Abstract
The object of the invention is a protecting device for an elongated flexible member, the protecting device acting as a protection against biting and chewing on the elongated flexible member and being placed on at least a part of the elongated flexible member, wherein the protecting device is a spring made of wire or an array of rings arranged coaxially on a connecting element, the pitch of the spring or the distance between adjacent rings being respectively in the range of 0.05 cm to 5 cm; and an elongated flexible member with a protecting device.
Claims
1. A protecting device for an elongated flexible member, the protecting device acting as a protection against biting and chewing on the elongated flexible member and being placed on at least a part of the elongated flexible member, characterized in that the protecting device is a spring made of wire or an array of rings arranged coaxially on a connecting element, the pitch of the spring or the distance between adjacent rings being in the range of 0.05 cm to 5 cm, wherein the external diameter of the spring or of the rings varies periodically along the total length of the protecting device, with al least two areas having a maximum outside diameter and at least two areas having a minimum outside diameter.
2. The protecting device for an elongated flexible member according to claim 1, characterized in that the connecting element is a cylindrical sleeve having a ring fastened to the sleeve's outside surface, coaxial with the said cylindrical sleeve.
3. The protecting device for an elongated flexible member according to claim 2, characterized in that the connecting element has a length within the range between 0.05 cm to 5 cm.
4. The protecting device for an elongated flexible member according to claim 1, characterized in that the ring is made of wire or of a planar washer, wherein the diameter of the wire or the thickness of the planar washer or the diameter of the spring wire is in the range between 0.02 cm and 0.5 cm.
5. The protecting device for an elongated flexible member according to claim 1, characterized in that the spring's wire or the ring is made of metal, metal alloy or other materials, whose hardness corresponds to hardness values between HRG and HRA in Rockwell scale.
6. The protecting device for an elongated flexible member according to claim 1, characterized in that the external diameter of the spring or of the ring ranges between 0.5 cm and 7 cm.
7. The protecting device for an elongated flexible member according to claim 1, characterized in that the protecting device has a length within the range between 5 cm and 200 cm.
8. (canceled)
9. The protecting device for an elongated flexible member according to claim 1, characterized in that the distance between the areas having maximum outside diameter and/or the areas having minimum outside diameter ranges between 2 cm and 10 cm.
10. The protecting device for an elongated flexible member according to claim 1, characterized in that the maximum outside diameter to the minimum outside diameter ratio ranges between 1 and 10.
11. The protecting device for an elongated flexible member according to claim 1, characterized in that the parallel projection of the spring's single coil or of a single ring is a geometric figure of a substantially cylindrical, elliptical or polygonal shape.
12. The protecting device for an elongated flexible member according to claim 1, characterized in that the elongated flexible member is a leash, an electrical cord, a hydraulic conduit, a power supply cable, a network cable, a high voltage wire, a headphone cable, or an electrical charger cable.
13. An elongated flexible member with a protecting device acting as protection against biting and chewing by an animal, wherein the protecting device is placed on at least part of the elongated flexible member, characterized in that the protecting device is a protecting device as defined claim 1.
14. The elongated flexible member with a protecting device according to claim 13, characterized in that the ends of the protecting device are fastened to the elongated flexible member with clamps on an elastic pad or with metal clamps or are sewn in or woven into the material of the elongated flexible member.
15. The elongated flexible member with a protecting device according to claim 13, characterized in that the elongated flexible member is a leash, an electrical cord, a hydraulic conduit, a power supply cable, a network cable, a high voltage wire, a headphone cable, or an electrical charger cable.
Description
[0014] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are shown in the drawing, in which
[0015] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a leash protecting device in accordance with the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention,
[0016] FIG. 2 is a side view of the leash protecting device of FIG. 1,
[0017] FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of the leash protecting device of FIG. 1,
[0018] FIG. 4 is a parallel projection of a single segment of the protecting device of FIG. 1,
[0019] FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a leash protecting device in accordance with the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention,
[0020] FIG. 6 is a side view of the leash protecting device of FIG. 5,
[0021] FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of the leash protecting device of FIG. 5,
[0022] FIG. 8 is a parallel projection of a single segment of the protecting device of FIG. 5,
[0023] FIG. 9 is a view of the leash with the protecting device of FIGS. 1-4,
[0024] FIG. 10 is a view of the first exemplary embodiment of a single ring with a connecting element,
[0025] FIG. 11 is a view of the second exemplary embodiment of a single ring with a connecting element,
[0026] FIG. 12 is a view of the leash with a protecting device in the form of rings on the connecting elements, the rings having uniform outside diameter,
[0027] FIG. 13 is a view of the leash with a protecting device in the form of rings on the connecting elements, the rings having variable outside diameter,
[0028] FIG. 14 is a view of the first exemplary embodiment of a clamp that fastens the protecting device to the leash,
[0029] FIG. 15 is a view of the second exemplary embodiment of a clamp that fastens the protecting device to the leash,
[0030] FIG. 16 is a view of the leash with a protecting device in the form of a spring having uniform outside diameter of coils,
[0031] FIG. 17 is a schematic representation of the dog's jaws clenched on the protecting device in the first position,
[0032] FIG. 18 is a schematic representation of the dog's jaws clenched on the protecting device in the second position,
[0033] FIG. 19 is a view of an electrical cord with a protecting device in the form of a spring having a variable outside diameter,
[0034] FIG. 20 is a view of an electrical charger with a protecting device in the form of a spring having a variable outside diameter,
[0035] FIG. 21 is a view of wire headphones with protecting devices in the form of a spring having a variable outside diameter,
[0036] FIG. 22 is an enlarged view of the areas where the protecting devices are fastened to headphone wires of FIG. 21. The figures show exemplary embodiments that do not limit or define the scope of the invention and relate only to the protecting device and to the protecting device fastened to a leash and to other elongated flexible members. Obviously, the invention is not limited to the above shown embodiments and may be applied to other elements and devices that restrain animals, such as dog sledding harness ropes, still showing its advantages and solving the above described technical problem. Furthermore, the present invention may be used whenever there is a risk that a jawed vertebrate will bite through elongated flexible members, such as brake hoses in motor vehicles.
EXAMPLE 1
[0037] FIGS. 1-4 show the first exemplary embodiment of a protecting device for an elongated flexible member in accordance with the present invention, wherein the elongated flexible member was a leash. The protecting device was made of stainless steel wire having a diameter of 1 mm. FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a complete leash protecting device in the form of a spring. FIG. 2 is a side view of the complete leash protecting device. The protecting device was 60 cm in length. The protecting device in accordance with the first embodiment had a periodically variable outside diameter along its length. Minimum outside diameter of the protecting device was 10 mm and maximum outside diameter of the protecting device was 20 mm. The diameter variation period is designated “n” in FIGS. 2 and 3 and was 60 mm in length. This means that the protecting device's coil having the minimum outside diameter was located every 60 mm along the protecting device's length. Similarly, the protecting device's coil having the maximum outside diameter was also located every 60 mm along the protecting device's length. There were 10 diameter variation periods along the protecting device's total length. The spring of the leash protecting device had a pitch of 5 mm. FIG. 4 shows a parallel projection of a single segment (single period) of the protecting device. The protecting device had a substantially circular section, and the device's single segment formed a characteristic structure of Archimedean spiral. The here disclosed design of a leash protecting device matches leashes having a diameter of 10 mm and made of various materials, for example leather, a variety of plastics, including polypropylene, polyester, nylon and materials of plant origin, such as linen, jute, cotton or hemp. After it is placed on the leash, the protecting device is fastened to the leash's opposite ends using stainless steel clamps with a flexible rubber pad, as shown in FIG. 14, or with a steel pad equipped with stabilizing needles located on the inside surface, the pad being clamped or pressed on the leash's material, alternatively fastened with fastening pins, as shown in FIG. 15. Alternatively, the protecting device may be wrapped with a textile material and sewn into the leash's material with strong threads.
[0038] Being made of a steel wire 1 mm in diameter, the protecting device is lightweight and therefore does not put a strain on the animal's bone structure and does not become entangled at the animal's paws/legs. The protecting device's structure makes it easy to manufacture, which is an economic advantage. Fastening clamps ensure that the protecting device is firmly secured to the leash and does not change its position when used. The present protecting device is intended for dogs, whose jaw width is within the range from 5 cm to 7 cm, thus including for example the following breeds: Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, Bernese Mountain Dog.
[0039] The present leash protecting device was tested with hyperactive dogs, which show a tendency for biting or chewing on the leash during walks and play. The dogs that were walked on a regular leash (without any devices that would restrain the impulse to bite and chew on the leash) bit, chewed and pulled on the leash, thus causing anxiety to dog owners and to people who passed by those dogs, and also increasing the risk that the leash breaks and the dog gets out of control. Dogs which pull on the leash very often consider such action a form of play with their owners. But such play might be dangerous and if the owner is thrown off balance and falls, he/she might suffer from injuries, for example from bone fractures which are especially probable with older people. Placing the protecting device in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention on the leash resulted in dogs losing any interest in biting or chewing on the leash after no more than a dozen or two attempts to bite or chew on it. This effect was caused by the material that the protecting device was made of—a metal protecting device evokes unpleasant feeling in the dog's mouth—and by the shape of the protecting device—inclined shape formed by subsequent coils forced the jaws to move against each other in horizontal plane thus making it impossible for the animal to bite the leash. FIGS. 17 and 18 are a schematic view of two positions in which the dog's jaws are clenched on the leash with the protecting device. Specific, helical structure of the protecting device causes the jaws of the biting animal to move in opposite directions, for example the upper jaw moves to the left and the lower jaw moves to the right. The structure of the dog's mandible, and more specifically of the dog's cranial joints makes movement in horizontal plane impossible, effecting in an unpleasant feeling that discouraged further attempts at biting. The arrows in the above mentioned figures indicate the jaw's direction of motion as forced by the teeth sliding on the protecting device. The effects is that the teeth cannot clench on the leash and damage it, as they are blocked. FIG. 17 shows the dog's jaws clenched on the leash with the protecting device in a position, in which the coil having the maximum diameter is placed in the area corresponding to the dog's jaw axis of symmetry. In such situation the coil having the maximum diameter reinforces the feeling of discomfort by pushing against the dog's tongue and the palate. FIG. 18 shows the dog's jaws clenched on the leash with the protecting device in a position, in which the coil having the minimum diameter is placed in the area corresponding to the dog's jaw axis of symmetry and the coils having the maximum diameter are placed in the area where the teeth are located. In this position, when the jaws clench on the leash with the protecting device, the wire coils having the maximum diameter push against the dog's gums, reinforcing the feeling of discomfort caused by the protecting device. The variation period of the protecting device's outside diameter protected the leash from being bitten in two ways, as it made it impossible for the dog to close its teeth on the material that the leash was made of. It should be also mentioned that the here disclosed protecting device did not cause any injuries or pain to the animal—only discomfort was caused due to the material and the structure of the protecting device.
[0040] The protecting device proved effective in the light of two rules that govern behavioral learning model.
[0041] a) First, it is an aversive for dogs that persist in attempts to bite on the leash. According to the P+ rule, i.e. positive punishment, closing its jaws on the protecting device makes the dog experience an unpleasant pressure against its gums and/or palate, depending on which element of the protecting device the dog has grabbed in its teeth.
[0042] b) Second, it is a discouragement according to the R− rule, i.e. negative reinforcement. The anticipated instinctive pleasure derived from pulling does not occur, as the dog cannot hold the leash in its teeth, and especially cannot close its teeth on the material that it could pull on.
EXAMPLE 2
[0043] FIGS. 5-8 show the second exemplary embodiment of the protecting device for an elongated flexible member in accordance with the present invention, wherein the elongated flexible member was a leash. The protecting device was made of aluminum alloy wire having a diameter of 0.5 mm. FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a complete leash protecting device in the form of a spring. FIG. 6 is a side view of the complete leash protecting device. The protecting device was 30 cm in length. The protecting device in accordance with the second embodiment had a periodically variable outside diameter along its length. Minimum outside diameter of the protecting device was 5 mm and maximum outside diameter of the protecting device was 10 mm. The diameter variation period is designated “n” in FIGS. 5 and 6 and was 30 mm in length. There were ten diameter variation periods along the protecting device's total length. The spring of the leash protecting device had a pitch of 5 mm. FIG. 8 shows a parallel projection of a single segment (single period) of the protecting device. The protecting device had a substantially polygonal (approximately decagonal) cross-section, and the device's single segment formed a structure resembling Archimedean spiral. The here disclosed design of a leash protecting device matches leashes having a diameter of 5 mm and made of various materials, for example leather, a variety of plastics, including polypropylene, polyester, nylon and materials of plant origin, such as linen, jute, cotton or hemp. After it is placed on the leash, the protecting device is fastened to the leash's opposite ends using stainless steel clamps with a flexible rubber pad, as shown in FIG. 14, or with a steel pad equipped with stabilizing needles located on the inside surface, the pad being clamped or pressed on the leash's material, alternatively fastened with fastening pins, as shown in FIG. 15. Alternatively, the protecting device may be wrapped with a textile material and sewn into the leash's material with strong threads.
[0044] The present protecting device is intended for dogs, whose jaw width is within the range from 2 cm to 4 cm, thus including for example the following breeds: Australian Shepherd, Siberian Husky or Border Collie.
[0045] The protecting device was tested similarly to the tests described in Example 1. The protecting device worked as expected in all situations, effectively discouraging the walked dogs from biting on the leash.
EXAMPLE 3
[0046] FIG. 9 shows a standard leash made of nylon material, having a circular cross-section, with the protecting device of Example 1 placed thereon. The protecting device was secured to the opposite ends using a stainless steel clamp with a flexible rubber pad, as shown in FIG. 14. Such clamps ensured that the protecting device was situated in the right position on the leash, while the shape of the clamps protected the animal from being injured by the protecting device end portions. The protecting device was placed along the leash's total length. The leash was tested similarly to the tests described in previous examples and the results were also analogous. In each case the protecting device in accordance with the present invention protected the leash from damage, thus allowing to confidently and safely lead the animal during training and walks. Unexpectedly, the protecting device's helical structure gave the leash with the protecting device a shock-absorbing feature, as the leash absorbed the shocks caused by the dog pulling on the leash. It is advantageous for both the trainer and the owner of the animal, as well as for the walked animal itself, increasing the comfort of using such leash with a protecting device.
EXAMPLE 4
[0047] FIG. 10 shows a single ring of the leash protecting device in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. The ring is placed on the outside surface of the connecting element, the connecting element being a cylindrical sleeve. The ring is fixed coaxially to the cylindrical sleeve using methods known in the art that ensure a strong and inseparable connection, for example using heating, gluing, welding, co-casting, interference fit or bolt connections etc. The ring may be also fixed to the connecting element using radially positioned brackets. FIG. 11 shows a single ring of the leash protecting device, the ring having a greater diameter that the one showed in FIG. 10. The ring is made of stainless steel in the form of a planar washer and its thickness is 0.5 mm. Alternatively, the ring may be a wire 0.5 mm in diameter, fixed to the connecting element, using for example brackets. Both the ring and the cylindrical sleeve are made of stainless steel. Other suitable materials include materials whose hardness corresponds to hardness values between HRG and HRA in Rockwell scale. Both the ring's and the cylindrical sleeve's cross-section is a circle. The ring's cross-section may also take other shapes, such as an ellipse or a polygon, for example a triangle, a square, a rectangle, a pentagon, an octagon etc. An array of rings fixed to connecting elements is placed on the leash in close vicinity so that the distance between the adjacent rings is 10 mm. The ring outside diameter may be uniform and equal to 25 mm, as shown in FIG. 12. Alternatively, the rings may have a variable diameter along the leash length. In such case ring outside diameter would periodically vary with the ring's minimum outside diameter being 10 mm and the ring's maximum outside diameter being 30 mm and the period for minimum/maximum values being 50 mm. Each of the cylindrical sleeves may be clamped or pressed on the leash's material, making it impossible for the sleeve to move along the length of the leash. Construction of the protecting device so that individual rings are placed on the connecting device in an adjacent manner along the length of the leash makes the protecting device flexible and allows it to freely bend and twist in any direction.
[0048] The protecting device was tested similarly to the tests described in Example 1, on adult dogs of the following breeds: Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, Bernese Mountain Dog, Australian Shepherd, Siberian Husky and Border Collie. The protecting device worked as expected in all situations, effectively discouraging the walked dogs from biting on the leash.
EXAMPLE 5
[0049] FIG. 16 shows a standard leash made of leather, having a circular cross-section, with the protecting device comprising a steel wire spring having uniform coil diameter. The spring's pitch was 10 mm and its outside diameter was 20 mm. The protecting device was made of steel wire having a diameter of 1 mm and was placed on a nylon leash, whose diameter was 10 mm. The protecting device was secured to the opposite ends using a steel pad, as shown in FIG. 15. Such pad ensured that the protecting device was situated in the right position on the leash, while the shape of the pad protected the animal from being injured by the protecting device end portions. The protecting device was placed along the leash's total length. The leash was tested similarly to the tests described in previous examples and the results were also analogous. In each case the protecting device in accordance with the present invention protected the leash from damage, thus allowing to confidently and safely lead the animal during training and walks.
EXAMPLE 6
[0050] The protecting device in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention was placed on an electrical cable of an electrical extension cord, as shown in FIG. 19. In this case the protecting device was a steel wire spring with variable coil diameter, similar to the spring showed in Example 1. The electrical cable of the electrical extension cord was 8 mm in diameter, and thus the protecting device for the electrical cable had the following geometrical parameters: wire diameter 1 mm, protecting device's minimum diameter 8 mm (outside diameter), protecting device's maximum diameter 13 mm (outside diameter), spring pitch 4 mm. The length of the protecting device was so adjusted to the length of the electrical cable that the protecting device extended the whole length of the electrical cable, leaving no unprotected sections. At the ends of the electrical cable, in the portions where the plugs are located, the protecting device was fastened to the electrical extension cord with clamping sleeves, the clamping sleeves being annular structures with hollow inner area, so that the clamping sleeve was firmly fastened on the electrical cable, making it impossible for the clamping sleeve to move along the electrical cable. A portion of the protecting device's spring is placed inside the clamping sleeves, with several of the spring's end coils having a significantly enlarged outside diameter so that when placed inside the clamping sleeve, they allow for a firm connection between the protecting device and the cable, thus preventing the protecting device from disconnection and possible movement along the cable. An electrical extension cord of such configuration was protected from being bitten through by rodents such as a house mouse or a hamster, as well as by young dogs or cats, whose jaw width is within the range of the protecting device's geometrical parameters. In addition, the protecting device in accordance with the present invention unexpectedly allowed to eliminate the tendency of the electrical cable to become entangled. This effect results from the fact that the protecting device comprising a metal wire spring increases the system's rigidity and thus prevents it from becoming naturally wound and entangled.
EXAMPLE 7
[0051] Similarly to Example 6, the protecting device in accordance with one of the embodiments of the present invention was placed on an electrical cable of an electrical charger, as shown in FIG. 20. As the electrical cable of the electrical charger has a smaller diameter (3 mm) than the electrical extension cord, the protecting device's geometrical parameters were changed and in this embodiment were as follows: wire diameter is 0.5 mm, the protecting device's minimum diameter is 3 mm, the protecting device's maximum diameter is 6 mm, spring pitch is 2 mm. Similarly, the protecting device's length was equal to the length of the electrical cable. Similarly, the protecting device was fastened to the electrical cable using clamping sleeves adjusted to fit a different diameter of the electrical cable. In this case, the parameters of the protecting device allowed to protect the electrical cable from being bitten through by rodents, such as a mouse or a hamster and by young, small dogs and cats. As was observed in Example 6, by using the protecting device in accordance with the present invention an additional effect was achieved that consisted in the elimination of the tendency of the electrical cable to become entangled, the said tendency being a significant problem that reduces user comfort in case of electrical chargers, especially cellular phone chargers.
EXAMPLE 8
[0052] In yet another embodiment of the present invention the protecting device for an elongated flexible member was placed on wire headphones, as shown in FIGS. 21 and 22. In this embodiment the wire headphones were standard in-ear headphones with a standard mini-jack plug. The wire headphones have three separate portions. The first portion is a section of the cable between the earphones plug and the earphones Y-type junction. The second portion and the third portion are sections of the cable between the Y-type junction and the earbuds. The diameter of the electrical cable's first portion is 2 mm, while the diameters of the cable's second and third portion are 1 mm. In this specific case, to protect all the three portions of the earphone cable from being bitten through it was necessary to use two different types of protecting devices, one for the first portion and another one for the second and third portions. In the first portion a protecting device with variable outside diameter was used, similar to the device shown in Example 1. Due to a different diameter of the electrical cable's first portion, the protecting device had the following geometrical parameters: wire diameter 0.4 mm, protecting device's minimum diameter 2 mm, protecting device's maximum diameter 4 mm, spring pitch 1.5 mm. The first portion's protecting device was fastened to the electrical. cable near the mini-jack plug using a clamping sleeve similar to the clamping sleeve from Example 7 and Example 8, with geometry adjusted to different geometrical parameters of the electrical cable and the protecting device. At the second end of the cable's first portion, near the headphone's Y-type junction, the protecting device was fastened to a Y-connector element, which was tightly fit on the Y-type junction. The design of the Y-connector element is similar to the design of the clamping sleeve and also allows several of the protecting device's coils having increased outside diameter to be placed inside the Y-connector member, which establishes a firm connection between the protecting device and a portion of the headphone cable, thus preventing the protecting device from movement along the cable. Due to the fact that the electrical cable's second portion and third portion have a smaller diameter equal to 1 mm, the protecting devices for the second portion and the third portion must have different geometrical parameters, which are as follows: wire diameter 0.2 mm, the protecting device's minimum diameter 1 mm, the protecting device's maximum diameter 2 mm, spring pitch 1 mm. In a similar fashion, the protecting devices were fastened near the earbuds using similar clamping sleeves. At the second ends, the protecting devices were fastened to the electrical cables using the Y-connector element. This way the wire headphones with protecting devices in accordance with the present invention were protected from being bitten through by a mouse and other small rodents, as well as by small, young cats. In addition, as was observed in other examples, by using the protecting device in accordance with the present invention, a tangle-free electrical cable was obtained, which solved a significant problem that reduces user comfort in case of wire headphones.
