The invention generally relates to a harness for carrying pets, primarily canines, and assisting pets in mobility.
A pet harness, as the term is used herein, provides physical support for a pet, during walking or lifting by the pet's owner, to assist in functions such as walking, elimination, movement to a new location, etc. A harness is contrasted with leashes, muzzles, restraining devices, mechanisms for support during motor transport, and the like. The discussion herein will typically refer to a harness for a canine, although the system may be used with other four-legged animals as well.
A typical front harness provides support at the dog's chest or under each front leg joint and has loops through which the fore legs are positioned. Such a front harness, obviously, can be used to lift or provide mobility assistance at the front of the dog, such as where the forelegs are injured, diseased, weak, etc. A rear harness similarly provides support for the rear portion of a dog and typically has loops through which the hind legs extend and supports the dog under the hind leg joints and abdomen. A rear harness provides mobility assistance at the rear of the dog, such as where the hind legs are injured, diseased, weak, etc. However, lifting primarily at the leg joints (or at the abdomen) places undo stress on the pet. Further, for dog's with more serious mobility issues it is desirable to provide support at both front and rear, and even to allow lifting completely from the ground.
There is a need for a harness that assists injured, diseased, or invalid dogs in mobility for routine, daily activities such as elimination, movement from one locale to another, etc. A need exists for a harness providing lifting or support without placing undue strain or stress at either the leg joints or abdomen. Further, there is a need for an adjustable harness which can be adjusted to meet the needs of dogs of varying size.
The embodiments provide a harness assembly for carrying and assisting animals in mobility. The harness assembly comprises a front harness section and a back harness section connected together by a detachable lifting leash. The front harness section comprises an upper section and a lower section releasably connected by at least one latching mechanism. The lower section comprises a right foreleg strap, a left foreleg strap and a chest strap arranged to provide support at the dog's chest and under the front leg joints. The front upper section is provided with a lifting handle. The rear harness section comprises a waist band upper section and waist band lower section. The waist band upper and lower sections are releasably connected through at least one adjustable and releasable latching mechanism. The rear harness section has a right hind leg loop and a left hind leg loop through which the hind legs extend. The right hind leg loop and the left hind leg loop are connected to the waist band upper section through adjustable latching mechanisms. For elimination, the upper and lower waist band sections are detached, and the lower section pulled from beneath the dog. The free end of the lower waist band can be temporarily latched to a releasable latching mechanism on the upper waist band such that the lower waist band remains to one side during elimination. The waist band upper section has a lifting handle situated at its top. The detachable lifting leash is preferably lengthwise adjustable, keeps the harness sections from falling off the dog, is releasably latched to the front and rear harness sections, and, when extended, can be used as a shoulder strap by the owner to lift or assist the dog. Alternately, the invention provides for individual use of either the front or rear harness.
The other objects, features and advantages will occur to those skilled in the art from the following description of the preferred embodiment and the accompanying drawings in which:
These and other aspects of the embodiments herein will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following descriptions, while indicating preferred embodiments and numerous specific details thereof, are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Modifications may be made within the scope of the embodiments herein without departing from the spirit thereof, and the embodiments herein include all such modifications.
In the following detailed description, a reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which the specific embodiments that may be practiced is shown by way of illustration. The embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments and it is to be understood that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The following detailed description is therefore not to be taken in a limiting sense.
The front harness section 12 comprises an upper section 44 and a lower section 46 connected together by at least one releasable latching mechanism 48. Preferably, the lower section and upper section are releasably attached at each side (left and right) as shown. A preferred releasable latch mechanism at these points is a side-release buckle. Such buckles have a male and female end which cooperate to latch securely together. Each end, male and female, is attached to one of the two items to be releasably attachable. For example, a strap loop extending around a bar located on the male/female end can be stitched, riveted, etc., to an upper or lower section of the harness.
The terms “releasable attachment mechanism,” “releasable latching mechanism,” “latching mechanism,” and the like, as used herein means a device for connecting two members (such as straps or the two ends of a strap) together which can be repeatedly attached and detached from one another. The term includes, as examples, links, spring links, carabiners, spring snaps, screw links, metal or plastic clips, Velcro (trade name) attachments, side release buckles, lift release buckles, split release buckles, buckles with detachable male and female ends, etc., such as are known in the art. Where a particular mechanism is called out in a preferred embodiment, practitioners will recognize suitable substitutes.
The terms “adjustable,” “adjustment mechanism,” and the like, as used herein, refers to the condition of being able to lengthen and/or shorten a strap, or to the mechanism for lengthening and/or shortening the strap. Adjustment mechanisms include, for example, double rings, Velcro (trade name) straps, ratchets, ribbon bands, slide bands, lanyards, etc. Where a particular mechanism is called out in a preferred embodiment, practitioners will recognize suitable substitutes.
The front harness lower section 46 includes foreleg straps 50, 52 which are connected by a chest strap 51 extending between them. The straps 50, 51 and 52 are arranged to form a right foreleg loop (and opening) and a left foreleg loop (and opening). The loops and, therefore, the openings, are adjustable, such as with slide buckles 56, as shown. Note that the construction of the loops can vary. For example, in the preferred embodiment shown, the left and right loops are formed by two adjustable-length straps, each extending from and attached to O-rings or D-rings 54. Each strap 50, 52 is slidably attached to the chest strap 51, such as by extending through openings defined by the chest strap. Thus, adjustment of a strap 50, 52 changes the size of the leg loop and opening. Alternate arrangements will be apparent to those of skill in the art. The rings 54 also serve as attachments for the releasable latching mechanisms 48.
The chest strap 51 is preferably padded and wider than the other straps to provide less stress to the chest area of the animal, since the chest strap includes a load-bearing area, C, as seen in
The front harness upper section 44 has a front harness lifting handle 42 attached, such as by stitching, rivets, etc. The front harness handle can be used alone to lift the front portion of the dog or in conjunction with the rear handle to lift both the front and rear of the dog.
The rear harness section 14 comprises a waist band divided into an upper waist band section 22 releasably attached to a lower waist band section 24 by at least one, and preferably two, releasable latching mechanisms 28, 30. Further, the upper and lower waist band sections are preferably adjustable, such that the waist band can be enlarged or decreased in size to fit different sized dogs. Preferably, latching mechanisms 28, 30 are both adjustable and releasable, such as single adjustable side release buckles.
The lower waist band section 24 is used to comfortably lift the dog from the waist, since the waist band includes a load-bearing area, B, as seen in
The lower waist band section can also include a pocket (not shown) into which a shaped, rigid plate (not shown) can be inserted to provide additional space for the comfort of a male dog. The plate is preferably removable.
The waist band upper section 22 is connected with a right hind leg strap 18 and a left hind leg strap 20, forming right and left hind leg loops (and openings), respectively. Each hind leg strap is connected to the waist band upper section 22 at the rump of the dog by a releasable latching mechanism 26. The releasable mechanisms 26 are preferably adjustable, side release buckles, and therefore also allow for adjustment of the length of the hind leg straps. The hind leg straps are preferably padded since the straps include load-bearing areas, A, positioned below the dog's hips, as seen in
At the forward or hip end of the hind leg straps 18, 20, (positioned near the dog's hip when in use) are preferably provided adjustable, releasable and pivotal anchor assemblies 32, one on each side.
The yoke anchor member 70 is movable between various height positions, as indicated by the vertical arrows in
Also seen in
A rear harness lifting handle 25 is situated on the waist band upper section 22 to lift the rear of the animal. The rear harness lifting handle 25 is preferably sewn to the waist band upper section 22. The rear harness handle can be used alone to left the rear of the dog, or in conjunction with the front harness handle 42 to lift or support the entire dog.
The detachable lifting leash 16 is lengthwise adjustable, such as at adjustment mechanism 34. The detachable lifting leash 16 is releasably attachable to the front and rear harness sections by releasable attachment mechanisms, such as spring loaded snap swivels 38. As seen in
The full-body configuration, both front and rear harness 12 and 14, and lifting leash 16, may be comfortably worn full-time to make it easy to assist the pet without the hassle of installing the harness each time. The design of the rear section lifts dogs from both the hips and abdomen, resulting in less stress than similar devices which lift only from either the hips or abdomen.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments discloses the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications without departing from the spirit of the invention. Such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the claimed invention or range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. The claims appended hereto set forth the scope and limitations of the invention.
This application is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/859,482, filed Sep. 21, 2015, which is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/769,794, filed Feb. 18, 2013, which claims the benefit of U.S. Application No. 61/599,456, filed Feb. 16, 2012.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
378153 | Tiffany | Feb 1888 | A |
597317 | Ellsworth | Jan 1898 | A |
1277052 | Dunn | Aug 1918 | A |
1685435 | Philbrick | Sep 1928 | A |
1800421 | Wickersham et al. | Apr 1931 | A |
2026383 | Gyulay | Dec 1935 | A |
2605744 | Urbanski | Aug 1952 | A |
2817393 | Mitchell | Dec 1957 | A |
2826172 | Buckle et al. | Mar 1958 | A |
3310034 | Dishart | Mar 1967 | A |
3768445 | Sorrels D | Oct 1973 | A |
D245350 | Geary | Aug 1977 | S |
4060056 | Maietta | Nov 1977 | A |
4106266 | Hibbert | Aug 1978 | A |
4337610 | Taylor | Jul 1982 | A |
4483275 | De Groot | Nov 1984 | A |
4495753 | Simpson | Jan 1985 | A |
4530309 | Collins | Jul 1985 | A |
4553633 | Armstrong et al. | Nov 1985 | A |
4559906 | Smith | Dec 1985 | A |
4565055 | Simpson | Jan 1986 | A |
4566255 | Degroot | Jan 1986 | A |
4676198 | Murray | Jun 1987 | A |
4964369 | Sporn | Oct 1990 | A |
4969419 | Fong | Nov 1990 | A |
5094062 | Clark | Mar 1992 | A |
5146875 | Bolt | Sep 1992 | A |
5154660 | Snyder et al. | Oct 1992 | A |
5199383 | Lagana | Apr 1993 | A |
5247905 | Arakawa | Sep 1993 | A |
5305710 | Ward, Jr. | Apr 1994 | A |
5325819 | Krauss | Jul 1994 | A |
5329885 | Sporn | Jul 1994 | A |
5335627 | Bandimere | Aug 1994 | A |
5383426 | Krauss | Jan 1995 | A |
5471953 | Sporn | Dec 1995 | A |
5485810 | Sporn | Jan 1996 | A |
5503113 | Knight | Apr 1996 | A |
5511515 | Brown et al. | Apr 1996 | A |
5529018 | Butts | Jun 1996 | A |
5531187 | Ward | Jul 1996 | A |
5611298 | Sporn | Mar 1997 | A |
5676093 | Sporn | Oct 1997 | A |
5690059 | Woods | Nov 1997 | A |
5706764 | Irbinskas | Jan 1998 | A |
5713308 | Holt, Jr. | Feb 1998 | A |
5743216 | Holt, Jr. | Apr 1998 | A |
5785010 | Koch | Jul 1998 | A |
5791295 | Schmid et al. | Aug 1998 | A |
5794571 | Goldberg | Aug 1998 | A |
5845606 | Hartman | Dec 1998 | A |
5893339 | Liu | Apr 1999 | A |
5896831 | Alpert | Apr 1999 | A |
5911200 | Clark | Jun 1999 | A |
5915335 | Holt, Jr. | Jun 1999 | A |
5937794 | Hediger | Aug 1999 | A |
5947062 | Hoffman et al. | Sep 1999 | A |
5967095 | Greves | Oct 1999 | A |
5992352 | Borchelt et al. | Nov 1999 | A |
6085694 | Simon | Jul 2000 | A |
6101979 | Wilson et al. | Aug 2000 | A |
6161505 | Noguero | Dec 2000 | A |
6167844 | Cantrell et al. | Jan 2001 | B1 |
6213057 | Franco et al. | Apr 2001 | B1 |
6295795 | Ehrmann | Oct 2001 | B1 |
6314915 | Pope et al. | Nov 2001 | B1 |
6354247 | Andrews | Mar 2002 | B1 |
6367424 | Higham | Apr 2002 | B1 |
6401666 | Kircher | Jun 2002 | B1 |
6427635 | Ballard | Aug 2002 | B1 |
6450130 | Goldberg | Sep 2002 | B1 |
6463888 | Clark | Oct 2002 | B2 |
6543390 | Lowery | Apr 2003 | B2 |
6564754 | Cohen | May 2003 | B1 |
6612265 | Birdsong | Sep 2003 | B1 |
6637377 | Lobanoff et al. | Oct 2003 | B2 |
6662755 | Kato | Dec 2003 | B2 |
D511596 | Mugford | Nov 2005 | S |
6976453 | Goudal | Dec 2005 | B2 |
7107939 | Lady | Sep 2006 | B2 |
7165511 | Brezinski | Jan 2007 | B1 |
7281363 | Woerner | Oct 2007 | B2 |
7284504 | Purschwitz, Jr. | Oct 2007 | B1 |
7284505 | Paxton | Oct 2007 | B1 |
7357099 | Smith et al. | Apr 2008 | B2 |
7891322 | Bennett et al. | Feb 2011 | B2 |
20040000273 | Lady | Jan 2004 | A1 |
20050263102 | Sherman | Dec 2005 | A1 |
20060064949 | Chang | Mar 2006 | A1 |
20060236954 | Abinanti | Oct 2006 | A1 |
20070044735 | Zimmerman | Mar 2007 | A1 |
20070113798 | Torjesen | May 2007 | A1 |
20080245317 | Caldwell | Oct 2008 | A1 |
20080276880 | Swisher | Nov 2008 | A1 |
20100015867 | Betz et al. | Jan 2010 | A1 |
20100122667 | Horgan | May 2010 | A1 |
20100199927 | Cigard et al. | Aug 2010 | A1 |
20110308479 | Kuo | Dec 2011 | A1 |
20120186537 | Curtis | Jul 2012 | A1 |
20120318211 | Madonna | Dec 2012 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
3837507 | Jan 1990 | DE |
29618168 | Dec 1996 | DE |
102007055574 | May 2008 | DE |
1206905 | Aug 2003 | EP |
2301273 | Sep 1976 | FR |
2502962 | Oct 1982 | FR |
2195224 | Apr 1988 | GB |
2201874 | Sep 1988 | GB |
2228660 | Sep 1990 | GB |
2005041645 | May 2005 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20200053984 A1 | Feb 2020 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
61599456 | Feb 2012 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 14859482 | Sep 2015 | US |
Child | 16364499 | US | |
Parent | 13769794 | Feb 2013 | US |
Child | 14859482 | US |