Patent Application
20150232322
1. Technical Field
The present application relates to a saddle for an animal.
2. Description of Related Art
A saddle is a supportive structure for a rider or other load, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type of saddle is the equestrian saddle designed for a horse. A saddle typically includes a base on which the rest of the saddle is built, this is called the tree. In one conventional saddle configuration, the tree is made out of a rigid material such as wood; however, this saddle configuration does not allow the saddle to flex with the movement of the horse. In another conventional saddle configuration, the tree is made out of a flexible material such as rubber; however, this saddle configuration allows the front and aft portions of the saddle to raise, therefore causing the weight of the load to be placed on the spine of the animal. In yet another conventional saddle configuration, a saddle does not include a tree; however, this saddle configuration does not sufficiently redistribute the weight of the load over the surface of the animal's back. These conventional saddle configurations may result in bruising, the development of sores, the pinching of withers, and other painful conditions. These conditions may cause the animal to not move freely and correctly, the animal's endurance to be reduced, pressure points that cause the animal's muscles to atrophy, or a harmful mental impact on the animal. Hence, there is a need for an improved saddle configuration.
The novel features believed characteristic of the system of the present application are set forth in the appended claims. However, the system itself, as well as a preferred mode of use, and further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Illustrative embodiments of the apparatus and method of the present application are described below. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.
In the specification, reference may be made to the spatial relationships between various components and to the spatial orientation of various aspects of components as the devices are depicted in the attached drawings. However, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art after a complete reading of the present application, the devices, members, apparatuses, etc. described herein may be positioned in any desired orientation. Thus, the use of terms such as “above,” “below,” “upper,” “lower,” or other like terms to describe a spatial relationship between various components or to describe the spatial orientation of aspects of such components should be understood to describe a relative relationship between the components or a spatial orientation of aspects of such components, respectively, as the device described herein may be oriented in any desired direction.
Referring now to
It should be appreciated that saddle 100 is merely illustrative of a wide variety of possible implementations. Further, even though saddle 100 is particularly well suited for horses, saddle 100 may be implemented for use on other animals, such as mules or donkeys.
Now referring to
Front support 210, center support 220, and aft support 230 may be fabricated out of any suitable material. For example, front support 210, center support 220, and aft support 230 may be cast, forged, or machined out of a suitable metal such as aluminum or steel. In another example, front support 210, center support 220, and aft support 230 may be manufactured out of a suitable material such as wood, plastic, or a composite such as carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer or fiberglass. Front support 210, center support 220, and aft support 230 can each be fabricated out of different materials.
As best seen in
Similarly to front supports 210 and 210′, aft support 230 may be coupled to aft support 230′ at a specified angle, depending on the size and shape of the animal's hips, which will be explained in greater detail below. In another example embodiment, aft supports 230 and 230′ join together to form a single structure and form an opening that allows pin 234 to be disposed within. Aft supports 230 and 230′ may configured to rotate in relation to aft pin 234. Aft pin 234 may define axis 231 which bisects aft pin 234. Axis 231 may run parallel to a portion of the animal's back that pin 234 is intended to reside over. Accordingly, aft supports 230 and 230′ may be configured to rotate around axis 231.
Front supports 210 and 210′ and aft supports 230 and 230′ may be coupled to center support 220. Center support 220 may configured to run substantially parallel to the animal's back while the saddle is in use. As best seen in
Now referring to
In one example embodiment, which is shown in
Similarly to shape member 215, shape member 225 may be located on top and/or bottom of center support 220, and shape member 235 may be located on top and/or bottom of aft supports 230 and 230′. Additionally, shape member 215 may be the same piece as front supports 210 and 210′, shape member 225 may be the same piece as center support 220, and shape member 235 may be the same piece as aft supports 230 and 230′.
In order to provide additional comfort for the rider and/or the animal, saddle 100 may include padding and may be wrapped in leather, as best seen in
In one example, saddle 100 is fastened to the back of a horse and a rider sits on seat 140. The weight of the rider can be primarily distributed to front panels 110 and 110′, and aft panels 120 and 120′. The weight that is distributed to front panels 110 and 110′ can then be distributed to the horse's shoulders. The weight that is distributed to aft panels 120 and 120′ can then be distributed to the horse's hips.
As the horse moves, the shape of the horse's shoulders, back, and hips may change shape and position. For example, as best seen in
Therefore, saddle 100 may be configured to move with the horse's movement. For example, as the horse turns to the right, front panel 110 and 110′ may rotate clockwise in relation to seat 140; aft panel 120 may rotate counter-clockwise in relation to seat 140. More specifically, front supports 210 and 210′, front pin 214, and shape member 215 may rotate clockwise around axis 223 while aft supports 230 and 230′, aft pin 234, and shape member 235 may rotate counter-clockwise around axis 243.
Conversely, as best seen in
Also, when the horse's left shoulder moves down and the right shoulder moves up, front panels 110 and 110′ may rotate clockwise in relation to axis 211, when looking from the front. When the horse's left hip moved down and the right hip moves up, aft panel 120 and 120′ may rotate clockwise in relation to axis 231, when looking from the front.
Each horse's back may have a unique shape and size. For example, there may be a large variance between the size and shape of each horse's withers, shoulders, loins, and hips. There are several known methods of determining the surface contours of an animal's back. One known method is disclosed in U.S. Publication No. 2012/0017547, which is hereby incorporated by reference. Once the surface contours of the horse's back are determined, saddle 100 may be manufactured to a specific shape to fit the horse's back.
One method of manufacturing saddle 100 to a specific shape to fit a specific horse's back is to use tool 500. Tool 500 may include top 510, a plurality of holes 515, a plurality of rods 520, and one or more legs 530. Top 510 may be a flat surface that can be manufactured out of a suitable material such as wood, plastic, or a metal such as aluminum or steel. Top 510 can include a plurality of holes 515 that are configured to allow a rod 520 to be disposed within each hole 515. Rod 520 may be manufactured out of a suitable material such as wood, plastic, or a metal such as aluminum or steel. Tool 500 may also include one or more legs 530 configured to elevate and support top 510.
Tool 500 can be configured so that the height of each rod 520 may be independently adjusted in relation to top 510. Several different methods may be used to adjust the height of each rod 520. Now referring to
Other methods of adjusting the height of each rod 520 is contemplated. For example, the height of each rod 520 may be adjusted and made stationary by the use of clamps on each rod 520. Another example may be that the height of each rod 520 may be adjusted and made stationary by the use of stackable bricks under each rod 520. Another example may be that the height of each rod 520 may be adjusted and made stationary by the use of adjustable actuators under each rod 520. And yet another example may be that each rod 520 is pressure fitted into each hole 515 so that friction holds each rod 520 in place.
Once each rod 520 is adjusted to the preferred position, a flexible mold may be placed on top of the rods 520. The flexible mold of tool 500 may be an apparatus that can be configured to shape one or more components of tree assembly 200. The mold of tool 500 may be made out of a flexible material, such as elastomer or rubber, so that the mold conforms to the collective shape of rods 520.
In one example embodiment, the flexible mold of tool 500 allows at least one component of tree assembly 200 to be formed by injection molding. For example, a bottom portion of shape members 215, 225, and 235 may be collectively formed by injecting liquid plastic into the flexible mold. Once the liquid plastic cures and hardens, the plastic can be removed from the mold and the remaining components of tree assembly 200 may be placed on top of shape members 215, 225, and 235. Since shape members 215, 225, and 235 were collectively formed, the shape members 215, 225, and 235 can be separated by machining portions out, in between the three sections.
In another example embodiment, the flexible mold of tool 500 allows at least one component of tree assembly 200 to be formed by ‘laying up’ composite material onto the flexible mold. For example, a bottom portion of shape members 215, 225, and 235 may be collectively formed by placing peel ply release film onto the flexible mold, placing the composite material and the resin on top of the peel ply release film, and allowing the resin to cure. Once the resin in the composite material cures, the component can be removed from the flexible mold and the remaining components of tree assembly may be installed on top of shape members 215, 225, and 235. Since shape members 215, 225, and 235 were collectively formed, the shape members 215, 225, and 235 can be separated by machining portions out, in between the three sections.
As stated, portions of tree assembly 200, such as front support 210, center support 220, and aft support 230, may be disposed under, over, or within shape members 215, 225, and 235. Therefore, portions of tree assembly 200, such as front support 210, center support 220, and aft support 230, may be placed on the flexible mold of tool 500 before or after a portion of shape members 215, 225, and 235 are placed on top of tool 500. If the components of tree assembly 200 are made out of materials such as fiberglass, carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer, or plastic, tree assembly 200 may require curing. Therefore, tree assembly 200 may need to remain on tool 500 until the components have sufficiently cured. After tree assembly 200 is removed from tool 500, padding and a wrapping, such as leather, may be attached to tree assembly 200 to complete saddle 100.
After saddle 100 is manufactured, it may be preferred to make adjustments to the shape of saddle 100. Adjustments to the shape of saddle 100 may be preferred because the shape of a horse's back, hips, and shoulders can change over time due to the horse's condition, age, and training. For example, the horse's back muscles and/or the underlying skeletal structure may change shape over time. Thus, a method of adjusting the shape of saddle 100 may be needed. One method of making adjustments may be to use shims that are configured to compensate for changes in the shape of the horse's back, hips, and shoulders. The shim may be made out of a padding material, such as rubber or polyester fiberfill, and may be wrapped in a smooth material such as leather. One or more shims may be strategically placed on the underside of saddle 100 to accommodate the shape of the horse's back, hips, and shoulders. One way of attaching the shims to the underside of saddle 100 can be to use a hook and loop fastener such as VELCRO brand fastener. Another way of attaching the shims to the underside of saddle 100 can be to use an adhesive.
The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as the system may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to the apparatuses described herein without departing from the scope of the invention. The components of the system may be integrated or separated. Moreover, the operations of the system may be performed by more, fewer, or other components.
Furthermore, no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown, other than as described in the claims below. It is therefore evident that the particular embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of the application. Accordingly, the protection sought herein is as set forth in the claims below.
