GB2505933A

GB2505933A - Animal restraint for use in vehicles

Info

Publication number: GB2505933A
Application number: GB201216520A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christopher Douglas Blair
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-09-16
Filing date: 2012-09-16
Publication date: 2014-03-19
Also published as: GB201216520D0

Abstract

An apparatus for restraining the movement of an animal, typically a small dog, within the foot-well of a motor vehicle. The invention consists of two straps or cords. The first strap 1 is firmly attached to the base of a seat 2 within the vehicle and made taut at or close to floor level. A first end of the second strap 5 is looped around the taut section of the first strap, allowing it to move horizontally along the front of the seat. The second end of the second strap is clipped to the animal's collar 6 or harness thus keeping the animal constrained to the foot-well in front of the seat to which it is attached. The first strap may be provided with means (10, 11 fig 3) to prevent the second strap sliding too far. Said means may also function to space the first strap from the seat.

Description

ANIMAL RESTRAINT FOR USE IN VEHICLES

The invention relates to an apparatus for restraining the movement of an animal -typically a small dog -within the foot-well of a motor vehicle.

Background

It is widely accepted that carrying unrestrained dogs or other animals within a car can be hazardous. Not only is the animal likely to be injured as it is thrown forwards in the event of an accident, it is also a potential distraction to the driver and can cause an accident.

Ideally. animal s would be carried in crates which are themselves restrained from moving around the vehicle. Alternatively, a wide variety of harness mechanisms have been proposed by which the animal can be attached to the existing seat-belts and/or to dedicated anchor points that may be added to the structure of the vehicle.

However, the former are complex, expensive, slow to fit and, importantly, reduce the number of seat-belts available for human occupants of the car while the latter typically require the use of tools and can damage the car itseff.

It would therefore be beneficial if there were a means of restraining the movement of a dog within the car that did not require the use of an existing seatbelt or any irreversible modification of the vehicle itself It has also been noted that dogs may become more agitated if they see the sceneiy flashing past them. Keeping them below the level of the windows can help to calm them during the journey. Where the animal is small enough to sit comfortably in the foot-well rather than on the seat of the car, this has further benefits. By not taking up a seat or a seatbelt a small dog or cat can be carried in the foot-well with a person's legs either side of it, thus allowing the vehicle to be used at its design capacity rather than one passenger less. Having the animal constrained to the floor also avoids damage to the seats that could occur from its claws and hair were it to sit on them. Furthermore, it avoids the danger of the animal escaping into the road as the car door is opened.

Also note that an animal constrained to the foot-well is not going to become a dangerous projectile in the event of an accident -as one would if it were travelling unrestrained on the seat or rear window shell Rather than flying through the windscreen or into the back of a front-seat passenger in the event of an accident, it will be brought to rest either by the front wall of the passenger foot-well or by the back of the front seat behind which it is travelling. These surfaces are typically broad and flat, ensuring that the deceleration is applied across the body of the animal.

The Figures An exemplary instantiation of the invention is shown in the figures and its operation is described in detail below.

Figure 1 -shows the apparatus being used to restrain a small dog.

Figure 2 -shows a front view of the anchor strap.

Figure 3-shows a top view of the anchor strap.

Figure 4 -shows a front view of the sliding strap.

Figure 5 -shows a top view of the sliding strap.

Figure 6 -shows a plan view of the apparatus attached around the base of an automobile seat.

Summary of the Invention

The invention, as shown in Figure 1, consists of two straps or cords. The anchor strap (1) is attached around the base of a seat (2) within the vehicle using buckle or clip (3) and tensioned by pulling on the end of the strap (4). This anchor strap (1) passes through a loop in end of the second, sliding strap (5) -which is therefore able to move horizontally along the anchor strap (1) across the front of the seat (2). The other end of this sliding strap (5) is clipped to the animal (7) via their existing collar (6) or harness thus keeping the animal (7) constrained to the foot-well in front of the seat (2) to which it is attached.

Detailed Description

The first, typically longer anchor strap (1) is shown in Figures I and 2. The strap is continuous. The dotted cutout section in the centre is simply to allow the detail of the ends to be shown at a reasonable scale. The length of the strap is typically approximately 3m long so as to lit around the perimeter of the base of most car seats.

It is made of, for example, 15mm or 19mm nylon or polypropylene webbing as used in dog leads. rucksack straps and the like. This is affixed around the base of one or more seats within the vehicle using clips, buckles or oops (8), (9). Typically the strap is terminated with a side-release buclde (8) made of nylon or acetal with a an adjuster (9) allowing the end of the strap 4) to be pulled tight, applying tension to the strap.

Car seats may be open underneath, in which case the strap may be passed around some or all of the pillars or c&umns at either side of the seat and adjusted so as to be pulled taught along the front edge of the seat. Alternatively, the strap may be attached to the back corners of the seat if the animal is to be carried in the rear passenger foot-well rather than the front. In many cases, however, the car seat (2) extends to the floor all the way around and the strap (1) has to be passed right around the base of the seat as shown in Figure 6. Such seats typically taper, being smaller in cross-section at floor level than at the level of the seat. When tightened, the strap naturally fafls towards the floor of the car and cannot then be raised above it without deliberately loosening or releasthg the strap. Note that the clip (3) may be positioned wherever is convenient: at the side as shown in Figure 1 or at the back as shown in Figure 6. As the other components slide along the anchor strap, the can be positioned as required regardless of where the clip is positioned.

Figures 4 and 5 show the second, typically shorter "sliding" strap (12) which is typically made of similar material to the anchor strap (1). At one end of the sliding strap is affixed a connector (13). This may be a simple loop of the strap itself, a metal or plastic circular, D-or other ring attached to the end of the cord, or a releasable mechanism such as a spring clip, snap-hook. caribener or similar. In the case of the ring shown in Figures 4 and 5, the anchor strap (1) is passed through the ring (13) before the anchor strap (I) is strapped around the Cal' seat (2).

Preferably, the effective length of the sliding strap (12) is adjustable -typically by means of a buckle such as a LadderlocTM or SuperlocTM (14). Afternative mechanisms such as a buckle and punched holes may ako be used.

The other end of the sliding strap (12) is removably attached to the animal's collar (6) or harness -typically using a spring clip (15) as found on most dog leads. Preferably the attachment (15) incorporates a rotating joint (16) so as to avoid the strap (12) becoming twisted should the animal repeatedly twist around in the same direction. A "rotary J hook" in acetal or a metal spring clip may be used, for example.

This sliding strap (12) can therefore move across the front of the seat (2) allowing the animal (7) a degree of lateral movement but restraining its vertical movement above the level of the anchor strap (1) to the adjusted length of the sliding strap (12). The animal therefore cannot climb onto the seat (2) to which it is attached nor is it free to wander around the rest of the vehicle where it could distract or impede the driver.

The straps (1), (12) are typically made from woven nylon webbing but it will be appreciated that a wide range of materials maybe used. For example: leather.

polypropylene, cotton, hemp, canvas etc. They maybe of circubr. flat or other cross-section.

Optionally, the degree of horizontal movement afforded to the animal can be further constrained by the placement of one or more "stops" (10). (11) around the anchor strap (I). These maybe as simple as a knot in the strap (1) or maybe a clamp threaded onto the strap with barbs on the inside that can be claniped firmly around the anchor strap (1) such that the stops (10), (11) will not slide along the strap (1) and are of sufficient diameter that the loop in the sliding attachment or clip (13) cannot pass over it. This can be particuar1y useful if the anima' must be camed in the front passenger foot-well as it can stop the anima' from moving into the centre of the vehicle where it could impede or even knock the gear-stick, handbrake or other controls on or around the centre console. If the cross section of the stops (10), (11) is as shown in Figure 3 then these can be used as shown in Figure 6 to hold the anchor strap (1) out from the front of the car seat (2). This allows the sliding strap (12) to move along the section between them without touching the seat itself behind the strap.

This avoids unnecessary wear on the material covering the front of the seat.

By keeping the animal well within the foot-well, the restraining mechanism is not required to decelerate the animal in the event of a crash. Its purpose is merely to keep the animal in the foot-well at all times. It therefore need only be strong enough to resist the efforts of the animal itself.

Indeed, there is benefit in having the restraint actually separate in the event of an accident. So as to avoid breaking the animal's neck, an emergency release mechanism (such as that used in lanyards designed to go around the neck) can optionally be included in strap (12) or built into the connector at either end of it (13), (15).

Note that, when being used in the rear of a vehicle, the anchor strap (1) maybe attached to the front seat (2) with the sliding strap (12) able to move across the rear of the seat. Alternatively, the anchor strap (1) may be attached across all or part of the front of the rear seats. An anchor strap long enough to completely encircle a front seat (2) is typically long enough to span the full width of the rear seat and can be used to give the animal freedom to move across the full width of the rear foot-well if desired.

It will also be appreciated that the anchor strap (1) may be fixed to other points within a vehicle. For example, in a flatbed pickup truck, it could be affixed across the back of the cab, allowing the animal to move across but not along the open bed of the truck.

Claims

CLAIMSI. An apparatus for constraining the movement of an animal within a vehicle, said apparatus consisting of a substantially horizontal strap attached to the fabric of said vehicle and a second strap attaching the collar or harness of said animal slidably to first said strap so as to allow the point of said attachment to move along first said strap.
2. An apparatus of Claim I in which first said strap is affixed around one or more of said vehicle seat's or seat supports.
3. An apparatus of Claim I in which either or both said straps and/or attachment mechanisms incorporates a safety release mechanism allowing them to detach should the force applied on said second strap exceed a predetermined threshold.
4. An apparatus of Claim I in which an obstruction is placed on said substantially horizontal strap so as to further restnct the movement of said second strap along it.
5. An apparatus of Claim 1 in which said substantially horizontal strap is held away from the fabric of the vehicle by one or more spacers.
6. An apparatus of Claim I in which said second strap is attached to said animal's collar or harness by means ofa rotary joint.
7. An apparatus of Claim 1 in which said second strap is attached to said animal's collar or harncss by means of a quick-release mechanism such as a spñng-clip, caribiner. snap-hook or J-hook.
8. An apparatus of Claim 1 in which said second strap is attached to said substantially horizontal strap by means of a metal or plastic ring affixed to one end of said second strap and through which said substantially horizontal strap passes.
9. An apparatus of Claim 1 in which the length of said second strap is adjustable.
10. An apparatus of Claim 4 in which said obstruction also serves to separate the said substantially horizontal strap from the fabric of the vehicle.Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows.CLAIMSI. An apparatus for constraining the movement of an animal within a vehicle, said apparatus consisting of a first strap that is attached to the base or support of one or more of said vehicle's scats when in use and a second strap attaching the collar or harness of said animal slidably to first said strap so as to allow the point of said attachment to move along first said strap yet remain close to the level of the floor.2. An apparatus of Claim I in which either or both said straps incorporates a safety release mechanism allowing them to detach should the force applied on said second strap exceed a predetermined threshold.3. An apparatus of Claim 1 in which an obstruction is placed on said first strap so as to further restrict the movement of said second strap along it.4. An apparatus of Claim I in which said first strap is held away from the fabric of the vehicle by one or more spacers when in use.5. An apparatus of Claim 1 in which said second strap is attached to said animal's collar or harness by means of a rotary joint.6. An apparatus of Claim I in which said second strap is attached to said animal's collar or harness by means ofa quick-release mechanism.7. An apparatus of Claim I in which said second strap is attached to said first strap by means of a metal or plastic ring affixed to one end of said second strap and through which said first strap passes.8. An apparatus of Claim I in which the length of said second strap is adjustable.9. An apparatus of Claim 3 in which said obstruction also serves to separate the said first strap from the fabric of the vehicle. r C')