GB2473930A - Medical collar for an animal - Google Patents

Abstract

A medical collar 1 comprising a non-rigid material such as a textile formed into a tubular frusto-conical formation having a first end 2 of smaller diameter than a second end 3, such that the collar is so engageable over an animal's head and so that the head of the animal is surrounded by the collar sufficiently to prevent the animal reaching any part of its body with its mouth. The collar is preferably provided with securing means such as a drawstring (8, fig 2) and stiffening ribs 5 to help the collar keep its shape in use.

Description

MEDICAL COLLAR FOR ANIMALS

This invention relates to a medical collar for animals.

In situations where an animal has suffered an injury to its head, body or a limb and/or damage to the coat thereof that has required the use of some form of medical treatment such as the application of creams or other similar coverings, the need to stitch a wound or where for whatever reason the fur or hair of the animal's coat is being subjected to a treatment that would be harmful to the animal if ingested it is well known that under such circumstances animals try to lick, and/or scratch a region of injury and/or treated area.

Furthermore, when the injury/treatment is in the close vicinity of the animal's mouth, face, eyes etc. the animal will try to relieve any inevitable irritation/annoyance by scratching with their feet/paws. As will be appreciated most animals feet are equipped with claws/nails that are more than likely to create additional damage to the animal.

With a view to preventing or at least reducing the risk of such animal activities it is known to mount a relatively rigid conically shaped shield to the neck region of the animal such that the shield diverges outwardly from the neck region sufficiently to provide a protective barrier around the animal's head and is of such a size that it prevents the animal from biting or licking an affected area of his body.

Furthermore, the presence of such a conical guard shield additionally makes it difficult for an animal to scratch its head area with a foot/paw.

Since known collars are made from relatively rigid self-supporting plastics sheeting which is of sufficient thickness so as to retain its required conical form when in use, they can inherently involve a considerable degree of discomfort to the animal during such use.

Furthermore, such collars are of such a construction that they are not finely adjustable in size for the purposes of an adequate fit around the animal's neck region.

In addition, it has been found that because of the rigidity of the known collars, they are not particularly appropriate for use with smaller animals such as cats, very small dogs or other animals commonly kept as pets, and as a consequence, give rise to not inconsiderable discomfort to the animal.

As a result of such discomfort many owners are somewhat reluctant to make use of them.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a medical collar construction which assists in alleviating the problems arising from the use of known medical collars.

Broadly, according to an aspect of the invention there is provided a medical collar formed from non-rigid material.

Preferably the collar is formed from an elongated fan shaped length of fabric-like material whose ends are connected to each other along the length thereof thereby to produce a conical frustum-form to the collar.

The collar has an opening at the smaller diameter end of the collar through which the animal's head is inserted and, in a preferred construction, provision is made for locating a circumscribing tie/tape by means of which the opening can be selectively reduced by means of the tie/tape to a diameter appropriate to the neck dimensions of an animal to which the collar is fitted.

Conveniently the collar can be stiffened in the width direction i.e., between the smaller diameter end and the larger diameter end thereof by stiffening ribs, the arrangement being such that the overall stiffness is greater in the said width direction as compared with the circumferential direction of the collar thereby to assist in maintaining when in use the requisite conical form.

Preferably the width direction stiffening of the collar is produced by stitching-in a stiffening rib at regularly spaced locations along the length of the collar.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how to carry the same into effect reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:-Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment of a medical collar in use on a dog; Figure 2 illustrates a perspective view of the collar of Figure 1 when not in use; and Figure 3 illustrates the collar when fitted to a small cat.

Referring now to the drawings the medical collar 1 is, when in use, in the form of a frustum of a cone, having a smaller diameter opening at an end 2 and a wider diameter opening at an end 3.

The collar 1 is formed from a length of a non-rigid deformable/flexible material, for example, a textile. Preferably the textile can be a polymer such as polyester.

Since the length is to provide a conic frustum form, its initial shape can be that of a segment of an annulus having marginal edge regions which are then joined together. Advantageously, the length of material may comprise two layers of the material whose marginal edge regions can be joined together to produce the double layer formation with some form of padding being located between the layers.

The double layer formation can be stiffened in the direction between the ends 2 and 3 by means of radially directed stiffening members (not shown) held in place by a combination of folding/crimping of the material layers to enclose the stiffening members and by stitching the folded material to retain the stiffening members in place thereby to produce a plurality of stiffening ribs 5.

The stiffening ribs 5 are regularly spaced about the collar 1 and the number of such stiffening ribs 5 will be related to the overall circumference of the collar.

For example, a collar 1 intended to use with smaller animals could include four such ribs 5 whilst one for larger animals could include six such ribs 5. It will be understood that the number of ribs 5 is not restricted to the numbers above given.

In order slightly to stiffen the marginal edges that are joined together to form the collar, they are respectively enclosed by a hem 6 that is stitched. This stitching of the hem in conjunction with the combination of the layers of the material serves to stiffen the marginal edge regions.

Alternatively, the collar could be constructed from a plurality of segments, rather than one piece of material, the joins between the segments providing seams which would accommodate the stiffening members and thus form the stiffening ribs 5.

At the region of the smaller opening end 2, there is a strip of material 7 (shown in Figure 2) that is secured in place by lines of stitching. This stitching in conjunction with the combination of layers of the material aids in the stiffening of that region of the collar 1.

The provision of this strip 7 defines a sleeve extending around the smaller opening end 2. This sleeve is used to accommodate a circumscribing tie device in the form of a cord/tape 8 that is used as a tie in the sense that the smaller diameter end 2 can be selectively tightened when the collar is fitted to an animal to an extent appropriate to the neck dimensions of the animal. In practice, once the collar has been fitted and the neck adjustment made by exerting pull on the cord/tape 8 the ends of the cord/tape are tied or otherwise secured, by for example a toggle, so as to maintain the requisite size. One advantage of the cord/tape 8 is that if adjustment is required, the material gathers around the opening in such a way that it does not bother the animal compared to having to make folds or pleats in the rriaterial of the collar to achieve the necessary adjustment, which could cause discomfort and/or annoyance to the animal.

It is evident from Figures 1 and 3 that the medical collar 1 when fitted to a dog and to a cat, respectively, prevents the dog or cat from gnawing at his body and also prevents the dog or cat from using a paw to scratch at its head.

Since the collar 1 is formed from the non-rigid material, it does not present a hard rigid surface or edge to any part of the body of the wearer or another animal or person.

Claims (6)

1. CLAIMS1. A medical collar comprising a non-rigid material formed into a tubular frusto-conical formation having a first end of smaller diameter than a second end, such that the collar is so engageable over an animal's head that the head of the animal is surrounded by the collar sufficiently to prevent the animal reaching any part of its body with its mouth.
2. 2. A medical collar as claimed in claim 1, and including means for accommodating a circumscribing tie device at a region of said first end by way of which the opening at said first end of the collar can be selectively reduced by means of the tie device.
3. 3. A medical collar as claimed in claims 1 or 2, wherein the collar is stiffened by stiffening ribs extending between the first and second ends.
4. 4. A medical collar as claimed in claim 3, wherein the stiffening provided by said ribs is such that the overall stiffness of the collar is greater in the direction from the first end to the second end as compared with the circumferential direction parallel to the two ends.
5. 5. A medical collar as claimed in claims 3 or 4, wherein the stiffening ribs are produced by seams at regularly spaced locations about the collar.
6. 6. A medical collar as substantially hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.