Patent Grant
12004481
The present invention generally relates to wearable pet carrier systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to a lightweight wearable pet carrier system equipped with a hands-free retractable leash that is secured in particular but not limited to the inside back section of the pet carrier or that is removable, petting pockets that are located but not limited to the sides of the pet carrier, and that is also capable of mounting securely inside a vehicle for use as a vehicle restraint system for a pet.
The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also correspond to implementations of the herein disclosed claimed technology.
Pets are often kept indoors for many hours a day and benefit from time spent accompanying their caregiver or pet owner on outdoor excursions. Moreover, the bonds of attachment fostered during such excursions provide an additional mutual benefit to pets and their owners. Some pets may become anxious during travel, and a wearable carrier is well suited for providing comfort to soothe the animal and relieve anxiety. Additionally, wearable pet carriers are especially convenient in urban settings or high-rise buildings where it may be dangerous for the pet to roam about, in cases of inclement weather (ice, snow, rain, or extreme temperature), and for older pets that may have trouble walking. Early of examples of wearable pet carriers, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,148, “Wearable Pet Enclosure” by Rossignal et al. were bulky, uncomfortable to wear, did not facilitate contact between the owner and the pet. There is a need for a close-fitting comfortable wearable pet carrier that fosters bonding between the owner and the pet. Another example is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,198,525, “Wearable Carrier and Method of Carrying a Child or Animal” by Wernick et al. but this disclosure fails to provide for any sort of restraint to prevent the pet from escaping.
Pet owners are increasingly travelling with their pets by car or other vehicle, whether on trips to the vet, to destinations such as the park or beach, or simply for companionship while the owner runs errands around town. While travelling in a vehicle, an unrestrained pet may be a potential source of distraction to the vehicle driver. Or in case of an accident, an unrestrained pet may become injured or may cause injury to other occupants of the vehicle. Indeed, in recognition of this danger, several states have enacted laws requiring that animals be restrained while traveling in a vehicle.
A pet usually travels with at least some type of accessories, typically a leash and some food, and the owner may also carry his or her own accessories such a mobile devices, external batteries for those devices, ear pods, etc. If the pet will be transported by car, for example, a vehicle restraint system will be needed. As prices for pet products in general increase, users will seek ways to reduce expenditure on individual, one-type-use products and instead will seek out products that effectively combine features of these individual products into one multifunction product. At the same time, users will want such products to be simple and easy to use in a variety of pet product need scenarios. Specifically, and as an example, pet carriers, backpacks, retractable leashes, mobile device chargers, waterproof liners, and car restraints have heretofore not been designed to be combined as one product. In general, multipurpose and multifunctional products have enjoyed increased popularity over the last few years, but there has been a lack of technological innovation that addresses the market's demand for multifunctional and multipurposed pet products.
As prices for pet products in general increase, users will seek ways to reduce expenditure on individual, one-type-use products and instead will seek out products that effectively combine features of these individual products into one multifunction product. At the same time, users will want such products to be simple and easy to use in a variety of pet product need scenarios. Specifically, and as an example, pet carriers, backpacks, retractable leashes, mobile device chargers, and car restraints have heretofore not been designed to be combined as one product. As a consequence, prior to embarking on a walk with their pet, the individual pet owner is left to struggle with gathering the necessary items, e.g., a pet carrier, a backpack stocked with food and/or other provisions, a leash, a mobile device and external charging battery, and a vehicle restraint system, and then not only transporting both pet and needed pet items but also with walking their pet hands-free.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a wearable pet carrier that combines the functionality of a pet carrier with a backpack and vehicle restraint system into one seamless system.
In view of the aforementioned disadvantages of conventional pet carrier systems, an object of the invention is to combine the functionality of a separate pet carrier and backpack into one seamless system. To soothe the pet and foster a bond of attachment between the pet and its owner, the system is provided with petting pockets. The term petting pocket as used herein refers to “pockets” through which the user may insert their hands inside the carrier to touch directly, rub, and pet their animal. In some embodiments the pet carrier may be equipped with a built-in retractable hands-free leash that is removable. The pet carrier system may include straps (e.g., made from nylon) configured with the clips to afford adjustment of the pet carrier on a user.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, a restraining strap is provided that allows the user to secure their pet inside the carrier without worry of the pet jumping out and running away but also the ability to simply unzip part of the carrier and allow the pet to get out while still being attached to the carrier hands-free without having to hold a leash. There will be a detachable retractable leash option allowing the user to hold the leash in hand or wrist. In some embodiments, a detachable retractable leash may alternatively be secured to an exterior portion of the carrier having a receiving member or clip, for example to the lumbar support strap surrounding the waist of the user, such that the user can have an alternative option for hands-free operation.
In another aspect of the present disclosure, the petting pockets are located on the side of the carrier to allow the user rub and touch their pet. The petting pockets can be opened and closed by any appropriate securing or fastening means, including zipper, button, magnetic closures, or hook-and-loop type fasteners.
In certain embodiments a hands free pet carrier system according to the present disclosure may include a bag defining a cavity therein configured for receiving a pet, the bag provided with a releasably attachable top cover having an orifice of adjustable diameter through which the pet may protrude its head; a left shoulder strap and a right shoulder strap, each shoulder strap having a first end attached at an upper portion of the bag and a second end provided with a fastener that releasably attaches to a corresponding mating fastener attached at a lower portion of the bag; a stabilizing strap that releasably connects both shoulder straps at a mid-point thereof; an adjustable lumbar support strap attached on a lower portion of the bag; a petting pocket provided on a side of the bag, the petting pocket having an orifice through which a user may insert a hand or finger and directly touch the pet within the bag; and a safety leash having a first end attached to an interior surface of the bag cavity and a second end provided with a fastener configured to attach to a collar worn by the pet.
In other embodiments, the hands free pet carrier system according to the present disclosure may additionally include a ventilation port provided on the bag at a side opposite the shoulder straps, the ventilation port configured to permit air to flow therethrough and is provided with a releasably attachable cover.
In still other embodiments, the hands free pet carrier system according to the present disclosure may additionally include a seat loop provided on a same side of the bag as the shoulder straps, the seat loop adapted to receive a vehicle seatbelt threaded therethrough. The pet carrier may be secured to a seat in a vehicle by placing the pet carrier in the vehicle seat; threading a vehicle seatbelt through the seat loop and fastening the free end of the seatbelt to its corresponding seatbelt buckle; threading the shoulder straps between left and right posts of a headrest disposed at the top of a vehicle seat so that the shoulder straps extend to the rear of the vehicle seat; attaching a fastener at the free end of each shoulder strap at the rear of the vehicle seat to a corresponding mating fastener secured to the bag; connecting the shoulder straps to one another via the stabilizing strap at the rear of the seat; wrapping the lumbar support strap around the rear and sides of the vehicle seat and connecting the lumbar support strap to the pet carrier; and placing the pet in the carrier.
In still other embodiments, the hands free pet carrier system according to the present disclosure may additionally include a retractable leash attached on one end to a shock absorbing pad, the shock absorbing pad affixed to a surface of the pet carrier.
In still other embodiments, the hands free pet carrier system according to the present disclosure may additionally include a reusable waterproof liner releasably attachable to an interior bottom portion of the pet carrier.
In still other embodiments, the hands free pet carrier system according to the present disclosure may additionally include a charging pocket adapted to house a portable charger for a mobile device.
In certain embodiments, the charging pocket may be provided on an interior surface of the pet carrier, and the hands free pet carrier system according to the present disclosure may additionally include a charging port provided on a side of the bag and adapted to receive a charging wire threaded from the charging pocket.
In certain other embodiments, the charging pocket may be provided on an exterior surface of the pet carrier.
In certain embodiments the bag may be fabricated from environmentally-friendly material such as recycled material. In some embodiments, the bag may be fabricated from Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (RPET) fabric.
While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming particular embodiments of the instant invention, various embodiments of the invention can be more readily understood and appreciated from the following descriptions of various embodiments of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Reference will now be made in detail to specific embodiments or features, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, corresponding or similar reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or corresponding parts. Moreover, references to various elements described herein, are made collectively or individually when there may be more than one element of the same type, for example, “clip” or “strap”. However, such references are merely exemplary in nature. It may be noted that any reference to elements in the singular may also be construed to relate to the plural and vice-versa without limiting the scope of the disclosure to the exact number or type of such elements unless set forth explicitly in the appended claims.
The exemplary embodiments described herein are provided for illustrative purposes, and are not limiting. Other exemplary embodiments are possible, and modifications may be made to the exemplary embodiments within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the Detailed Description is not meant to limit the present disclosure. Rather, the scope of the present disclosure is defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.
Referring to
The hands free pet carrier system may be constructed from any appropriate materials known in the art. In certain embodiments, the bag portion 110 may be constructed from a polymeric material, including natural and artificial polymers. In certain embodiments the bag portion 110 may be constructed from an environmentally-friendly material such as a recycled polymeric material. In certain embodiments, the bag portion 110 may be constructed from Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (RPET). In certain embodiments the hands free pet carrier system 100 is itself recyclable. In certain embodiments the bag portion 110 may be made of fire retardant material or processed to become fire retardant.
As seen in
An opening for a petting pocket 340 may also be provided on one or more sides of the pet carrier 100. The petting pocket 340 is an orifice through which the user may insert her or his hand or finger(s) and directly touch the animal inside the pet carrier 100 in order to provide comfort and foster bonds of attachment between the animal and its owner.
So that the user may allow the animal to exercise and roam about safely while on a walk, a hands free retractable leash assembly is also provided. The assembly includes a hands free retractable leash 520 that is secured, via a shock absorbing pad 527 (see
As an added convenience to the user, a charging port for a portable mobile device may be provided in some embodiments. A charging pocket (see
In other embodiments, the entire pet carrier system 100 may be made of waterproof and buoyant material. This would be suitable, for example, for a pet owner who takes their pet on canoe trips of the like, where a floatable pet carrier can function as a floatation device or life preserver.
As can be seen in
When hiking or walking through remote terrain with a pet, for example, a user may depend on her/his mobile device for communication and/or navigational guidance and thus a reliable source of power is vital. As described above, in some embodiments, a charging pocket for housing a portable battery charger may be provided as convenience to user.
The hands free pet carrier system 100 of this disclosure is not limited to being worn on the front of the user, and in some embodiments the user may wear the carrier on the back of his or her body, similar to a backpack.
The pet carrier system 100 may also be installed in a vehicle as a vehicle restraint system for a pet.
To securely attach the pet carrier system 100 to a vehicle seat, the user performs the following steps as outlined below. First, the user unfastens the lumbar support fastener 337 and the shoulder strap fasteners 315. The stabilizing strap 320 may remain in its fastened state, coupling left and right shoulder straps 320 together. Alternatively, the stabilizing strap 320 may be unfastened at this time and then re-fastened later after the shoulder straps 310 have been reattached to the corresponding fasteners 315. Next, the user threads the latch plate end of a seatbelt through the seatbelt loop 410, inserts the seatbelt latch plate into a mating seatbelt buckle receptacle, and adjusts the seatbelt length to remove slack. Then, the user guides the unfastened ends of the shoulder straps 310 in-between left and right posts of a headrest at the top of the vehicle seat. The user pulls the shoulder straps 310 through the headrest posts to the rear of the vehicle seat and re-fastens each shoulder strap 310 to the corresponding shoulder strap fastener 315. The user then guides the lumbar support pad and strap around the back and sides of the vehicle seat and re-fastens the lumbar strap via fastener 337 and adjusts the strap length to hold the pet carrier 100 securely in place against the vehicle seat.
In an alternative embodiment, the hands free pet carrier system according to the present disclosure may additionally include removable non-seatbelt fastening straps for securing the pet carrier system in a vehicle. Any number of straps may be included wherein at least one strap attaches engages with an exterior region of the carrier system on its back and/or near its bottom and a further strap engages with an exterior region of the carrier system near its top. The straps may be used to attach to two lower anchors on or near the vehicle seat and one top anchor above or behind the vehicle seat. Such anchors are mandated in vehicles in various jurisdictions, including in the United States, and may be utilized whenever present in a vehicle. Mechanisms and methods for attachment to such anchors are well-known, such as for child safety restraints and car seats, and any appropriate mechanisms are contemplated, including feeding a strap through the anchor, using a specific or general latch or connector, etc.
In alternative embodiments, the hands free pet carrier system according to the present disclosure may be attached similarly to a kitchen or dining room chair when at home or outside the home.
In this specification and the claims that follow, reference will be made to a number of terms that have the following meanings. The terms “a” (or “an”) and “the” refer to one or more of that entity, thereby including plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. As such, the terms “a” (or “an”), “one or more” and “at least one” can be used interchangeably herein. Furthermore, references to “one embodiment”, “some embodiments”, “an embodiment” and the like are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. Approximating language, as used herein throughout the specification and claims, may be applied to modify any quantitative representation that could permissibly vary without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it is related. Accordingly, a value modified by a term such as “about” is not to be limited to the precise value specified. In some instances, the approximating language may correspond to the precision of an instrument for measuring the value. Terms such as “first,” “second,” “upper,” “lower” etc. are used to identify one element from another, and unless otherwise specified are not meant to refer to a particular order or number of elements.
As used herein, the terms “may” and “may be” indicate a possibility of an occurrence within a set of circumstances; a possession of a specified property, characteristic or function; and/or qualify another verb by expressing one or more of an ability, capability, or possibility associated with the qualified verb. Accordingly, usage of “may” and “may be” indicates that a modified term is apparently appropriate, capable, or suitable for an indicated capacity, function, or usage, while taking into account that in some circumstances the modified term may sometimes not be appropriate, capable, or suitable. For example, in some circumstances an event or capacity can be expected, while in other circumstances the event or capacity cannot occur—this distinction is captured by the terms “may” and “may be.”
As used in the claims, the word “comprises” and its grammatical variants logically also subtend and include phrases of varying and differing extent such as for example, but not limited thereto, “consisting essentially of” and “consisting of.” Where necessary, ranges have been supplied, and those ranges are inclusive of all sub-ranges therebetween. It is to be expected that variations in these ranges will suggest themselves to a practitioner having ordinary skill in the art and, where not already dedicated to the public, the appended claims should cover those variations.
The foregoing discussion of the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. The foregoing is not intended to limit the present disclosure to the form or forms disclosed herein. In the foregoing Detailed Description for example, various features of the present disclosure are grouped together in one or more embodiments, configurations, or aspects for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. The features of the embodiments, configurations, or aspects of the present disclosure may be combined in alternate embodiments, configurations, or aspects other than those discussed above. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the present disclosure requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, the claimed features lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment, configuration, or aspect. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of the present disclosure.
Advances in science and technology may make equivalents and substitutions possible that are not now contemplated by reason of the imprecision of language; these variations should be covered by the appended claims. This written description uses examples to disclose the method, including the best mode, and also to enable any person of ordinary skill in the art to practice these, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope thereof is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.
In accordance with 35 U.S. Code § 119, this application claims priority to inventor's U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/103,011, filed Jul. 14, 2020, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
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