Patent Application
20230180717
The present invention relates to a protector, and more particularly to a horse leg protector.
When a horse is running at high speed or jumping, the horse stretches out its front and rear legs in opposite directions. Sometimes when the rear legs lift forward and the front legs do not stretch forward, the rear legs may kick the front legs, causing an injury to the front legs.
In order to solve the aforementioned problem, the horse leg is wrapped with a protector to prevent an injury to the front leg when the front leg is kicked by the rear leg. Taiwan Patent Publication No. M564908 discloses a horse leg protector. The horse leg protector is in the shape of a cylinder extending along the length of the horse leg for wrapping part of the horse leg. However, in order to achieve the purpose of protection, a conventional horse leg protector is generally made of hard materials, such as hard plastics or metal plates, and a soft cushion as a lining is disposed on the inner side of the horse leg protector. Because the horse legs are not straight, the horse will bend its legs for running. When a horse wears a leg protector, if the leg protector is unable to be in close contact with the surface of the horse leg, it will cause discomfort and affect the smoothness of running.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a horse leg protector for wrapping a horse leg. When the horse is running, the horse leg protector is deformable to be in close contact with the horse leg, without affecting running. Under the premise of protecting the horse leg, the horse leg protector can improve the comfort of wearing the horse leg protector.
In order to achieve the foregoing object, the present invention provides a horse leg protector, comprising a first protection segment for wrapping a metacarpal bone of a horse leg and a second protection segment for wrapping the metacarpal bone of the horse leg. The second protection segment is located above the first protection segment and connected to the first protection segment. A first slot is formed between the first protection segment and the second protection segment. The second protection segment is bendable relative to the first protection segment between a first deformation position and a second deformation position. When the second protection segment is in the first deformation position, a distance between two opposite side walls of the first slot becomes larger. When the second protection segment is in the second deformation position, the distance between the two opposite side walls of the first slot becomes smaller.
The first protection segment has a first middle portion. Two opposite sides of the first middle portion extend laterally to form a first left side portion and a first right side portion, respectively. The second protection segment has a second middle portion. Two opposite sides of the second middle portion extend laterally to form a second left side portion and a second right side portion, respectively. The first left side is connected to the second left side. The first right side is connected to the second right side.
The first slot has two ends that are closed and extend horizontally to the second left side portion and the second right side portion, respectively.
A lower protection segment for wrapping a sesamoid bone of the horse leg is located under the first protection segment and connected to the first protection segment. A second slot is formed between the lower protection segment and the first protection segment.
Referring to
The protection body 10 has an upper half 1 for wrapping a metacarpal bone of the horse leg and a lower half 2 located below the upper half 1 for wrapping a sesamoid bone of the horse leg.
The slot is formed in the upper half 1 of the protection body 10 and extend horizontally. The slot has two ends that are closed. The slot is continuously curved between the two ends, and consists of at least two curved sections that are curved in opposite directions. In this embodiment, the number of slots is four. Each slot consists of three curved sections between its two ends. The four slots are defined as a first slot 3, a second slot 4, a third slot 5 and a fourth slot 6. The two ends of each slot are bifurcated to form two corner grooves (31, 41, 51, 61), respectively. The two corner grooves (31, 41, 51, 61) extend obliquely in different directions, so that either end of each slot is in the shape of a dovetail. The width of each slot is proportional to its length.
The upper half 1 of the protection body 10 is partitioned into a first protection segment 11 and a second protection segment 12 above the first protection segment 11 by the first slot 3. The first protection segment 11 has a first middle portion 113. The second protection segment 12 has a second middle portion 123. Two opposite sides of the first middle portion 113 extend laterally to form a first left side portion 111 and a first right side portion 112, respectively. Two opposite sides of the second middle portion 123 extend laterally to form a second left side portion 121 and a second right side portion 122, respectively. The first left side 111 is connected to the second left side 121. The first right side 112 is connected to the second right side 122. Preferably, the first slot 3 consists of three first curved sections 32 between its two ends. The curved direction of at least one of the first curved sections 32 is opposite to that of the other first curved sections 32. The two ends of the first slot 3 extend horizontally to the second left side portion 121 and the second right side portion 122, respectively.
The upper half 1 of the protection body 10 is partitioned into the second protection segment 12 and a third protection segment 13 above the second protection segment 12 by the third slot 5. The third protection segment 13 is connected to the second protection segment 12. The third protection segment 13 has a third middle portion 133. Two opposite sides of the third middle portion 133 extend laterally to form a third left side portion 131 and a third right side portion 132, respectively. The third left side 131 is connected to the second left side 121. The third right side 132 is connected to the second right side 122. Preferably, the third slot 5 consists of three third curved sections 52 between its two ends. The curved direction of at least one of the third curved sections 52 is opposite to that of the other third curved sections 52. The two ends of the third slot 5 extend horizontally to the third left side portion 131 and the third right side portion 132, respectively.
The upper half 1 of the protection body 10 is partitioned into the third protection segment 13 and a fourth protection segment 14 above the third protection segment 13 by the fourth slot 6. The fourth protection segment 14 is connected to the third protection segment 13. The fourth protection segment 14 has a fourth middle portion 143. Two opposite sides of the fourth middle portion 143 extend laterally to form a fourth left side portion 141 and a fourth right side portion 142, respectively. The fourth left side 141 is connected to the third left side 131. The fourth right side 142 is connected to the third right side 132. Preferably, the fourth slot 6 consists of three fourth curved sections 62 between its two ends. The curved direction of at least one of the fourth curved sections 62 is opposite to that of the other fourth curved sections 62. The two ends of the fourth slot 6 extend horizontally to the fourth left side portion 141 and the fourth right side portion 142, respectively.
The lower half 2 includes a lower protection segment 21 corresponding to the sesamoid bone of the horse leg. The lower protection segment 21 is located below the first protection segment 11 and connected to the first protection segment 11. Two sides of the lower protection segment 21 extend outward to form arc-shaped extension portions 22 for wrapping the sesamoid bone of the horse leg, thereby increasing the wrapping area. The width of the outline of the lower protection segment 21 is greater than the width of the outline of each protection segment. The second slot 4 is formed in one side of the first protection segment 11 adjacent to the lower protection segment 21. The second slot 4 consists of three second curved sections 42 between its two ends. The curved direction of at least one of the second curved sections 42 is opposite to that of the other second curved sections 42. The two ends of the second slot 4 extend horizontally to the first left side portion 111 and the first right side portion 112, respectively.
With the above structure, in this embodiment, the protection body 10 is partitioned into a plurality of protection segments by the slots. Through the slots, the protection body 10 is slotted to increase the flexibility of each protection segment relative to the other protection segments.
Further, referring to
Similarly, the center of the third protection segment 13 protrudes outward to form the third middle portion 133, and the center of the fourth protection segment 14 protrudes outward to form the fourth middle portion 143. The third middle portion 133 and the fourth middle portion 143 each have at least one air vent 135, 145 extending vertically. The third middle portion 133 and the fourth middle portion 143 each have a slope 134, 144 connected to the side edge of the adjacent slot, having the same function as the first protection segment 11 and the second protection segment 12.
In addition, when the horse runs and changes the posture of the horse leg 7 to move to the position where each protection segment wraps the horse leg 7, through the distance between the side walls of the adjacent slot, each protection segment can move relative to other protection segments in response to changes in the posture of the horse leg to be in close contact with the surface of the horse leg 7. Accordingly, through the second slot 4, the third slot 5 and the fourth slot 6, all the adjacent protection segments can be in close contact with the surface of the horse leg 7.
It should be noted that because the horse leg 7 is substantially cylindrical, the protection body 10 wraps the surface of the horse leg 7 in an arc. Compared with the fact that the straight slots of a conventional horse leg protector cannot be completely closed when the conventional horse leg protector wraps the horse leg, each slot of the present invention is curved so that the two opposite side walls of the slot can be completely close to each other to close the slot. In this way, the surface of the horse leg 7 won't be exposed and the horse hoof won't kick the surface of the horse leg 7, so as to protect the horse leg 7 from being injured.
In addition, the two corner grooves (31, 41, 51, 61) of each slot are in the shape of a dovetail, so as to reduce the wall thickness of either end of the slot. Thus, the two opposite sides of the slot can be close to each other easily, so as to close the slot.
With the above structure of the present invention, the protection body 10 is partitioned into a plurality of protection segments by the four slots. Through the slots, the protection body 10 is slotted to increase the flexibility of each protection segment relative to the other protection segments. When the horse is running, the shape of the horse leg protector changes in response to changes in the posture of the horse leg so that the protection body 10 is always in close contact with the surface of the horse leg 7. In addition to protecting the horse leg 7, the horse leg protector can make the horse feel comfortable, without affecting running. Under the premise of protecting the horse leg 7, the horse leg protector can improve the comfort of wearing the horse leg protector.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 110214931 | Dec 2021 | TW | national |
