GB2448911A

GB2448911A - Combined dog harness and retractable lead

Info

Publication number: GB2448911A
Application number: GB0708525A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Thomas Joel Hunt
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-05-03
Filing date: 2007-05-03
Publication date: 2008-11-05
Also published as: GB0716730D0; GB0708525D0

Abstract

The combined dog harness and retractable lead utilises a standard dog harness adapted to include a padded back-strap and a barrel-shaped housing G containing an extendable and retractable lead having a moulded plastic handle H attached thereto. The harness is attached to the housing using clips (C/D/E/F, fig 2). A brake is also provided to fix the length of the lead should it be desired. This device allows the dog to carry its own lead.

Description

DESCRIPTION

SMART HARNESS -The all-in-one dog harness & retractable lead': All-in-one dog harness and retractable lead, with all components to be carried by the dog when being walked. Handle and lead extend up to 2' or 3' dependent on model/version, from small harness-mounted housing, and retract to housing when owner releases handle.

Whilst walking a friends' dog, using a dog harness and standard clip lead, I had an idea for an all-in-one harness & lead combination.

The reasons for my idea were: 1) In order to let the dog run free, one must unclip the lead from the harness. If the dog is excited and/or straining at the lead this can be tricky, especially for the young or the elderly.

2) Once unclipped, the owner must then carry the lead in a hand or in a pocket.

Some leads can be bulky/long and therefore will not fit most pockets, or can be at the very least uncomfortable. If the lead has to be carried and if the weather is cold the hand will become uncomfortable, especially for the elderly. And simply it is just a plain nuisance to carry the lead.

3) To reattach the lead to the harness can be more tricky than removing it: You have to coerce the dog into first stopping andlor sitting, then keep it still while you clip the lead back into the harness ring. If this needs to be done at high speed due to problems with other dogs, children or traffic it will be nigh-on impossible.

4) Further to point 3, if the dog has become involved in a fight with another dog it can be dangerous to reach into the collar area to pull the dog away assuming you will not be able to reattach the lead.

5) And although less common, my invention prevents the loss of the lead should someone misplace or accidentally drop it.

My invention solves all the above problems by combining the harness and lead in one piece of equipment, carried by the dog. The lead is extendable to a distance of 2' or 3' dependent on the model/version chosen and is retracted into and stored in a housing that clips into a padded back-strap on the harness worn by the dog. This back-strap goes across the spine of the dog and is the top strap of the harness.

IN MORE DEFAIL: The harness would be a standard one, adapted to include padded back-straps attachable to one another by Velcro (one lays across the other), attached to which is a small barrel-shaped housing containing an extendable and retractable lead, attached to which is moulded plastic handle. The housing shares the principle of the hand-held retractable dog walking lead, utilising a spring-loaded wheel containing a coil of twine/ribbon under tension. Another feature present on the housing also shared with the hand-held retractable dog walking lead is the wheel-brake that can be used to fix the variable length of the lead as desired.

The mediumllarge dog version of my invention would have a twine or 1" thick ribbon-style lead, extendable to a distance of 2'. The small dog version would have a twine or half-inch ribbon-style lead, extendable to a distance of 3'.

The barrel would be possibly constructed of aluminium or hard wearing plastic for the larger dogs' version, and plastic for the smaller dogs' version.

The smaller dogs' version could also possibly possess less tension in the barrel to account for the dog weighing less.

The barrel would clip on either side to the back-strap, one side fixes the barrel to the harness, and the other side the harness to the barrel, thus completing the fixing circuit and keeping the harness on the dog. The barrel being clip-able on both sides would mean that the barrel is interchangeable and therefore replaceable should it break over time, should the dog outgrow the barrels' upper strength limits or should the owner want to change it for purely cosmetic reasons.

This detachable barrel function also makes the barrel usable with a standard style dog collar, adapted to clip in to either side of the barrel. This separate product (the collar) is a product in its own right designed by myself, to purchase separately.

DRAWINGS INTRODUCTION

Now follows a selection of drawings of the invention.

DRAWING 1: This drawing shows the all-in-one dog harness and retractable lead from the front, as if the dog was head on to the viewer. The harness is open at this stage and ready to take the dog.

You can see the harness straps including the front and back side-straps, the undercarriage strap, and the two back straps. As viewed from this angle, the padded back-strap on the right hand side of the page (symbol A) when the harness is fastened would lie atop the left hand back-strap (symbol B), fastening with Velcro.

One pair of clips (symbol CID) is fastened, attaching the barrel containing the extendable lead to the harness. The other pair of clips (symbol ElF) are unfastened at this stage.

The barrel containing the retractable lead is clearly visible (symbol G), and the handle to the lead is on the rear of the barrel (not visible).

DRAWING 2: Once more this drawing shows the all-in-one dog harness and retractable lead from the front, as in DRAWING 1. The harness has now been fastened as if a dog is in the harness.

The padded back-straps lie fastened to one another with Velcro (symbol A).

Both pairs of clips are now fastened (symbols CID and ElF).

The barrel containing the retractable lead is visible (symbol G), and the handle to the lead is on the rear of the barrel (not visible).

DRAWING 3: -Again, this shows the harness in the fastened position from a birds-eye view. The arrows and text indicate the direction of travel of the dog.

The barrel containing the retractable lead is visible (symbol G), and the handle to the lead is now visible on the rear of the barrel (symbol H).

DRAWING 4: This is a diagonal side view of the harness in the fastened position.

The barrel containing the retractable lead is visible (symbol G), and the handle to the lead is visible on the rear of the barrel (symbol H). Also labelled is the wheel-brake to fix the variable length of the lead if desired.

The shaded area is the underside of one of the padded back straps.

The arrow indicates the direction of travel of the dog.

DRAWING 5: This is a close-up drawing of the lead barrel detached from the harness.

The text indicates which components are which and their functions.

Also detailed on this drawing is the wheel-brake, which enables the dog walker to fix the variable length of the lead should they desire or should it be necessary in any situation.

The shaded area is the underside of the strap. *

Claims

SMART HARNESS -The all-in-one dog harness & retractable lead': 1) The all-in-one dog harness and retractable lead would utilise a standard dog harness, adapted to include a padded back-strap, attached to which by clips is a removable small barrel-shaped housing on the side of which is a brake to fix the length of the lead should it be desired, and this barrel-shaped housing Contains an extendable and retractable lead, attached to which is a moulded plastic handle for the dog walker to hold to control the dog; all components combine to make one unit which is carried at all times by the dog.
2) Further to Claim 1, no product on the market combines the harness and lead in one product; a harness can be bought and a lead too to attach to it, either a standard lead or retractable lead, to be held at all times by the dog walker; The all-in-one dog harness and retractable lead allows the dog to carry the lead should the owner let it go, without it falling to the floor, and allows the owner to regain control of the dog quickly and easily.
3) The housing shares the principle of the hand-held retractable dog walking lead, utilising a spring-loaded wheel containing a coil of twine/ribbon under tension.
4) Another feature present on the housing also shared with the hand-held retractable dog walking lead is the wheel-brake that can be used to vary and fix the length of the lead as desired.
5) The medium/large dog version of my invention could have a twine or 1" thick ribbon-style lead, extendable to a distance of 2'.
6) The small dog version could have a twine or half-inch ribbon-style lead, extendable to a distance of 3'.
7) The barrel could be possibly constructed of aluminium or hard wearing plastic for the larger dogs' version, and plastic for the smaller dogs' version.
8) The smaller dogs' version could also possibly possess less tension in the barrel to account for the dog weighing less.
9) The barrel would clip on either side to the back-strap, one side fixes the barrel to the harness, and the other side the harness to the barrel, thus completing the fixing circuit and keeping the harness on the dog.
10) The barrel being clip-able on both sides would mean that the barrel is interchangeable and therefore replaceable should it break over time, should the dog outgrow the barrels' upper strength limits or should the owner want to change it for purely cosmetic reasons.
11) This detachable barrel function also makes the barrel usable with a standard style dog collar (this collar designed by myself and purchased separately), adapted to clip in to either side of the barrel.