Patent Application
20170360009
The present invention is directed to a hands free canine walker device to which a standard leash may be attached. More particularly, the invention is directed to a hands free canine walker bandolier which allows for the carrying of accessories and other items.
A number of canine leashes are known in the prior art. While each leash has its own unique benefits, many leashes require the canine owner or walker to hold the leash with his/her hands. If the canine is a large breed, it can be extremely difficult for the owner or walker to hold onto or control the leash when the canine pulls. Wrapping the leash around the body can help solve this problem by giving the handler or walker greater leverage, however it can also be dangerous, because if the canine pulls too hard, the leash may injure the part of the body to which it is tethered. A hands free canine walker is needed that is safe for general use.
In addition, many canine owners like to carry canine accessories, such as toys or disposal bags, or other items, such as keys and phones, when they take canines for walks. However, conventional leashes do not provide any place to store or carry such items. Consequently, canine owners often carry knapsacks or the like with them when they take their canines for walks.
It would be desirable to provide a wearable canine walker device to which a standard leash may be attached, thereby allowing the owner's hands to remain free. It would also be desirable to provide a hands free canine walker device which allows for the carrying of accessories and other items.
An object is to provide a hands free canine walking or handling device or apparatus designed for the everyday use of carrying accessories and walking the canine. This provides the advantage to throw a small, lightweight, unobtrusive apparatus or device over the shoulder.
An object is to provide a bandolier to which a standard leash can be attached and which can carry accessories in a safe and secure manner, the bandolier having the ability to add or subtract pouches as needed. For city use, one might attach pouches for a cell phone, car keys, credit cards and gym membership. On the other hand, an individual on a hike might like a water bottle sleeve, camera pouch, key holder and flashlight clip. The options are endless and up to the individual.
An object is to provide a hands free canine walking or handling device or apparatus which can store and dispense canine waste bags and also receive and contain waste after the canine has evacuated his or her fecal matter. Having the ability to take your canine for a walk and pick up his or her waste and then store that waste in the pouch allows for the canine owner to easily pick up, remove and later dispose of the waste while respecting the laws and ordinances in most cities and towns.
An object is to provide a hands free canine walking or handling device or apparatus to which a standard canine leash is easily attached the bandolier. Having this ability allows the canine walker the safety of having both hands free in case of a fall. It also provides the walker with added strength due to the cross body nature of the bandolier. The bandolier now spreads the load of a pulling canine across the entire back of the individual as opposed to stressing the arm and shoulder joints.
An object is to provide a wearable hands free canine walking or handling device or apparatus which lowers the center of gravity of the pulling canine to the mid-section of the individual increasing their ability to restrain their canine.
An embodiment is directed to an apparatus for walking an animal, the apparatus including a wearable strap for positioning over a shoulder of a user. The strap has a front portion and a back portion. An attachment device is positioned between the front portion and the back portion. The attachment device is positioned at the bottom of the strap and configured to receive a leash therein. The positioning of the attachment device at the bottom of the canine handling apparatus allows the forces from the leash to be applied to the waistline of the user. A storage pouch is releasably attached to the strap. The storage pouch is configured to store and dispense waste bags and for receiving and containing waste bags filled with waste.
An embodiment is directed to an apparatus for walking an animal, the device comprising a wearable strap for positioning over a shoulder of a user. The strap has a front portion and a back portion. An attachment device is positioned between the front portion and the back portion. The attachment device is positioned at the bottom of the strap and configured to receive a leash therein. A storage pouch is releasably attached to the strap. The storage pouch is configured to store and dispense waste bags and for receiving and containing waste bags filled with waste. Release buckles are provided in the front portion of the strap. The release buckles provide a quick safety release when the user must quickly exit the canine handling apparatus. The strap is dimensioned and fitted to allow the strap to rotate around the users shoulder in a fashion that the attachment device moves from front to back from approximately the 4 to 8 o'clock positions of the user, eliminating direct pressure on the user from the canine and providing the user with the ability to prepare for the canines' movements without a jerking motion.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following more detailed description of the preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
The description of illustrative embodiments according to principles of the present invention is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. In the description of embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, any reference to direction or orientation is merely intended for convenience of description and is not intended in any way to limit the scope of the present invention. Relative terms such as “lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “above,” “below,” “up,” “down,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivative thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description only and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation unless explicitly indicated as such. Terms such as “attached,” “affixed,” “connected,” “coupled,” “interconnected,” and similar refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise. Moreover, the features and benefits of the invention are illustrated by reference to the preferred embodiments. Accordingly, the invention expressly should not be limited to such preferred embodiments illustrating some possible non-limiting combination of features that may exist alone or in other combinations of features, the scope of the invention being defined by the claims appended hereto.
As shown in
As best shown in
In the illustrative embodiment shown, the strap 12 has an approximately 2 inch wide webbing. This allows the strap 12 to have sufficient tensile strength while allowing the canine handling apparatus 10 and the strap 12 to rotate around the torso of the user when a canine pulls forward or back. This action frees the user's shoulders and arms from strain, thereby minimizing the potential of injury to the shoulders and arms. In addition, as the strap 12 extends across the user's body (as shown in
In the embodiment shown, the front portion 14 of the strap 12 has one or more strap adjustment slides or first slides 20 which allow the strap 12 to be adjusted to properly fit the user's body. The adjustment slides 20 operate in a manner known in the industry to adjust the length of front portion 14 and the strap 12. In alternate embodiments, the adjustment slides 20 may be located on the back portion 16 or on both the back portion 16 and the front portion 14. The slides 20 may be made of plastic, metal or other material which allows the strap 12 to be inserted and moved relative thereto.
Double adjust side release buckles 22, 24, as best shown in
The canine handling apparatus 10 has an attachment device, such as, but not limited to, a D-ring 30 at the top of the apparatus 10, positioned between the front portion 14 of the strap 12 and the back portion 16. The D-ring 30 may be used for various purposes, including as a hanging mechanism to hang the canine handling apparatus 10 when not in use. The D-ring 30 also provides a mount point if the canine handling apparatus 10 is used to hold high loads of weight. In the embodiment shown, the D-ring 30 is made from ¼ inch metal wire, but other material may be used.
The canine handling apparatus 10 has an attachment device, such as, but not limited to, a D-ring 32 at the bottom of the apparatus 10, positioned between the front portion 14 of the strap 12 and the back portion 16. The D-ring 32 may be used for various purposes, including attaching a leash to for hands free canine walking. In the embodiment shown, the D-ring 30 is made from ¼ inch metal wire, but other material may be used. In one exemplary embodiment, the D-ring 32 is used to hold a spring snap mechanism 36, such as a carabiner, or other holding device which can be attached to a leash. The positioning of the D-ring 32 and the leash at the bottom of the canine handling apparatus 10 allows the user to lower the center of gravity of the applied forces from the shoulders to the waistline increasing the user's ability to hold and maintain the canine.
Attachment device adjustment slides or second adjustment slides 34 are provide proximate the D-rings 30, 32. The adjustment slides 34 allow the D-rings 30, 32 to be properly positioned as the length of the strap 12 is adjusted. The adjustment slides 34 operate in a manner known in the industry. The slides 34 may be made of plastic, metal or other material which allows the strap 12 to be inserted and moved relative thereto.
In the illustrative embodiment shown, the canine handling apparatus 10 has two additional accessory attachment devices, such as, but not limited to, D-rings 40, 42 on the front portion 14 of the strap 12. The b-rings 40, 42 can be made from plastic, metal or other material which has sufficient strength to hold ancillary devices, such as, but not limited to a flashlight or pepper spray. Other numbers of D-rings may be provided without departing from the scope of the invention. Additional D-rings may also be provided on the back portion 16 of the strap 12. In addition, other removable or addable devices may be used in place of or in addition to D/rings 40, 42, such as, but not limited to: Velcro, snaps, clips, fasteners, magnetic strips or any combination thereof. The implementation of these affixing techniques is readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. The use of the D-rings 40, 42 and other devices allows for the user to customize the type and quantity of carry items attached to the strap 12 of the canine handling apparatus 10.
As best shown in
In alternate embodiments, additional storage pouches 50 may be provided. Such pouches may have different configurations and may use different attachment devices, but are easily positioned on and removed from the strap 12 as needed. Such storage pouches 50 may be used, for example, for a cell phone, car keys, credit cards, water bottles, camera or key holder.
In alternate embodiments, the canine handling apparatus 10 and/or the storage pouch 50 may include reflective panels, painted areas or fibers 70 which are visible at night or in less than ideal conditions.
In use, when worn by the user, the canine handling apparatus 10 is worn (the front portion 14 and back portion 16 are dimensioned and fitted) in a manner to have sufficient movement to rotate around the torso of the user when a canine pulls forward or back. The strap 12 of the canine handling apparatus 10 can rotate around the users shoulder in a fashion that the D-ring 32 at the bottom of the canine handling apparatus can move from front to back from approximately the 4 to 8 o'clock positions if looking at a side profile of the user. This mobility eliminates direct pressure on the user from the canine and provides the user with the ability to prepare for the canines' movements without a jerking motion. This action frees the shoulders and arms from strain, thereby reducing injury to the limbs of the user.
As previously described, the cross body nature of the canine handling apparatus 10 distributes the weight evenly around the large mass of the user's back and the lower the center of gravity of the pulling motion increases the ability of the user to hold and control the canine. The configuration of the strap 12 also prevents the strap 12 from digging into the shoulder or back of the user.
The canine handling apparatus 10 is a hands free canine walking “body sling” has allows the user or canine owner the ability to function as if he or she were not connected to their canine. Having their hands free allows the user or canine owner the safety of using both hands in case of a fall whether in ideal conditions or at risk conditions such as hiking in the woods or walking on an icy sidewalk. The canine handling apparatus 10 also allows the canine owner the ability to use both hands in the cleanup of their canine's waste. With the addition of the storage pouch 50 attached to the lower portion of the canine handling apparatus 10, the user or canine owner has a place to store canine waste bags prior to their use and after their use. Once the canine is finished the owner can easily pull out a waste bag from the slot 60 in the storage pouch 50 and pick up the canine's waste. The used bag and waste can then be stored in the storage pouch 50 and sealed for later removal and proper disposal when the user or owner returns from his or her journey.
The canine handling apparatus 10 generally has a storage pouch 50 attached thereto. Other storage pouches or devices may be added at the discretion of the user according to their personal needs. Additional storage pouches or devices are often mounted on the front section 14 of the canine handling apparatus 10 to allow the rear section 16 to be unobstructed so the user can sit down while wearing the canine handling apparatus 10. The design of the front section 14 is such that pouches can easily be slipped on over the webbing above and below the center release buckles 22, 24 by releasing the webbing from the double slide web engaging members 28.
Using the canine handling apparatus 10 keeps the canine at a consistent distance from the user which eliminates the problem of the canine reaching or pulling away from the user's arms when the arms are not fully extended. With known canine walking device, the action of the canine walker is to pull the leash with his or her hands back to the body shortening the gap by about 2 feet from the full distance of ones reach when a canine charges at another canine, animal or person. This is a common problem with canine walking and canine bite attacks. However, as the user of the canine handling apparatus 10 is always at full extension, because there is no use of the hands, the canine can never increase its distance to an on-corner by pulling at the owners hands thus gaining approximately two feet of distance to the victim and creating an attack scenario.
While the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims. In particular, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms, structures, arrangements, proportions, sizes, and with other elements, materials, and components, without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention may be used with many modifications of structure, arrangement, proportions, sizes, materials, and components and otherwise, used in the practice of the invention, which are particularly adapted to specific environments and operative requirements without departing from the principles of the present invention. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being defined by the appended claims, and not limited to the foregoing description or embodiments.
This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/430,429 filed on Dec. 6, 2016, and entitled “GEARTAC K9”, 62/392,962 filed on Jun. 16, 2016, and entitled “GEARTAC K9”, and 62/392,961 filed on Jun. 16, 2016, and entitled “GEARTAC TAGH1,” the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference as if fully rewritten herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62430429 | Dec 2016 | US | |
| 62392962 | Jun 2016 | US | |
| 62392961 | Jun 2016 | US |
