Animal husbandry – Animal controlling or handling – Hitching or tethering
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-15
2001-05-15
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3644)
Animal husbandry
Animal controlling or handling
Hitching or tethering
C119S776000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06230663
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
(Not Applicable)
STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT
(Not Applicable)
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to canine accessories, and more particularly to a quick release leash assembly particularly suited for use in relation to police dogs in the law enforcement field.
As is well known, it is a common practice for many state and local police and sheriff's departments to employ the use of dogs in relation to law enforcement activities. Typically, these “police dogs” are part of a canine unit of the law enforcement agency which also includes certain officers who have received extensive training in relation to the handling of the dogs and their effective use in relation to various law enforcement techniques. These techniques include drug sniffing and, more notably, the tracking and/or apprehension of criminal suspects or other individuals.
With regard to the use of dogs in relation to the tracking and/or apprehension of individuals, it is a common practice for the dog to be maintained on a leash which is held by an officer walking beside or behind the dog as it tracks the sought after individual. At certain times, such as when the individual comes into close range or during a foot race when the individual is in the plain sight of the officer and dog, it is desirable to release the leash from the collar of the dog so as to allow the dog to freely pursue of the individual at an increased speed or to directly, physically engage the individual. In view of the dog's training and resultant desire to engage the individual, it is often difficult for the officer to gain sufficient control of the dog as is needed to facilitate the manual release of the leash from the dog's collar. This difficulty is most commonly encountered when leashes of substantial length are being used with the dog, thus necessitating that the officer “pull” the dog a substantial distance to gain access to the dog's collar despite the resistance exerted by the dog in its attempt to run in the opposite direction. As will be recognized, this delay could even provide the sought after individual sufficient time to elude the dog and the officer.
The present invention addresses the deficiencies of prior art leashes when employed in the above-described scenario by providing a quick release leash assembly which is specifically adapted to allow an officer to disengage the leash assembly from the dog's collar from a location at the opposite end of the thereof, thus eliminating the need to gain direct access to the point of connection between the leash assembly and the dog's collar. Additionally, in the present quick release leash assembly, such disengagement is achievable almost instantaneously, without requiring any complicated or time consuming manipulations of various parts or components. These, and other advantages associated with the present invention, will be discussed in more detail below.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a quick release leash assembly for releasable attachment or engagement to an animal collar, and in particular a dog collar. The present leash assembly is particularly suited for use in relation to police dogs, though those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that it may also be used in relation to common household dogs and cats wearing a collar.
The leash assembly of the present invention comprises an elongate, flexible lead or strap which has opposed first and second ends and is preferably fabricated from a tube-type, flat nylon material. The strap may be fabricated to be of a length in the range of from about 6 feet to about 60 feet, and is preferably fabricated in length increments of 6 feet, 15 feet, 20 feet, 25 feet, 30 feet, 40 feet, 50 feet, and 60 feet. Attached to the second end of the strap is a latch mechanism of the leash assembly which is releasably engageable to the animal collar. The latch mechanism includes a latch member or hook member which is movable between a locked position whereat the latch mechanism is maintainable in attachment to the animal collar, and a release position whereat the animal collar is detachable from the latch mechanism. In addition to the latch member, the latch mechanism includes a body, with the latch member being reciprocally movable between its locked and release positions relative to the body. In the latch mechanism, the latch member is normally biased to its locked position.
In addition to the above-described components, the present leash assembly includes a release mechanism which is mechanically coupled to the latch mechanism and operative to selectively move the latch member from its locked position to its release position at such time when a tensile force is being applied to the latch mechanism, and in particular the latch member thereof. As will be recognized, the application of a tensile force to the latch member typically occurs when the leash assembly is attached to the collar of a dog or other animal and the movement of the dog or other animal is being resisted by the holder of the leash assembly.
The release mechanism comprises a tubular, generally cylindrical release member which is cooperatively engaged to the body of the latch mechanism. The release mechanism also includes an elongate cord having opposed proximal end distal ends, with the distal end of the cord being attached to the release member. Attached to the proximal end of the cord is a trigger pull or release handle, with the cord preferably being sized such that the release handle is disposed in relative close proximity to the first end of the strap. In the present leash assembly, the cord preferably extends within the interior of the strap, with the proximal end of the cord protruding from the strap in relative close proximity to the first end thereof, and the distal end of the cord protruding from the strap in relative close proximity to the second end thereof. The cord is itself preferably fabricated from a material selected from the group consisting of braided or twisted high tensile strength nylon line, braided metal line of at least 80 and preferably 90 pound test, coated metal line or wire of at least 80 and preferably 90 pound test, and coated metal cable. A preferred coating for the metal wire or cable is Teflon or polytetrafluoroethylene.
In addition to the above-described components, the leash assembly further comprises a stop member which is attached to the cord of the release mechanism in relative close proximity to the distal end thereof. The stop member is used to prevent a distal portion of the cord adjacent its distal end from being drawn into the strap. The stop member may comprise either a lead or nylon component having either a generally cylindrical or spherical configuration which is rigidly fixed to a prescribed location upon the cord. The stop member is typically only included on the cord for leash assemblies having strap lengths exceeding six feet. Also included in the present leash assembly is a plurality of a guide sleeves which are disposed within the interior of the strap in spaced relation to each other. Each of the guide sleeves has a tubular, generally cylindrical configuration, with the opposed ends thereof preferably being flared. The cord of the release mechanism is extended through the guide sleeves which provide a reinforcement function to prevent the cord from slicing through the strap.
In a first embodiment of the present leash assembly, the release member of the release mechanism is rigidly attached to the body of the latch mechanism. In a second embodiment of the present leash assembly, the release member, as well as the second end of the strap, are rotatably connected to the body of the latch mechanism. The rotatable connection of the release member to the body is preferably facilitated via a standard bearing. Advantageously, such rotatable connection assists in maintaining the release mechanism, and in particular the release handle thereof, in the same plane d
Welch Steve L.
Welch Timothy L.
Garred Mark B.
Jordan Charles T.
Shaw Elizabeth
Stetina Kit M.
Stetina Brunda Garred & Brucker
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