Apparatus for coupling a pet leash and pet collar

Abstract

An apparatus that couples an animal leash and animal collar to form a harness assembly. The apparatus is placed on the back of an animal and contains two separate channels configured to hold and maintain a flat leash in a loop encircling the animal's torso. The elongate and narrow shape of the channels prevents the contained leash from turning or becoming tangled in the around the animal. The apparatus is detachable into two separate components to allow the loop to be removable from the animal. The apparatus also contains a snap bolt connecter for attaching the collar.

Claims

1. An animal restraining apparatus comprising: a housing comprising a central axis defined by a first side and a second side, wherein the housing further comprises a first elongated, substantially flat channel traversing the housing, further wherein the housing comprises a latch opening; a clip removable received within the latch opening of the housing, wherein the clip comprises a second elongated, substantially flat channel traversing the clip; a user-actuated mechanism on the housing that locks the clip within the latch opening of the housing, wherein actuation of the mechanism unlocks the clip from the housing; a bolt snap extending along a first axis from a proximal end attached to the housing to a distal end, wherein the first axis is substantially perpendicular to the central axis of the housing; an elongated, substantially flat leash, with a proximal handle end, and a distal end, wherein the distal end of the leash is looped through the second channel of the clip and is attached to itself, further wherein between the proximal end and the distal end, the leash traverses the first channel of the housing in a substantially flat orientation; wherein the apparatus is configured to mount on a back of an animal such that the distal end of the bolt snap is proximate to a neck of the animal, wherein the apparatus is configured to hold the animal leash wrapped onto an abdomen of the animal with the proximal end free and the distal end looped through the second channel of the clip such that the leash defines a loop encircling a torso of the animal, wherein the distal end of the bolt snap is removably attached to an animal collar of the animal; and wherein the apparatus is removed from the animal by actuating the user-actuated mechanism on the housing to unlock the clip, thereby breaking the loop encircling the torso of the animal.

2. The animal restraining apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing is substantially cylindrical in shape.

3. The animal restraining apparatus of claim 1, wherein the leash is a wide flat leash.

4. The animal restraining apparatus of claim 1, wherein the leash is a composed of non-metallic materials.

5. The animal restraining apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user actuated release mechanism comprises a spring-action latch release button.

6. The animal restraining apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first channel and the second channel are each configured to hold the leash such that the leash cannot turn in the apparatus.

7. The animal restraining apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first channel and the second channel are each configured to slidably receive the animal leash such that a wide flat surface of the animal leash remains substantially aligned with the central axis as it is inserted.

8. The animal restraining apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first side and the second side of the housing are substantially flat.

9. The animal restraining apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first side and the second side of the housing are substantially coplanar.

10. The animal restraining apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first side and the second side of the housing are substantially perpendicular to the central axis.

11. An animal restraining apparatus comprising: a housing comprising a central axis defined by a first side and a second side, wherein the housing further comprises a first elongated, substantially flat channel traversing the housing, further wherein the housing comprises a latch opening; a clip removable received within the latch opening of the housing, wherein the clip comprises a second elongated, substantially flat channel traversing the clip; a user-actuated mechanism on the housing that locks the clip within the latch opening of the housing, wherein actuation of the mechanism unlocks the clip from the housing; a bolt snap extending along a first axis from a proximal end attached to the housing to a distal end, wherein the first axis is substantially perpendicular to the central axis of the housing; an elongated, substantially flat leash, with a proximal handle end, and a distal end, wherein the distal end of the leash is looped through the second channel of the clip and is attached to itself, further wherein between the proximal end and the distal end, the leash traverses the first channel of the housing in a substantially flat orientation; wherein, when the clip is locked within the latched opening of the housing, the apparatus holds the leash in a loop between the portion of the leash that traverses the first channel of the housing and the distal end of the leash looped through the second channel of the clip, such that the first axis of the bolt snap is substantially perpendicular to the loop of the leash, and the proximal end of the leash is free; and further wherein actuating the user-actuated mechanism on the housing unlocks the clip and breaks the leash loop.

12. The animal restraining apparatus of claim 11, wherein the housing is substantially cylindrical in shape.

13. The animal restraining apparatus of claim 11, wherein the leash is a wide flat leash.

14. The animal restraining apparatus of claim 11, wherein the leash is a composed of non-metallic materials.

15. The animal restraining apparatus of claim 11, wherein the user actuated release mechanism comprises a spring-action latch release button.

16. The animal restraining apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first channel and the second channel are each configured to hold the leash such that the leash cannot turn in the apparatus.

17. The animal restraining apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first channel and the second channel are each configured to slidably receive the animal leash such that a wide flat surface of the animal leash remains substantially aligned with the central axis as it is inserted.

18. The animal restraining apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first side and the second side of the housing are substantially flat.

19. The animal restraining apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first side and the second side of the housing are substantially coplanar.

20. The animal restraining apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first side and the second side of the housing are substantially perpendicular to the central axis.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments thereof, which description should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 is a right perspective view of an apparatus for coupling a pet leash and a pet collar in the closed position.

(3) FIG. 2 is a left perspective view of the apparatus.

(4) FIG. 3 is a right side view of the apparatus.

(5) FIG. 4 is a left side view of the apparatus.

(6) FIG. 5 is a rear view of the apparatus.

(7) FIG. 6 is a front view of the apparatus.

(8) FIG. 7 is a right perspective view of the apparatus for coupling a pet leash and a pet collar in the open position.

(9) FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the apparatus.

(10) FIG. 9 is a top perspective view of the apparatus attached to a pet leash and a pet collar in the open position.

(11) FIG. 10 is an enlarged top perspective view of the apparatus attached to a pet leash and a pet collar in the open position.

(12) FIG. 11 is a top perspective view of the apparatus attached to a pet leash and a pet collar around an animal, in the open position.

(13) FIG. 12 is an enlarged top perspective view of the apparatus attached to a pet leash and a pet collar around an animal, in the open position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(14) The following will describe, in detail, several embodiments of the present invention. These embodiments are provided by way of explanation only, and thus, should not unduly restrict the scope of the invention. In fact, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate upon reading the present specification and viewing the present drawings that the invention teaches many variations and modifications, and that numerous variations of the invention may be employed, used and made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

(15) FIGS. 1-12 illustrate an embodiment of an apparatus 1 for removably coupling an animal leash 2 and an animal collar 3 to form a removable restraining assembly 4 on an animal 5 (as illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12).

(16) The apparatus 1 comprises a cylindrical housing 6 with a central axis, two sides 7 and 8. In embodiments of the subject invention, the sides 7 and 8 may be flat, concave or convex. In further embodiments of the subject invention, the housing 6 may be any one of the following shapes, including but not limited to: cylinder, sphere, cube, cuboid, hexagon or octagon.

(17) The housing 6 is connected to a removable clip 9. The housing 6 contains a user-actuated release button 10 for separating housing 6 from clip 9 into the unlocked position as shown in FIGS. 7-12. In one embodiment, clip 9 contains two prongs 11 configured to interlock into two latch openings 12 in housing 6. The button 10 contains two catches 13 that latch onto the two prongs 11 of the clip 9. A compressible spring 14 holds the catches 13 on the two prongs 11 in the closed configuration. Once the button 10 is pressed, the spring 14 is compressed, releasing the two catches 13 from the two prongs 11, allowing the clip 9 to be removed from the latch opening 12.

(18) The housing 6 contains a channel 15 that traverses the housing 6 with openings 16 on both sides 7 and 8. The channel 15 is elongated and narrow to slidably receive a wide flat leash 2. This channel 15 configuration prevents the contained leash 2 from turning or becoming tangled in the apparatus 1. This channel 15 configuration also retains a contained leash 2 in substantial alignment with the central axis of the housing 6.

(19) The clip 9 contains a channel 26 that traverses the clip 9. The channel 26 is elongated and narrow to slidably receive a wide flat leash 2. This channel 26 configuration prevents the contained leash 2 from turning or becoming tangled in the apparatus 1.

(20) The housing 6 further contains an integrated connector, which may be a bolt snap 17. The bolt snap 17 is attached to the housing 6 along the central axis and extends away from the housing 6 to a distal end retaining body 18. The bolt snap 17 is shaped like a question mark and contains a movable bolt 19 attached to an internal compressible spring (not shown) that impels the movable bolt 19 towards the curved end area 20 of the retaining body 18 in the closed position. An actuating member 21 that is attached to the movable bolt 19. The actuating member 21 is manually moved such that the bolt 19 no longer contacts the curved end area 20 of the retaining body 18 in the open position.

(21) As illustrated in FIG. 11, the apparatus 1 is placed on the back of an animal 5, such that the end 18 of bolt snap 17 is near a neck-mounted collar 3. The bolt snap 17 is moved into the open position with the actuating member 21 and attached to a ring 22 on the collar 3. The bolt snap 17 is then allowed to close by releasing the actuating member 21. The non-handle end 23 of a wide, flat leash 2 is inserted through the channels 15 on the housing 6. The leash 2 is the wrapped onto the abdomen 24 of the animal 5 and encircled around the torso behind the forelegs. The non-handle end 23 of the leash 2 is then looped through the other channel 26 on the housing 6 to form a complete loop 25 around the animal 5. In embodiments of the subject invention, the non-handle end 23 of the leash 2 may a loop 27 enclosed within channel 26 of the clip 9. The elongate and narrow shape of the channels 15 and 26 prevents the contained leash 2 from turning or becoming tangled in the apparatus 1 or around the animal 5.

(22) The apparatus 1 may be easily removed by pressing the user-actuated release button 10 to separate the clip 9 from the housing 6. Once the button 10 is pressed, the spring 14 is compressed, releasing the two catches 13 from the two prongs 11, allowing the clip 9 to be removed from the latch opening 12.

(23) Once the clip 9 and the housing 6 are separated, the circular loop 25 formed by the leash 2 is broken. Once the bolt snap 17 is also released from the collar 3, the leash 2 and the apparatus 1 may be removed from the animal 5. The leash 2 may remain attached to the apparatus 1, through the channels 15 and 26, to allow a user to easily re-attach the looped leash 25 to the animal 5.

(24) In embodiments of the subject invention, the leash 2 is preferably a not a cord or chain leash, but a flat strap leash composed of non-metallic materials, such as nylon or leather.

(25) The many aspects and benefits of the invention are apparent from the detailed description, and thus, it is intended for the following claims to cover such aspects and benefits of the invention, which fall within the scope, and spirit of the invention. In addition, because numerous modifications and variations will be obvious and readily occur to those skilled in the art, the claims should not be construed to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described herein. Accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents should be understood to fall within the scope of the invention as claimed herein.