WO2015180990A1

WO2015180990A1 - Automatically retractable leash

Info

Publication number: WO2015180990A1
Application number: PCT/EP2015/060893
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ludovic DESWARTE; Jean Jacques MEUNIER
Original assignee: Martin Sellier
Priority date: 2014-05-27
Filing date: 2015-05-18
Publication date: 2015-12-03
Also published as: FR3021500A1; FR3021500B1; EP3148324A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to an automatically retractable leash (1) used to guide and restrain an animal, one strand of the leash being connected to the animal, and a rotary winder (4) contained in a housing (2) intended to be held in the hand by a user, the strand being able to be wound and unwound around the winder (4), the housing (2) comprising a brake (5) of which a majority is housed lengthwise in an opening (6) of the housing (2) while being operable in translation by the action of the user between the inactive position and stop position preventing rotation of the winder (4) with a means of locking (8) in the stop position of the brake (5). The locking means (8) is carried by the brake (5) and is intended to be retained by a stop element (9) carried by the housing (2) for locking the brake (5) in the stop position thereof.

Description

Leaves automatically retractable

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to an automatically retractable leash for guiding and holding a domestic animal, such a leash being rollable and unrollable according to the wishes of the user can adjust the length of the leash with the hand holding the leash by action on a mechanism carried by the leash.

State of the art

EP-A-0941657 discloses such a leash comprising a housing that the user holds in his hand with a handle configured on this housing. The leash includes a strand of leash of which a first end is attached to the animal, preferably to his neck, and a second end penetrates inside the housing to be attached to a reel on which a portion of the lead strand can be rolled up or unrolled.

The housing includes a brake for adjusting the leash segment protruding from the housing to the length desired by the user, the brake comprising a control button allowing the user to operate the brake to stop the unwinding of the leash strand. of the reel once the desired length of the leash strand protruding out of the housing reached.

The housing also comprises a brake locking means which locks the brake in rotation stop position of the reel. This locking means is actuated by the user via another button.

Such a retractable leash has a configuration with two buttons to be pressed to respectively control stopping the unwinding of the leash strand to a desired length by a brake and maintaining the brake in this stopping position. It follows a difficult handling for the user adjusting the length of the leash and a higher manufacturing cost of the leash, given the presence of two control buttons. In addition, there is thus a risk of jamming or malfunction of the brake and its locking means.

The document US A1 2006/0266300 discloses a retractable leash with a reel in a housing and a brake for stopping the rotation of the reel. A complex device for holding in the stop position of the reel is presented. Its efficiency and reliability are perfectible.

A problem underlying the present invention is to simplify the control of an automatic retractable leash brake and its locking means while ensuring greater reliability of the operation of the brake and its locking means.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION For this purpose, according to the invention, an automatically retractable leash is provided for guiding and holding an animal, a leash strand being, on the one hand, reliable to the animal and, on the other hand , to a rotating reel contained in a housing intended to be handled by a user, the leash strand being windable and unrollable around the reel, the housing comprising a brake part of which is housed in an opening presented by the housing and extending in its interior, the brake being operable in translation by the action of the user between an inactive position and a stop position preventing the rotation of the reel, a means or locking member in the brake stop position being provided, characterized in that the locking means is carried by the brake and is configured to be retained by an element stopper carried by the housing for locking the brake in its off position.

The technical effect obtained is to stop the reel by the brake and the locking in the brake stop position by a single element, which implies a simplification of the stop and lock device of the leash which requires two more separate elements to be operated by the user. This provides, therefore, ease of implementation by the user. This solution is the opposite of a technical prejudice according to which the functions of brakes and lock are distinct and therefore to be managed separately. In addition, unlike the document US A1 2006/0266300, the locking is preferably effected by a holding part which is not linked to the brake and which cooperates by bearing on the latter. In this way, the reliability is much better, and the bearing surface advantageously participates in guiding in translation, avoiding too loose lateral movements of the brake. According to the invention, the bearing surface is preferably always in contact with the brake but does not follow its translational movement.

Optionally, the invention further comprises at least any of the following:

- The locking means comprises at least one protruding member of the brake, this member being below or in the stop member during the locking of the brake in its stop position.

- The protruding member of the brake is in the form of a lug.

- The stop member is a housing provided on the inner wall of the opening of the housing.

- The brake is pivotally mounted in the opening, the pivoting of the brake in one direction holding the locking means by the stop member, and releasing it from the stop member in the opposite direction. - The brake has a portion protruding from the opening of the housing, this portion forming a button for the actuation of the brake by the user.

the housing comprises a handle intended to be grasped by the hand of the user, the brake being close to the handle so as to be actuable by a user's finger.

- The brake has a substantially parallelepipedal shape, the locking means being carried the face of the brake vis-à-vis the handle of the housing.

the brake comprises an automatic return means reminding it to the inactive position.

- There is provided a holding part opposing the l eration of the locking means by the stop element.

the holding part is in the form of a pivoting arm about an axis, the arm being extended at one end by an elastic element resting against a portion of the casing and at the other extremity, by a bearing surface that rests against the brake.

the arm has a second bearing surface on a portion of the arm facing the elastic element while being opposite to said element.

the elastic element is perpendicular to the arm; this gives a great stability of the support of this element on the arm and a high effectiveness of support because the torque exerted by the elastic element is favorable in this orientation; this may make it possible to reduce the size of this element and / or to increase the assisting force of the locking device in the abutment element;

the support surface rests against a long longitudinal face of the brake; the effort exerted is then oriented at best with respect to the desired retention direction, as opposed to the potential for inadvertent bingeing (i.e. lock out of the stop, the lock is optimized.

the support surface is opposite a surface of the arm carrying the locking means; these two bodies thus function in opposition of effect and the elastic element l im ite the effort of unlocking necessary; this effort is thus easily adjustable; the second bearing surface rests on a portion of the arm located on the longitudinal face of the arm on which the bearing surface rests, and is located on the other side of the axis as the bearing surface. These two surfaces therefore work together and a thrust of the brake on the second bearing surface increases the bearing force at the first bearing surface;

the portion of the arm on which the second bearing surface rests is further from the axis in the stop position than in the inactive position; the torque exerted in the stopping position is, with constant force, higher in the stopping position, favoring the retention of the locking means;

- The pivot axis extends transversely in the housing.

- The bearing surface rests against the brake so as to push the locking means against the stop member.

the reel comprises a winding roller and a ratchet wheel concentric with the roller, the ratchet wheel comprising at its periphery notches, the brake having an end portion turned towards the reel configured to penetrate a specific notch in the wheel.

- The opening extends vertically or with a small inclination relative to the vertical when the housing is in the use position.

In the context of the invention, there is provided a method of actuating and locking in the locking position of a brake of such a leash, this method comprising the following steps:

- Pressing the user's hand on the brake to put it in the stop position of the rotation of the reel by translational movement of the brake to the reel and pivoting movement of the brake so that the locking means carried by the brake enters the opening of the housing receiving it,

- lowering the brake in the opening to its stop position of the rotation of the reel,

- Release of the pressure of the hand of the user on the brake stopping the translation of the brake to the reel and locking in the brake position by retaining the locking means by the stop member carried by the housing, this blocking being done by action of the hand of the user initiating a pivoting movement of the brake in the opposite direction of the previous pivoting movement or automatically under the action of a restoring force. Advantageously, the unlocking in the brake locking position is done according to the following steps:

- pivoting of the brake by the hand of the user so that the locking means carried by the brake is no longer retained by the stop member carried by the housing,

- automatic return of the brake to its inactive position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will appear on reading the detailed description which follows and with reference to the appended drawings given as non-limiting examples and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a perspective view of an embodiment of a retractable leash case according to the present invention, the brake present in this case and making it possible to maintain a desired length of the leash strand being shown in this figure in the inactive position,

- Figure 2 is a schematic representation of a perspective view of an embodiment of a retractable leash housing according to the present invention, the brake being shown in this figure in the locked position.

detailed description

As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the retractable leash 1 for guiding and holding an animal has a housing 2 may include a handle 3 to be grasped by the hand of a user who guides and retains the animal after a strand of leash, advantageously to the portion of the housing 2 facing the user in use of the leash 1.

The strand of leash is attached to one of its ends to the animal, preferably to a collar around his neck. At its other end, the leash strand enters the housing 2 and can be wound or unrolled around a reel 4. The length of the leash can be increased by unwinding the link around the reel 4 by rotation of the reel 4 in a first direction and can be shortened by rotation of the reel 4 in a second direction opposite to the first. The reel 4 comprises a winding roll for winding the leash strand.

The housing 2 contains a brake 5 operable in translation by the user through an opening 6 of the housing 2 between an inactive position and a stop position of the rotation of the reel 4. A major part of the brake 5 is housed in length in the opening 6 of the housing 2.

The opening 6 opens at one end to the periphery of the housing 2, preferably at its upper portion when the leash 1 is taken in hand by the user. This opening 6 extends in the housing 2 towards the reel 4 with its other end opposite the reel 4. Advantageously, the opening 6 extends substantially vertically or with a slight inclination with respect to the vertical when the housing 2 is in the position of use, that is to say held by the hand of the user.

Advantageously, this inclination is such that the opening 6 is close to the handle 3 of the leash 1, thus to the rear of the leash 1, the closer it is to its end opening to the external face of the periphery of the housing 2.

When the housing 2 comprises a handle 3 intended to be grasped by the hand of the user, the brake 5 is close to the handle 3 so as to be operable by the hand of the user, preferably a finger of the hand .

The brake 5 serves to stop the unwinding of the leash strand to a desired length. The brake 5 may take the form of a substantially parallelepiped bar except at its ends. The brake 5 may then have a first end portion 5a projecting from the housing 2 at least in the inactive position of the brake 5, this first portion 5a forming a button for the activation of the brake 5 by the user.

The brake 5 also has a second end portion 5b which penetrates into a notch 7a of a ratchet type wheel 7 carried by the reel 4 and concentric roller reel 4. This penetration prevents rotation of the reel 4 and the position is said rotational stop position of the reel 4.

With its second end portion 5b pointing towards the reel 7, the bar acting as brake 5 extends slightly inclined relative to the vertical towards the center of the reel 4 and its ratchet wheel 7.

Advantageously, the brake 5 comprises an automatic return means in the inactive position when no reverse action is performed on the brake 5. This automatic return means, although not explicitly shown in the figures, is referenced 15. It can advantageously be in the form a spring pushing the brake 5 to its inactive position during its expansion which is integrated in the brake 5. It is advantageously housed in the lower part of the brake 5 the innermost to the housing 2 and can bear against a portion of the housing 2. The inactive position of the brake 5 is shown in FIG.

The brake 5 also comprises a locking means 8 which cooperates with a stop element 9 carried by the housing 2 to lock the brake 5 in its position of stopping the rotation of the reel 4 by preventing the brake 5 from returning to its position inactive. This is shown in Figure 2.

The locking means 8 carried by the brake 5 is one of the main features of the present invention. There is then no need to use an additional locking device as provided by the state of the art closest. The brake 5 and its integrated locking means can form a single piece and can be in one piece with the brake 5.

The locking means 8 is intended to be retained by the stop element 9 carried by the housing 2 for locking the brake 5 in its stop position.

The locking means 8 may be a member protruding from the brake 5, this member being below or in the stop element 9 for locking the brake 5 in its stop position to be retained by the stop element 9.

Advantageously, the locking means 8 may be in the form of at least one lug. Advantageously, this locking means 8 penetrates into a housing serving as an abutment element 9 carried by the housing 2. Although shown in the figures, this is not limiting, the locking means 8 and the stop element can take other forms.

Advantageously, the lug forming locking means 8 is oriented towards the rear of the leash 1, advantageously the handle 3 of the leash 1. Advantageously, a face of the brake bar 5 is oriented towards the handle 3. The wall of the opening 6 in the housing 2 facing the handle 3 of the leash 1 can then carry the housing as an abutment element 9 carried by the housing 2. The lug 8 can be in the upper part of the brake 5 near its first end portion 5a with a similar positioning of the housing as a stop element 9 on the wall of the opening 6.

In the illustrated embodiment, the lug 8 is directed towards the rear of the brake and cooperates with a mobility tilting of the brake from front to rear and vice versa for the abutment or release of the lug 8. The amplitude of the possible rotational deflection for the brake 5 can be limited, for example between 1 ° and 20 °, and advantageously to less than 10 ° and possibly less than 5 °, for example by a guide slide in translation of the brake allowing by a game a lateral deflection. Advantageously, the tilting movement of the brake 5 is of an amplitude adapted to the dimension of the lug and the abutment of the housing.

Other mobilities than the illustrated switching are possible. For example, a tilting along the wide dimension of the housing is within the scope of the present invention, the lug 8 (or other equivalent means) and the abutment of the housing being in this case placed in a suitable direction. Similarly a forward tilting for the setting in stop position is possible.

A holding part 10 is advantageously arranged in the opening 6 passing through the housing 2 of the leash 1, extending for the most part in the length of the opening 6. The holding part 10 is close to the brake 5 in the opening and exerts an action on the brake 5, in particular but not only by opposing the release of the locking means 8 by the stop element 9.

According to the present invention, such a holding piece 10 does not look like an auxiliary locking element of the brake 5 as it has has been described in the state of the art. Indeed, the holding part 10 does not effect any locking action on the brake 5, for example a locking action which would block in translation the brake 5. This holding part 10 does not advantageously protrude from the opening 6 and no User action is to be exercised on it.

The purpose of this holding piece 10 is to maintain by an elastic restoring force the brake 5 in the appropriate position in the opening 6 and to avoid the risk of jamming during the displacement of the brake 5. This is particularly relevant when the brake 5 is placed relative to the stop element 9 carried the housing 2, in particular when the stop element 9 is on the wall of the opening 6 and the locking means 8, advantageously in the form of a pin, is placed under or in the stop element 9.

In the non-limiting embodiment shown in the figures, the holding piece 10 advantageously comprises an arm January 1. The arm 1 1 is pivotally mounted about a pivot axis 12, this axis extending transversely to the housing 2. At its lower part, the innermost to the housing 2, the arm 1 1 is extended by a resilient element 13 pointing towards the front of the housing 2, that is to say towards the leash, being substantially perpendicular to the arm 1 1. This elastic element 13 bears against a portion of the housing 2 by a free end portion.

At its upper part, the outermost of the housing 2, the arm 1 1 comprises a bearing surface 14, as the first bearing surface, which rests against the brake 5, advantageously a longitudinal face of the brake 5, so to push the locking means 8 against the abutment element 9. The arm 1 1 may also have a second bearing surface 14a on a portion of the arm 1 1 vis-à-vis the elastic element 13 being opposed to the said element 13.

A face of the arm 1 1 can thus carry the elastic element 13 while the directly opposite face can carry the first bearing surface 14 and, if necessary, the second bearing surface 14a, the latter at the same level of the arm . The elastic element 13 bears at its free end on a portion opposite the housing 2 and tends to return the arm 1 1 to its inactive position when the locking means 8 of the brake 5, in the figures under the form of a lug, is not in abutment against the stop element 9 carried by the housing 2 or to lock the brake 5, when the brake 5 is placed in the locking position against the abutment element 9, advantageously with the locking means 8 resting under this element 9.

The process of blocking the unfolding of the leash of the reel 4 is as follows.

Firstly, the user's hand is pressed on the brake 5 by its portion 5a protruding from the opening 6 of the casing 2. This makes it possible to put the brake 5 in the stop position of the rotation the reel 4 by translational movement of the brake 5 to the reel 4 and pivoting movement of the brake 5 so that the locking means 8 carried by the brake 5 enters the opening 6 of the housing 2 receiving it.

In Figure 1, the translational movement is illustrated by the arrow F1 while the pivoting movement of the brake 5 is illustrated by the arrow F2. This initial pivoting movement is substantially from back to front with respect to the casing 2.

This causes the lowering of the brake 5 in the opening 6 to its position of stopping the rotation of the reel 4, for example by penetrating into a notch 7a of the ratchet wheel 7 of the reel 4.

Then, the pressure of the hand of the user on the brake 5 is released, which stops the translation of the brake 5 to the reel 4 and will allow the locking in the stop position of the brake 5 due to the retention of locking means 8 by the stop element 9 carried by the housing 2.

According to a possible embodiment, this blocking can be done by action of the hand of the user initiating a pivoting movement of the brake 5 in the opposite direction as the previous pivoting movement. According to another embodiment this can be done automatically under the action of a force pushing the locking means 8 against the abutment element 9, advantageously an elastic restoring force exerted for example by the holding piece 10 on the This embodiment is shown in the figures and is preferred.

When the locking means 8 is below the stop element 9 and therefore not only when the stop element 9 is in the form of a housing, the blocking action can also be amplified or even created by the automatic return means 15 present in the brake 5. Indeed, this automatic return means 15, pressing a portion of the inside of the housing 2, the brake 5 in its inactive position for which the brake 5 is the most protruding from the opening 6 of the housing 2 and accordingly pushes the locking means 8 against the abutment member 9 located above it.

On unlocking, the brake 5 is pivoted by the user forwardly in the same direction as for the first step of the setting in the stop position of the reel 4 by the brake 5. The locking means 8 is then released of the retention of the stop element 9 and the brake 5 is unlocked without there being an auxiliary lock to be actuated separately for its unlocking. The automatic return means 15 of the brake 5 in its inactive position can push the brake 5 towards this inactive position in which the brake 5 projects furthest from the opening 6 of the housing 2.

The invention is in no way limited to the described and illustrated embodiments which have been given by way of example only.

REFERENCES

1. Leash

. Housing

. Handle

. Reel

. Brake

at. First portion

b. Second portion

. Opening

. Wheel

at. nick

8. Locking way

9. Stop element

10. Holding part

1 1. Arms

12. Pivot axis

13. Elastic element

14. Support surface

14a. Bearing surface

15. Automatic recall means F1, F2. arrows

Claims

Leash (1) retractable automatically, for guiding and holding an animal, a leash strand being, on the one hand, reliable to the animal and, on the other hand, to a rotating reel (4) contained in a housing ( 2) intended to be handled by a user, the leash strand being rollable and unrollable around the reel (4), the housing (2) comprising a brake (5), a portion of which is housed in an opening (6) presented by the housing (2) and extending in its interior, the brake (5) being operable in translation by the action of the user between an inactive position and a stop position preventing rotation of the reel (4), the leash (1) further comprising a locking means (8) in the brake off position (5), characterized in that the locking means (8) is carried by the brake (5) and is configured to be retained by a stop element (9) carried by the housing (2) for locking the brake (5) in its stop position, said leash further comprising a holding piece (10) opposing the release of the locking means (8) by the stop member (9), the holding piece (10) being in the form of an arm (1 1) pivoting about an axis (12), the arm (1 1) being extended at one end by an elastic element (13) bearing against a portion of the housing (2) and at the other end, by at least one bearing surface (14) which rests against the brake (5) so as to push the locking means (8) against the stop element (9).

Leash (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the elastic element (13) is perpendicular to the arm (1 1).

Leash (1) according to one of the two preceding claims, wherein the bearing surface (14) rests against a longitudinal face of the brake (5).

4. Lead (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the bearing surface (14) is opposite a surface of the arm (1 1) carrying the locking means (8).

Leash according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the locking means (8) comprises at least one protruding member of the brake (5), this member being below or in the abutment element (9) when brake lock (5) in its off position.

Leash (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the member projecting from the brake (5) is in the form of a lug (8).

Leash (1) according to any one of the two preceding claims, wherein the stop element (9) is a housing provided on the inner wall of the opening (6) of the housing (2).

Leash (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the brake (5) is pivotally mounted in the opening (6), the pivoting of the brake (5) in a direction retaining the locking means (8). ) by the stop element (9), and releasing it from the stop element (9) in the opposite direction.

Leash (1) according to any preceding claim, wherein the brake (5) has a portion (5a) protruding from the opening (6) of the housing (2), this portion (5a) forming a button for the actuation of the brake (5) by the user.

Leash (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (2) comprises a handle (3) to be grasped by the hand of the user, the brake (5) being close to the handle (3) so as to be operable by the hand of the user.

1 1. Leash (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the brake (5) has a substantially parallelepiped shape, the locking means (8) being carried by the face of the brake (5) vis-à-vis the handle (3). ) of the housing (2).

12. Lead (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the brake (5) comprises an automatic return means (15) reminding it in the inactive position.

13. Lead (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the arm (1 1) has a second bearing surface (14a) on a portion of the arm (1 1) vis-à-vis the elastic element (13) being opposite to said element (13).

Leash (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the second bearing surface (14a) rests on a portion of the arm located on the longitudinal face of the arm (1 1) on which rests the bearing surface (14). , and is located on the other side of the axis (12) as the bearing surface (14).

Leash (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the portion of the arm on which the second bearing surface (14a) is located is further away from the axis (12) in the stop position than in the inactive position. .

16. Lead (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pivot axis (12) extends transversely in the housing (2).

Leash (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the reel (4) comprises a winding roller and a wheel

(7) ratchet concentric with the roller, the ratchet wheel (7) having at its periphery notches (7a), the brake (5) having an end portion (5b) facing the reel (4) configured to penetrate in a notch (7a) specific to the wheel (7).

Leash (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the opening (6) extends substantially vertically or with a small inclination with respect to the vertical when the housing (2) is in position of use .

19. A method of actuating and locking in the locking position of a brake (5) of a leash (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, this method comprising the following steps:

- pressure of the user's hand on the brake (5) to put it in the stop position of the rotation of the reel (4) by translational movement of the brake (5) to the reel (4) and pivoting movement the brake (5) so that the locking means (8) carried by the brake (5) enters the opening (6) of the housing (2) receiving it,

- lowering the brake (5) in the opening (6) to its stop position of the rotation of the reel (4),

releasing the pressure of the user's hand on the brake (5) stopping the translation of the brake (5) towards the reel (4) and locking in position of the brake (5) by retaining the locking means (8) by the abutment element (9) carried by the housing (2), this locking being done automatically under the action of a force pushing the locking means (8) against the abutment element (9) by means of a holding part (10) opposing the release of the locking means (8) by the stop element (9), the holding part (10) being in the form of an arm (1 1) pivoting about an axis (12), the arm (1 1) being extended at one end by a resilient element (13) bearing against a portion of the housing (2) and at the other end by a at least one bearing surface (14) resting against the brake (5) so as to urge the locking means (8) against the stop element (9).

20. A method of actuating and locking in the locked position according to the preceding claim, wherein the unlocking in the locked position of the brake (5) is done according to the following steps:

- pivoting of the brake (5) by the hand of the user so that the locking means (8) carried by the brake (5) is no longer retained by the stop element (9) carried by the housing (2) ,

- automatic return of the brake (5) to its inactive position.