WO2012101404A1

WO2012101404A1 - Animal harness accessory

Info

Publication number: WO2012101404A1
Application number: PCT/GB2012/000069
Authority: WO
Inventors: David Mark DALY
Original assignee: Daly David Mark
Priority date: 2011-01-25
Filing date: 2012-01-25
Publication date: 2012-08-02
Also published as: GB201101233D0

Abstract

An animal harness accessory (10) comprises an attachment arrangement (12, 14). The accessory is in the form of a sheet member having edges which can be brought together to form a sleeve. Hook - and-loop fixings can be used. The hook-and-loop fixings allow the sheet to form a sleeve with either of the surfaces of the sheet exposed to view. The two surfaces are visually distinguishable and may have different colours, patterns or other markings. The visually distinguishable surfaces allow the (accessory (10) to convey information about the animal to whom the accessory and harness (16) are attached, such as whether the animal is placid or aggressive.

Description

Animal Harness Accessory

The present invention relates to improvements in or relating to accessories for animal harness.

Dogs are conventionally restrained in public by using a collar to which a long lead (sometimes called a leash) is attached. The other end of the lead is held by the owner in order to control the dog while allowing the dog some freedom. Sometimes the lead is attached to a harness around the shoulder of the dog. All of these items (collar, lead, leash, harness) and others can collectively be called items of animal harness.

Examples of the present invention provide an animal harness accessory comprising: an attachment arrangement operable to attach the accessory to an item of animal harness; the attachment arrangement providing a plurality of selectable modes of attachment; and the accessory being visually distinguishable when each mode of attachment is in use, from when at least one other mode is in use.

The accessory may comprise a plurality of visually distinguishable surfaces, a different surface or combination of surfaces being exposed to view in each respective mode of attachment. A different one of the surfaces may be exposed to view in each respective mode of attachment. The visually distinguishable surfaces may have different colours. Alternatively, or in addition, the visually distinguishable surfaces may have different patterns or other markings. The accessory may comprise a sleeve member to surround a harness member for attachment. The sleeve may be open-ended. The sleeve member may be reversible to expose a surface as an outer surface of the sleeve, or to conceal the surface as an inner surface of the sleeve.

The sleeve member may comprise a sheet member having edges which can be brought together to form a sleeve, there being attachment means operable to secure the edges together. The sheet member may be selectively curved in either sense to form a sleeve having either surface of the sheet member exposed to view. The attachment means may be releasable.

Alternatively, the accessory may comprise a sheet formed into a toroidal form to surround a harness member for attachment. The sheet may be sufficiently flexible to move around the surface of the toroidal form to change the appearance of the apparatus.

At least one mode of attachment may expose a fluorescent and/or reflective region of the apparatus to view.

The apparatus may comprise a storage pocket.

Examples of the present invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an animal harness accessory according to the invention, in use;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the accessory prior to use;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the accessory, prior to use; Fig. 4 (a) and (b) are simple end views of the accessory formed for use; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an alternative example accessory;

Fig. 6 is an end view of the accessory of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a section along the axis of the accessory of Fig. 5. In the first example to be described, illustrated in Fig. 1 to Fig. 4, an animal harness accessory 10 comprises an attachment arrangement 12, 14 operable to attach the accessory 10 to an item 16 of animal harness. In this document, the term "harness" is intended to refer to any part of the equipment used to restrain or control the animal, such as a lead, leash, collar, bridle, rein etc, or an item known in itself as a harness. In Fig. 1 , a large example of the accessory 10 is illustrated attached to a dog lead or leash 16, while a smaller example of the accessory 10 is illustrated attached to a dog collar 18. The attachment arrangement 12, 14 provides a plurality of selectable modes of attachment, as will be described. The accessory 10 is visually distinguishable when each mode of attachment is in use, from at least one other mode is in use, as will be described.

In more detail, and with reference also to Fig. 2, the accessory is in the form of a sheet member 20 having edges 22 which can be brought together to form a sleeve. The sheet member 20 is shown in Fig. 2 in the initial state, prior to bringing together the edges 22. In this example, the attachment arrangement 12, 14 consists of strips of hook-and-loop fixings (sometimes called hook-and-pile) along the edges 22, operable releasably to secure the edges 22 together. That is, a strip of hook material 12 is fixed along one edge 22. A strip of loop pile material 14 is fixed along the other edge 22. The strips 12, 14 are on opposite faces of the sheet member 20, and along opposite, parallel edges 22. The sheet member 20 has two visually distinguishable surfaces 24, 26. The visually distinguishable surfaces may have different colours. In this example, the surface 24 is coloured red and the surface 26 is coloured green. Alternatively, or in addition, the visually distinguishable surfaces 24, 26 may have different patterns or other markings.

The strips 1 , 14 provide a plurality of modes of attachment of the accessory 10, around the lead 16 (or collar 18), as can be understood from a consideration of Fig, 3 and Fig. 4. Figure 3 illustrates how the sheet member 20 may be curved in one of two senses, indicated by the arrows 28, until the strips 12, 14 are brought together near the bottom of the drawing, as illustrated in Figure 3, forming one or other of the open-ended sleeves indicated by the broken lines 30, 32 in Figure 3. These sleeve formations 30, 32 are also illustrated in Fig. 4. It can readily be understood from Figure 3 that when the upper end of the sheet member 20 (as illustrated in Figure 3) is deflected toward the left, to form the sleeve 30 around the lead 16 (see also Fig. 4 (a)), the surface 24 will form the outer surface of the sleeve and therefore be exposed to view after the sleeve has been formed and this form has been retained by engagement of the hooks and loop pile of the strips 12, 4. Alternatively, when the upper end of the sheet member 20 (as illustrated in Figure 3) is deflected toward the right, to form the sleeve 32 around the lead 16 (see also Fig. 4 (b)), the surface 26 will form the outer surface of the sleeve and therefore be exposed to view after the sleeve has been formed and this form has been retained by engagement of the hooks and loop pile of the strips 12, 14. These two alternatives represent two different modes of attachment of the accessory 10 around the lead 16. A different one of the surfaces 24, 26 is exposed to view in each respective mode of attachment. Each mode of attachment results in a different surface 24, 26 forming the outer surface of the sleeve 30, 32. Thus, the sheet member 20 is reversible to expose each of the surfaces 24 as an outer surface of the sleeve, or to conceal each of the surfaces 24, 26 as an inner surface of the sleeve. The surfaces 24, 26 are visually distinguishable, as noted above. Accordingly, the accessory 10 is visually distinguishable when attached in one mode, from when reversed to expose the other surface 24, 26 when attached in the other mode. In this example, the accessory 10 appears to be red or green when attached to the lead 16.

One or more fluorescent and/or reflective strips 34 may be provided on one or both of the surfaces 24, 26. A small pocket 36 may be provided. This may be convenient for storing a waste bag, prior to use, or for storing an edible treat for the dog, particularly for use as a reward during training.

Identification details may be provided on the accessory 10. Details may be provided by printing or etching, or by providing a window through which a label or card is visible. These details can include the name of the animal and contact details for the owner or handler, such as the name, address, telephone number, etc.

The accessory 0, described above, is used in the following manner. When a dog is to be exercised or taken into a public place while restrained by means of the collar 18 and lead 16 in conventional manner, the owner (or other handler in charge of the dog) first makes an assessment of the dog. This assessment is to consider if the dog is likely to react favourably or unfavourably if approached by other people, particularly children. For example, dogs are known to be attractive to children, even if not known to each other. This may lead children to approach a dog seen in public and this can sometimes trigger an aggressive reaction from the dog, particularly if the child and the dog are not known to each other. Some dogs will always act placidly in this type the situation. Other dogs will always act aggressively in this type of situation. Some dogs may act placidly or aggressively according to their mood and their mood will often be apparent to their owner or handler. Knowledge of the placid or aggressive tendencies of the dog is used as the basis of the assessment. If the owner or handler assesses that the dog will or is likely to act aggressively, the accessory 10 is attached to the lead 16 in a mode which leaves the red surface 24 exposed to view. Alternatively, if the owner or handler assesses that the dog will act placidly, the accessory 10 is attached to the lead 16 in the alternative mode, which leaves the green surface 26 exposed to view.

Consequently, it is readily apparent to others, from some distance and by considering the visually distinguishable appearance of the accessory 10, whether the owner or handler considers the dog to be potentially aggressive or placid. Appropriate training will allow others, particularly children, to avoid approaching dogs which are being indicated as potentially aggressive, and to approach only those dogs which are being indicated as placid.

The remaining drawings illustrate an alternative example of an accessory, indicated by the reference 40. In this example, the accessory 40 is tubular. In more detail, the accessory 40 is made from a sheet material 42 formed into an elongate toroidal form. Fig. 7 illustrates the sheet material 42 defining the tube of the accessory 40, with the tube walls being provided by inner and outer layers of the sheet 42, these layers being continuous around the ends 44 of the tube walls. The sheet 42 is sufficiently flexible to move around the surface of the toroidal form to change the appearance of the accessory 40. Thus, the accessory 40 may have a first appearance in which the inner layer of the tube walls is formed of sheet material of a first colour (or other visually distinguishable appearance), while the outer layer of the tube walls is formed of sheet material of a second colour (or other visually distinguishable appearance). This allows the sheet material to be manipulated to move around the surface of the toroidal form, in the direction illustrated by the arrows 46, until the regions of sheet material of the respective colours have exchanged places, so that the external appearance of the accessory 40 has changed from the second colour to the first colour. In this example, the colours may be red and green. The accessory 40 is used in the following manner. When a dog is to be exercised or taken into a public place while restrained by means of the collar 18 and lead 16 in conventional manner, the owner (or other handler in charge of the dog) first makes an assessment of the dog, as described above. The accessory 40 is then manipulated until the external surface of the accessory 40 has the required visually distinguishable appearance, such as being red or green. The tubular form of the accessory 40 then allows the accessory 40 to be threaded onto the lead 16, from one end. The accessory 40 is then clearly visible to others, providing the advantages described above.

Both of these example accessories 10, 40 provide the advantages of drawing the attention of others to the result of the assessment made by the owner or handler. The accessory 10 has the additional advantage of being attachable around the lead 16 without heading over the end of the lead (which may be obstructed by a large handle, for example).

The fluorescent and/or reflective strips, if provided, increase the safety of the dog by increasing visibility, particularly at night. The provision of a pocket 36 provides the owner or handler with a convenient manner of carrying an item such as a waste bag, prior to use in collecting excrement produced by the dog, or a treat, prior to feeding the dog.

Many variations modifications can be made that the apparatus described above. Many different materials can be used. Materials may be one of more of the following: robust, tear-free, highly flexible, brightly coloured (or strongly patterned), lightweight. Other releasable attachment arrangements could be used, such as press-studs, buttons, buckles, snap fastenings, etc. The accessory can be formed with many different sizes, or otherwise formed to suit different sizes or styles of lead, collar or other harness. The accessory may be used with other types of animal. Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

1. An animal harness accessory comprising: an attachment arrangement operable to attach the accessory to an item of animal harness; the attachment arrangement providing a plurality of selectable modes of attachment; and the accessory being visually distinguishable when each mode of attachment is in use, from when at least one other mode is in use.

2. An accessory according to claim 1 , comprising a plurality of visually distinguishable surfaces, a different surface or combination of surfaces being exposed to view in each respective mode of attachment.

3. An accessory according to claim 2, wherein a different one of the surfaces is exposed to view in each respective mode of attachment.

4. An accessory accordingly to claim 2 or 3, wherein the visually distinguishable surfaces have different colours.

5. An accessory according to claim 2, 3 or 4, wherein the visually distinguishable surfaces have different patterns or other markings.

6. An accessory according to any preceding claim comprising a sleeve member to surround a harness member for attachment.

7. An accessory according to claim 6, wherein the sleeve is open-ended.

8. An accessory according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the sleeve member is reversible to expose a surface as an outer surface of the sleeve, or to conceal the surface as an inner surface of the sleeve.

9. An accessory according to claim 6, 7 or 8, wherein the sleeve member comprises a sheet member having edges which can be brought together to form a sleeve, there being attachment means operable to secure the edges together.

10. An accessory according to any of claims 6 to 9, wherein the sheet member may be selectively curved in either sense to form a sleeve having either surface of the sheet member exposed to view.

1 1 . An accessory according to any preceding claim, wherein the attachment means are releasable.

12. An accessory accordingly to any of claims 1 to 10, wherein the accessory comprises a sheet formed into a toroidal form to surround a harness member for attachment.

13. An accessory according to claim 12, wherein the sheet is sufficiently flexible to move around the surface of the toroidal form to change the appearance of the apparatus.

14. An accessory according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one mode of attachment exposes a fluorescent and/or reflective region of the apparatus to view.

15. An accessory according to any preceding claim, further comprising a storage pocket.

16. An animal harness accessory, substantially as described above, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

17. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter disclosed herein, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.