GB2429897A

GB2429897A - Animal handling safety guard

Info

Publication number: GB2429897A
Application number: GB0617663A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Melvin Brian Driver
Original assignee: MDC Exports Ltd
Current assignee: MDC Exports Ltd
Priority date: 2005-09-12
Filing date: 2006-09-08
Publication date: 2007-03-14
Also published as: GB0617663D0; GB0518534D0

Abstract

The guard is adapted for placing over the nose/mouth of an animal such as a dog. The guard includes a cup like housing 2 provided with a plurality of holes to enable adequate breathing by the animal and means 22 for enabling the guard to be retained in its operative position on the animal. The housings may be formed in a series of different sizes and may have holes located at the top 6 and the bottom 8 of the housing. The retaining means may comprise a strap with a quick release coupling 22 and buckle 23 to adjust the length of the strap.

Description

ANIMAL HANDLING SAFETY GUARD

This invention relates to safety guards for persons handling animals It is well known that persons professionally involved in the handling of animals whether for medical examination and/or treatment and for other purposes when it is necessary to treat, groom or otherwise handle animals always run a considerable risk of being bitten by the animal.

In particular, it s well known that some animals particularly dogs exhibit behavioural characterisiics such that when they are being handled by a stranger they for little apparent reason bare their teeth and/of become so aggressive as to be likely to attempt to bite a person or other animal.

This situation is particularly the case in relation to professionals who for various reasons need, during the course of their professional activities, to be able to handle for a variety of reasons animals whom they have never previously handled..

For example, medical treatments to the animals mount i.e., gums, teeth or requiring a healing period are frequently the source of considerable annoyance to the animal who continuously try to scratch or otherwise try to relieve a temporally painful situation. As will be appreciated this scatting action by the animal usually has the reverse effect on the well being of the animal in that the scratching could reopen a wound, breakaway stitches, introduce contamination into the medically rated regions of the animals nose and mouth In this connection an important factor underlying the risks involved is that not whilst an animal is well known to be placid and never to have demonstrated any tendency to snap at or bite a handler it is not unknown for such an animal to snap at and/or attempt to bite a person who handles the animal at a time at which the animal does not wish to be handled thereby not infrequently resulting in the animal instinctively reacting by snapping at or biting the handler..

It is known to use muzzles to avoid any risk of an animal from snapping at or biting other animals or passers by when exercising a dog in a public place.

Conventionally, such known muzzles commonly incorporate a circumscribing nose band of non-stretchable strip material sometimes combined with a fabric nose housing.

It has been found that with such constructions of muzzles it is readily possible to 0 over tighten the band and thus impede breathing by the animal.

It will be appreciated that whatever the Construction and form taken by a muzzle it is important that the wearing of the muzzle does not impede the breathing of the animal, does not cause the animal any distress, and does not lead to cramping of the nose regions of the animal.

1 5 It is an object of the present invention to provide an protective guard for an animal's mouth.

Broadly according to the present invention there is provided a protective guard adapted for placing over the nose/mouth of an animal such as a dog, the guard including a cup like housing provided with a plurality of holes positioned as to enable adequate breathing by the animal and, and means for enabling the guard to be retained in its operative position on the animal.

Preferably the sizes and positioning of each hole is such as to be out of reach of the teeth of the animal whilst enabling a direct flow of air or fluid in the event that the animal drinks when wearing the housing.

In a preferred construction the guard incorporates a tapered main part formed by a tubular member having an end wall at its smaller end, and an outwardly flaring region defining an upper and lower parts that can bridge the upper and lower regions of the nose of the animal and two side parts that are intended to shield the sides of the animal's nose region, and to provide mounting regions for the retaining means.

Conveniently the retaining means includes a first strap part connected to a said side of the housing, a second strap part connected to the other side of the housing and a quick release coupling for connecting the first and second parts together to hold the housing in position upon an animal.

Conveniently one of said parts includes an arrangement for enabling adjustment of the overall length of the retaining means.

In a preferred construction one of the parts includes two portions,and wherein one end of one portion is connected to a side wall, and its other end is connected i 5 to the length adjustment means, and wherein the other potion is connected at one end to the quick release means, and wherein its other end is adapted for Iengthways adjustable engagement with the length adjustment means..

Preferably the guard is formed from a plastics moulding.

Conveniently, a series of differing sizes of the cup like housing is provided so as to accommodate differently sized animals.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how to cany the same into effect reference will now be made to the accompanying drawing in Figure 1 is a side view of an embodiment of a safety guard incorporating the concepts of the invention Figure 2 is a front view of the guard of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a view from above of the guard of Figures 1 and 2 Referring now to the drawings the safety guard I shown therein comprises a cup like housing 2 closed at its forward/front end 3 by an end wall 4 and open at its rear end 5.

A pair of elongate holes 6 is formed in the upper wall 7 of the housing A further pair of holes 8 is provided in the opposite lower wall 9 of the housing 2..

Because of the general shaping/form of the guard I the front view of Figure 2 indicates the forward portions of the upper and lower walls 7 and 9 and thus the positions of the Iwo pairs of holes 6 and 8.

A central hole 10 is provided in the front waIl 4 of the housing. In addition there is provided in the upper part of the wall 4 a pair of holes 12, and in the lower part of the front wall a group of three holes 13 the latter being beneath the hole 10.

The rear end 5 of the housing 2 is profiled as is indicated so that the lower regions 14 of the side walls 15 of the housing, and of the lower wall 9 extend further rearwards from the housing front end 3 as compared with the rearward extension of the upper wall 7.

As may be noted from the Figures the housing walls 7, 9 and 15 generally diverge outwards from the front end 3 to accord with the general shaping of a dog's nose region.

In addition, it will be noted from Figure 1 that the front wall 4 is inclined forwards to accord with the general shaping of a dog's nose and the positioning of its nostrils This feature in conjunction wilh the positioning of the various holes 6,8,10,12 and 13 provided in the walls and front of the housing 2 provides for adequate breathing air flow passages..

The guard I is held in place by a strap arrangement 16 comprising three main parts 17,18 and 19.

A slot 20 is provided at the rear end of each side wall 15. One end of each of the strap parts 18 and 19 is secured to the cup like housing by engagement with an associated slot 20., The two parts 17 and 18 are connected by a strap length adjustment means 21, whilst the two parts 17 and 19 are connectable together by way of a quick release connection 22.

The strap length adjustment means 21 is provided for enabling length adjustment of the strap arrangement 16 to enable a satisfactory positioning of the guard I on the head of an animal (not shown). The arrangement can include a buckle 23 at 1 5 the free end of the strap part 1 8 into which the free end of the strap part 17 lengthways engageable.

In use the guard is placed over the animal's nose and the strap paris 17 and 19 are joined by way of the quick release arrangement 22 so that the strap arrangement 16 holds the guard in position.

If necessary the overall length of the strap arrangement is suitably adjusted by the length adjustment means 21 so that the guard is held in place without the front wall 4 pulling against the nostrils of the dog.

Once so mounted the guard prevents the dog from interfering with the activities of a person during any subsequent handling of the animal i.e., dog for what ever reason.

At the same time the dog is not placed under unnecessary stress by reason that the guard I does not involve the fitting of relatively tight circumscribing straps around the animal's nose, regions The guard I is conveniently formed as a plastics moulding.

Since there are many differently sized dogs it follows that the heads of dogs are likewise of many different size. To accommodate this the guards can be moulded in a plurality of different sizes. That is to say a range of differing sizes may be produced.

In addition, since the overall shape of the heads of animals such as dogs differ in form and in proportions the guards of the present invention can be formed in a number of different shapes to accommodate for example dogs having relatively long nose regions, those having relatively short nose regions, and those having narrow or broad nose regions.

Claims

J CLAIMS

1. A protective guard adapted for placing over the nose/mouth of an animal such as a dog, the guard including a cup like housing provided with a plurality of holes positioned as to enable adequate breathing by the animal and, and means for enabling the guard to be retained in its operative position on the animal.

2 A protective guard as claimed in claim 1, wherein the diameter and positioning of each hole is such as to be out of reach of the teeth of the animal whilst enabling a direct flow of air or fluid in the event that the animal drinks when wearing the housing.

3 A protective guard as claimed in claim I or 2, and wherein a series of holes is arranged in the front/closed end of the housing in at least two groups of holes positioned around a centrally positioned hole..

4. A protective guard as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, and including further openings in the upper and lower walls of the housing.

5 A protective guard as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, and wherein the guard incorporates a tapered main part formed by a tubular member having an end wall at its smaller end, and an outwardly flaring region defining an upper and lower parts that can bridge the upper and lower regions of the nose of the animal and two side parts that are intended to shield the sides of the animal's nose region, and to provide mounting regions for the retaining means.

6 A protective guard as claimed in any one of claims I to 5, and wherein the retaining means includes a first strap part connected to a said side of the housing, a second strap part connected to the other side of the housing and a quick release coupling for connecting the first and second parts together to hold the housing in position upon an animal.

-I

7. A protective guard as claimed in claim 6, and wherein one of said parts includes an arrangement for enabhng adjustment of the overall length of the retaining means.

8. A protective guard as claimed in claim 7, wherein said one of the parts S includes two portions,and wherein one end of one portion is connected to a side wall, and its other end is connected to the length adjustment means, and wherein the other potion is connected at one end to the quick release means, and wherein its other end is adapted for lengthways adjustable engagement with the length adjustment means..

9 A protective guard as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the lower regions of the lower wall and the sides of the housing extend further rearwards than the upper wall, there being a smooth transitions between the sides and top. strengthening rid in base, 10. A protective guard as claimed in any one of claims I to 9, and wherein the 1 s guard is formed from a plastics moulding.

II. A protective guard system incorporating guards as claimed in any one of claims I to 10, wherein the system comprises a series of differing sizes off he cup like housing so as to accommodate differently sized animals.

12 A protective guard, constructed and arranged to be used substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.