurring. In essence, the present invention has a stealth characteristic, rendering a pet otherwise inaudible to other animals, for example, when a pet accompanies its pet owner on a stroll and/or when a pet accompanies a hunter when hunting. Use of the present invention avoids the undesired and often unlawful practice of removing tags from a pet's collar (or removing the collar altogether) in order to achieve elimination of und

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