Patent Application
20250143265
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The disclosure relates to pet leashes and more particularly pertains to a new pet leash for leading and playing with a pet.
The prior art relates generally to pet leashes, and more specifically to dog leashes. Leashes are available in multiple forms, including standard leashes, retractable leashes, and adjustable leashes. There are even leashes that are specially designed for travelling or exercising with your dog. For example, some leashes include rigid arms or attachments that maintain a position of the dog relative to a bike to inhibit the dog from tipping or steering the bike. Other leashes include specialized buckle attachments that can fasten the dog into a seatbelt when taking the dog in a car. There are also leashes with attached plastic containers for storing bags while walking with the dog. However, there is a need in the art for a pet leash that has an attached bag for storing the leash itself. Such a leash would be useful when travelling with the dog. for example so that the user can store the leash while they are at a dog park. There is also a need in the art for a pet leash that can be used as a dog toy. Such leashes would be particularly useful at dog parks, so that the user does not need to pack both the leash and the toy for the dog.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a tether having a first end and a second end. A handle is coupled to the first end. A hook is coupled to the second end and is configured to engage a collar of an animal being led by the tether. A tether pouch is coupled to the tether adjacent to the first end. The tether pouch comprises a first portion that is coupled to a second portion. The first portion and the second portion pivot together around the tether thereby defining a pocket. The tether includes a middle section that extends between the tether pouch and the second end. The tether has a plurality of creases arranged along a length of the middle section. The middle section is foldable along each of the plurality of creases to define a folded tether. The folded tether is positionable within the pocket.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A handle 18 is coupled to the first end 14. The handle 18 may comprise a loop 20 that is configured for gripping by a user 22. A hook 24 is coupled to the second end 16. The hook 24 is configured to engage a collar 26 of an animal 28 being led by the tether 12. In some embodiments, the hook 24 may comprise a metal or plastic material.
A tether pouch 30 is coupled to the tether 12 adjacent to the first end 14. The tether pouch 30 comprises a first portion 32 that is coupled to a second portion 34. The first portion 32 and the second portion 34 pivot together around the tether 12 thereby defining a pocket 36. The tether pouch 30 may comprise a nylon or canvas material, which may include reinforced or double-stitched seams. For example, the tether pouch 30 may comprise a canvas lining, a nylon-fused backing, and double stitched seams for added durability. In other examples, the tether pouch may include natural or synthetic rubber materials that are safe for dogs and other pets to chew on or carry in their mouths, such as neoprene.
The tether 12 includes a middle section 38 that extends between the tether pouch 30 and the second end 16. The tether 12 has a plurality of creases 40 arranged along a length of the middle section 38. The tether 12 is foldable along each of the plurality of creases 40 to define a folded tether 42. Each of the plurality of creases 40 is spaced from the others along the length of the middle section 38. In the example shown in
A plurality of markings 44 is printed on the tether 12. Each of the plurality of markings 44 is positioned on top of a respective one of the plurality of creases 40 whereby the plurality of markings 44 facilitate folding the tether 12 into the folded tether 42 such that the folded tether 42 fits within the pocket 36. Again, the precise number of the plurality of markings 44 will depend on the length of the tether 12 and the size of the pocket 36. As explained above, the plurality of markings 44 and the plurality of creases 40 are configured to ensure that the folded tether 42 fits within the pocket 36.
A hook pouch 46 may be coupled to the tether 12 proximate to the second end 16. The hook pouch 46 may generally comprise a bottom wall 48 that is to a peripheral wall 50. The peripheral wall 50 may have a top edge 52 defining an opening 54 into an interior space 56. The hook pouch 46 is configured to receive the hook 24 within the interior space 56. The hook pouch 46 may have a flap 58 that is coupled to the top edge 52 for selectively closing the opening 54. The hook pouch 46 may comprise a nylon or canvas material, which, like the tether pouch 30, may include reinforced or double-stitched seams. The hook pouch 46 may also include other natural or synthetic materials that are safe for pets.
The hook pouch 46 is positionable within the pocket 36 when the hook 24 is inserted into the interior space 56 and the folded tether 42 is positioned in the pocket 36. The handle 18 may extend outwardly from the pocket 36 when one or both of the folded tether 42 and the hook pouch 46 is positioned in the pocket 36. The tether pouch 30 and the handle 18 define a fetchable toy 30 when the hook 24 is positioned in the hook pouch 46 and when the hook pouch 46 and the folded tether 42 are positioned in the pocket 36.
A coupler 62 may be to the hook pouch 46 to retain the flap 58 over the top edge 52 thereby closing the opening 54. For example, the coupler 62 may comprise a first coupling member 64 that is attached to the flap 58 and a second coupling member 66 that is removably engageable with the first coupling member 64. The second coupling member 66 may be attached to the peripheral wall 50, for example on an exterior surface 68 of the peripheral wall 50. In the example shown in
A fastener 70 may be coupled to the tether pouch 30 for releasably coupling the first portion 32 and the second portion 34 together. For example, the fastener 70 may comprise a first mating member 72 that is attached to the first portion 32 and a second mating member 76 that is removably engageable with the first mating member 72. In some embodiments, the first mating member 72 is attached to an inner surface 74 of the first portion 32 and the second mating member 76 is attached to an interior surface 78 of the second portion 34.
In use, the tether 12 may be attached to the animal 28, for example by engaging the collar 26 with the hook 24. The user 22 may travel to a park or other area where the user 22 wants to play fetch with the animal 28. The tether 12 can then be removed from the animal 28, for example by disengaging the hook 24 from the collar 26. Then, the hook 24 may be positioned within the hook pouch 46 and the flap 58 of the hook pouch 46 may be fastened to the peripheral wall 50 to close the opening 54, thereby securing the hook 24 within the interior space 56.
Using the plurality of markings 44 as a guide, the user 22 can fold the tether 12 along each of the plurality of creases 40 to form the folded tether 42. The folded tether 40 and the hook pouch 46 may be enclosed within the pocket 36 to define the fetchable toy 60. To ensure the folded tether 40 and hook pouch 46 remain within the pocket 36, the user 22 can engage the first mating member 72 of the fastener 70 on the tether pouch 30 with the second mating member 76. Then, the user 22 can toss the fetchable toy 60 such that the animal 28 can retrieve the fetchable toy 60. When the user 22 and animal 28 are finished playing, the user 22 can remove the folded tether 42 and the hook pouch 46 from the pocket 36, unfold the folded tether 42, remove the hook 24 from the hook pouch 46, and re-attach the tether 12 to the animal 28.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
