A mobile cradle assembly

Abstract

A mobile cart assembly includes a cart base having a plurality of rollers disposed on an underside of the cart base and configured to enable the assembly to move along an underlying surface, and a cart support member detachably connected to the cart base and configured to enable at least one disabled leg of a quadruped to be positioned thereon, wherein the cart base and the cart support member together form a recess therein configured to receive at least one non-disabled leg of the quadruped such that forward or rearward movement of the at least one non-disabled leg within at least a portion of the recess propels the assembly in a similar direction.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of Chinese Patent Application No. 201980037439.2, filed March 13, 2019, entitled “Pet Mobile Carrier Assembly”. BACKGROUND 1. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present invention relates generally to mobility aids for animals. In particular, the present invention relates to mobility devices for disabled animals. More particularly, the present invention relates to mobility devices for animals such as cats and dogs that are injured or have a limb immobilized. 2. BACKGROUND

[0005] Many dogs and cats lose the use of their front or rear legs due to injury, illness, age, or obesity. Medical conditions that disable them include genetic degenerative diseases, ruptured intervertebral discs, and primary diseases of the nervous system. Unable to walk, play, or exercise, the animals often become listless, which leads to additional health care problems. This is a distressing experience for the pet owner.

[0006] To address these problems, many animal slings, support devices, and carts have been developed in the past. U.S. Patent 7,549,398 (2009, Robinson et al.) discloses a wheelchair for an animal that includes a harness support frame having first and second transverse supports spaced apart from each other and a width extender adjustably connected between the first and second transverse supports, first and second joint clip assemblies (each of the first and second joint clip assemblies has a first clip member and a second clip member), a plurality of harness connectors connected to the harness support frame, first and second leg assemblies (the second clip member receives a leg assembly proximal end of one of the first and second leg assemblies), first and second wheels (each of the first and second wheels is adjacent to a leg assembly distal end of one of the first and second leg assemblies and is rotatably connected), and a harness assembly detachably connected to the harness support frame. Each first clip member has a transverse hole for receiving one of the first and second transverse supports therethrough and is between a support frame proximal end and a support frame distal end. Each second clip member has a clip recess that receives the leg assembly proximal end and is rotatably and adjustably connected to the corresponding first clip member.

[0007] U.S. Patent 6,820,572 (2004, Parkes) discloses a prosthetic device for a disabled quadruped animal. The device is a cart having a chassis. The chassis includes a forward subassembly detachably mounted to an aft subassembly. Primary wheels are mounted at each side of the aft end of the chassis frame, and a set of rotatably mounted secondary wheels are mounted at each side of the forward end of the frame. A yoke extends across the forward end of the frame and is movable from an active position across the side walls of the frame to an inactive position away from one of the side walls, thereby enabling the animal to enter and exit the cart.

[0008] U.S. Patent 5,224,444 (1993, Hill et al.) discloses a walking aid for quadruped animals. The walking aid includes a harness attachable under the hind legs and hips of the animal, and a support pivotally attached to the harness. The end of the support distal from the harness is provided with a wheel arrangement. Resilience is provided to bias the support under the harness.

[0009] U.S. Patent 4,821,676 (1989, Hulterstrum) discloses a cart assembly for animals having a limb portion immobilized. The cart assembly includes a plastic harness adapted to support and partially enclose the rear of the animal, wheels attached to the plastic harness for mobility, and a harness attached above the head of the animal and secured to the harness.

[0010] U.S. Patent 4,375,203 (1983, Parkes) discloses a prosthetic cart for animals. The cart has a yoke attachable to the chest of the animal, a hip support for carrying the hind legs and hips of the animal, a shin support for the hind legs of the animal, and a pair of wheels. The cart further includes a pair of adjustable blocks, each block having a plurality of axle holes. The axle is positioned relative to the cart to provide balanced support of the hind legs and hips.

[0011] U.S. Patent 3,406,661 (1968, Parkes) discloses an apparatus for suspending the hind legs and hips of a disabled domestic pet. The apparatus includes spaced-apart shafts of standard form, the upper ends of which are interconnected adjacent to each other, and the lower ends of which are rotatably mounted to wheel-mounted shafts, and includes upper and lower clamping means for each shaft, shoulder means formed by spaced-apart parallel shafts (with a front yoke integrally formed for encircling the shoulder area and providing spaced-apart rear ends), and suspension means formed by spaced-apart parallel shafts (with a lower abdominal sling integrally formed, merging into a pair of hind leg loops).

[0012] U.S. Patent 3,215,117 (1965, Short) discloses a paraplegic cart for domestic animals. The cart includes an inverted U-shaped frame, wheels mounted on the frame, a shaped strut adjustably secured to the frame, a prefabricated saddle secured to the strut, a horizontal bar mounted to the front body area of the animal, an elongated bar extending rearwardly with a securing mechanism that is detachably connected to the horizontal bar and to the frame. SUMMARY

[0013] Prior art devices all have a number of different drawbacks. Some prior art devices must be pre-ordered and custom designed based on the measurements of the animal. Some prior art devices can be adjusted based on the height and length of the animal, but cannot be adjusted angularly with respect to the horizontal axis of the device. However, the biggest problem is the size of the devices. These devices are all produced for outdoor use and are not very practical for use in the home. Furthermore, since some prior art devices are custom devices, the prior art carts cannot be returned or used on another animal unless the other animal has the same height, length, and width measurements as the original animal for which the cart was produced. Additionally, prior art carts are bulky and more difficult to transport.

[0014] It is an object of the present invention to provide a device that is smaller than prior art pet wheelchairs and carts, has a reduced profile, and is more furniture friendly for use in the home without the clumsiness of prior art devices.

[0015] It is another object of the present invention to provide a device that enables a disabled animal to move more quickly within the home.

[0016] In one embodiment, the present invention achieves these and other objects by providing a pet mobility carriage assembly for a disabled animal having a hind leg disability or a front leg disability. The assembly includes a carriage base having a perimeter surface, a carriage animal support removably disposed on the carriage base, and at least three casters connected to the carriage base that provide multi-directional movement of the pet mobility carriage assembly when on a floor.

[0017] In another embodiment, the pet mobility carriage assembly further includes one of a rear animal leg drag bag or a front animal harness, wherein each of the rear animal leg drag bag and the front animal harness is removably connected to the carriage base for fixedly retaining the pet mobility carriage assembly connected to a quadruped animal.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, the carriage base has a base front end, a base rear end, a base top, and a base bottom. It should be noted that the terms base front end and base rear end do not refer to whether these terms are associated with the front and rear of the disabled animal, but are merely used to distinguish the two ends of the carriage base.

[0019] In another embodiment of the present invention, the base perimeter surface includes a base recess to accommodate movement of a non-disabled front or rear leg of the animal.

[0020] In yet another embodiment, the base perimeter surface includes at least two releasable connection points adapted to secure a portion of the quadruped animal to the pet mobility carriage assembly.

[0021] In another embodiment, the carriage animal support is a cushion.

[0022] In another aspect of the application, the cradle animal support is one of a foam pad or a foam pad fixedly attached to an animal support seat of the cradle.

[0023] In yet another embodiment, the base recess is arcuate and adapted to enable the non-disabled front leg of the quadruped animal or the non-disabled hind leg of the quadruped animal to walk forward or backward, thereby causing the pet mobility cart assembly to move in a similar direction.

[0024] In another embodiment, the cradle animal support includes a releasable fastener assembly between the cradle base top and the cradle animal support.

[0025] In yet another embodiment, the rollers are multidirectional rollers that enable the cradle base to move in all directions when pushed by the disabled animal.

[0026] In another aspect of the application, a method of providing mobility to a disabled animal having a disabled front leg and a non-disabled hind leg or a disabled hind leg and a non-disabled front leg is disclosed. The method includes providing a low-profile pet mobility cart assembly having (a) a cradle base, (b) a cradle animal support disposed on the cradle base, and (c) at least three rollers connected to the cradle base; placing the disabled front leg or the disabled hind leg of the disabled animal on the low-profile pet mobility cart assembly; and securing the corresponding disabled front leg or the disabled hind leg to the low-profile pet mobility cart assembly, wherein the disabled animal is able to propel itself across a surface using the non-disabled hind leg or the non-disabled front leg.

[0027] In another embodiment of the method of the application, the providing step includes providing one of a rear animal leg drag bag and a front animal harness, wherein the one of the rear animal leg drag bag and the front animal harness is removably connected to the low-profile pet mobility cart assembly to fixedly connect and support the disabled animal on the low-profile pet mobility cart assembly.

[0028] In yet another embodiment of the method of the application, the providing step includes providing a cushion formed within the cradle animal support.

[0029] In another embodiment of the method of the application, the providing step includes providing a cradle animal support that is one of a foam pad removably connected to the cradle base or a foam pad fixedly connected to the cradle base.

[0030] In yet another embodiment of the method of the application, the providing step includes forming an arcuate recess within a peripheral portion of the cradle base.

[0031] In still another embodiment of the method of the application, the providing step includes fixedly connecting a releasable fastener assembly between the cradle base and the cradle animal support. One portion of the releasable fastener assembly is fixed to the cradle base and another portion of the releasable fastener assembly is fixed to the cradle animal support.

[0032] In another embodiment of the method of the present invention, the step of providing is to select the multi-directional rollers as the at least three rollers.

[0033] In another embodiment of the method of the present invention, the step of providing includes selecting a bracket base having at least two releasable connection points connected to the bracket base.

[0034] In another embodiment of the method of the present invention, the step of providing includes selecting a bracket base having a rotatable button-locking fastener as the at least two releasable connection points. Attached Figure Description

[0035] Figure 1 A left front perspective view showing an embodiment of the pet mobility carrier assembly of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Rear right perspective view of the embodiment;

[0037] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Top view of the embodiment;

[0038] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Bottom view of the embodiment;

[0039] Figure 5 for Figure 1 The main view of the embodiment;

[0040] Figure 6 for Figure 1 Rear view of the embodiment;

[0041] Figure 7 for Figure 1 The embodiment is a cross-sectional left view along line 7-7;

[0042] Figure 8 for Figure 1 Exploded view of the embodiment;

[0043] Figure 9 A three-dimensional view of a disabled animal, with the disabled hind leg in an animal hind leg trolley bag attached to a pet mobility carrier assembly;

[0044] Figure 10 Left front perspective view of another embodiment of the invention for a disabled animal with a disabled foreleg;

[0045] Figure 11 for Figure 10 Rear right perspective view of the embodiment;

[0046] Figure 12 for Figure 10top view of an embodiment;

[0047] Figure 13 is Figure 10 front view of an embodiment;

[0048] Figure 14 is Figure 10 rear view of an embodiment;

[0049] Figure 15 is Figure 10 left view of an embodiment;

[0050] Figure 16 is an isometric view of a disabled animal with a disabled front leg with a harness connecting the disabled animal to the pet mobility cart assembly. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] Embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in Figures 1-16 . Figure 1 and 2 An embodiment of the pet mobility cart assembly 10 is shown. Figure 1 is a front left isometric view, Figure 2 is a rear right isometric view. The pet mobility cart assembly 10 includes a cart base 30, a cart animal support 60, and at least three casters 90 (casters are shown in Figure 8 ). The cart animal support 60 is connected to the cart base 30 and provides a surface on which a disabled rear leg of a disabled animal will rest. The at least three casters 90 are connected to the bottom of the cart base 30 and enable the pet mobility cart assembly 10 to move across a surface, such as a floor. On the base perimeter surface 36, a plurality of releasable attachment points 180 are provided for securing the disabled animal to the pet mobility cart assembly 10.

[0052] In the cart animal support 60 of this embodiment, the cart animal support 60 has a raised ridge 70 around a portion of its outer circumference that forms a space 72 within a central portion 61 of the cart animal support 60 for receiving a disabled rear leg of a disabled animal. It should be understood that the raised ridge 70 is not essential to the function of the cart animal support 60, a flat planar surface would equally suffice. At the front end 31 of the cart base 30 is a base recess 40 that generally has a radius Rl and an arc distance or chord length to accommodate a non-disabled front leg or a non-disabled rear leg of a disabled animal as the disabled animal walks and thereby moves the pet mobility cart assembly 10.

[0053] Figure 3This is a top view of the pet mobility carrier assembly 10. As can be seen in this embodiment, the peripheral shape of the carrier base 30 has an arched convex shape, and the base recess 40 has an arched concave shape. As is apparent in this embodiment, the carrier animal support 60 has a similar shape to the carrier base 30. The similarity of shape is not important or critical to the invention. For example, the sides indicated by region S may be parallel to each other along the main portion of the periphery between the front end 31 and the rear end 32. Furthermore, the rear end 32 may be arched or perpendicular to the side S.

[0054] Figure 4 This is a bottom view of the pet mobility carrier assembly 10. In this embodiment, four rollers are connected to the carrier base 30. The structural members connecting the rollers 90 appear to be simply structural members caused by the mold used for injection molding, and are not a key feature of the carrier base 30. In fact, a flat, planar surface can be used to connect the rollers 90. Figure 3 and 4 The diagram shows four releasable connection points 180. Connection points 180 are typically positioned along the periphery 38 of the base and in a location optimal for connecting the disabled animal to the pet mobility carrier assembly 10. In this embodiment, the carrier base 30 has a length L1 ranging from approximately 13 inches to approximately 20 inches (approximately 33 cm to approximately 51 cm) and a width W1 ranging from approximately 12 inches to approximately 20 inches (approximately 30.5 cm to approximately 51 cm). It should be understood that these thickness dimensions are not limiting but can vary depending on the size and weight of the disabled animal. The base recess 40 of the carrier base 30 has a radius R1 ranging from approximately 2.5 inches to approximately 4 inches (approximately 6.4 cm to approximately 10.2 cm), preferably ranging from approximately 3 inches to approximately 4 inches (approximately 7.6 cm to approximately 10.2 cm). It should be understood that these radii of the base recess 40 are not limiting but can vary depending on the size and weight of the disabled animal, stride length, and distance between the disabled animal's non-disabled legs.

[0055] Figure 5 , 6 Figures 7 and 8 are the front view, rear view, and cross-sectional view of the pet moving bracket assembly 10, respectively. Figure 5In the front view, the raised ridge 70 is shown not completely surrounding the central portion 61, but rather outlining an opening 62 that communicates with a space 72 defined by the raised ridge 70, from which the body of the disabled animal extends toward the undisabled forelegs. The raised ridge 70 helps to hold the disabled hind leg or hind leg and rump on the pet mobility carrier assembly 10 as the disabled animal moves along the floor. It should be understood that the pet mobility carrier assembly 10, with its multiple wheels 90, significantly reduces friction with the floor compared to a simple tow bag, thus allowing the disabled animal to achieve greater mobility with much less effort. A pair of releasable front connection points 180 are shown, with the restraint assembly detachably secured to the front end 31 of the carrier base 30. Figure 5 and 4 As shown, the rollers 90 at the front end 31 are spaced further apart than the rollers 90 at the rear end 32. This arrangement provides greater stability when the pet mobility carrier assembly 10 is attached to a disabled animal, where a larger portion of the animal's non-disabled body extends from the carrier assembly 10, while the carrier base 30 is provided with a more streamlined cross-section for movement along flat surfaces such as a floor, where there may be other obstacles that hinder the animal's movement.

[0056] from Figure 6 The rear view shows a pair of releasable connection points 180 at the rear, with the restraint assembly detachably secured to the rear end 32 of the bracket base 30.

[0057] Now for reference Figure 7 ,along Figure 1 The cross-sectional view along line 7-7 shows the cross-sectional shape of the pet carrier support 60 and the carrier base 30, which is a design for injection molding. More noteworthy is the low profile of the pet moving carrier assembly 10. Figure 7 As shown, in this embodiment, the height H1 (also known as clearance height) between the surface of the roller 90 on which it rests and the bottom 34 of the base of the bracket base 30 is approximately 1 inch (approximately 2.54 cm). The thickness H2 of the bracket base 30 between its bottom 34 and top 33 is also approximately 1 inch (approximately 2.54 cm). The thickness H3 of the animal support 60 between its bottom 64 and top 63 is approximately 1.75 inches (approximately 4.4-4.5 cm). The thickness H3 includes the raised ridge 70. The height H4 of the central portion 61 of the animal support 60 is approximately three-quarters of an inch (approximately 1.9 cm). It should be understood that these thickness dimensions are not limiting but can vary depending on the size and weight of the disabled animal.

[0058] Now for reference Figure 8 , showed Figure 1An exploded view of the pet mobility carrier assembly 10. The carrier base 30 can be made of any rigid material, such as metal, plastic, synthetic materials, or combinations thereof, but injection-molded plastic is the most economical choice for mass production and for customer price. The top 33 of the base can be entirely flat or have a flat portion for supporting the animal support 60 of the carrier. In the illustrated embodiment, the channel shown is the result of a mold for injection molding the carrier base 30 and provides roller recesses for connecting the structure to hold the rollers 90 on the carrier base 30 without interfering with the animal support 60 when it is attached to the carrier base 30. The animal support 60 can be made of a padding material, such as a foam pad or a foam pad fixedly attached to a rigid support 60i, such as... Figure 8 As shown in the diagram. The animal support 60 can be fixedly or detachably attached to the top surface 33 of the base. For easier cleaning or replacement of the animal support 60, a releasable fastener assembly 60h is connected between the base 30 and the animal support 60. Available releasable fastener assemblies 60h include, but are not limited to: hook and loop fasteners, snap fasteners, quick-release fasteners, reusable double-sided tape, etc. At least three rollers 90 can be any known multi-directional rollers, such as axially rotating wheels, omnidirectional wheels / rollers, etc. The rollers 90 are fixed to the bottom 34 of the base but are removable for replacement or cleaning. A releasable connection point 180 is fixed to the peripheral surface 36 of the base of the base 30. The releasable connection point 180 can be any known releasable fastener, such as snap fasteners, buttons, latches, clips and D-rings, hook and loop fasteners, twist-lock fasteners, etc.

[0059] Figure 9 A perspective view of a disabled animal 1 connected to a pet transport carrier assembly 10. In this view, the animal 1 has a disabled hind leg, which is placed inside a trolley bag 120 and secured to the animal 1 using a chest strap 122 of the trolley bag 120, wherein the chest strap 122 itself is connected around the animal's neck. As shown, the trolley bag 120 includes an adjustable bag strap 124 with eyelets 125 that connect to a releasable connection point 180 at the front end 31 of the carrier base 30, which is a twist-lock fastener. The trolley bag 120 has eyelets 125 that connect to a corner 126, where the eyelets 125 connect to a releasable connection point 180 at the rear end 32 of the carrier base 30, which is also a twist-lock fastener.

[0060] Now for reference Figures 10-16 Another embodiment of a pet mobility carrier assembly 10' is shown for use with an animal having a disabled front leg. Figure 10 and 11A frontal and rearward perspective view of the pet mobility carrier assembly 10' is shown. In this embodiment, the carrier base 30, casters 90, and releasable connection point 180 are the same as previously described and therefore have the same reference numerals as previously shown. The main difference lies in the structure of the carrier animal support 60'. This difference is in the height dimensions required for the carrier animal support 60' to accommodate the disabled forelegs and chest of a disabled animal, while maintaining the disabled animal in an upright posture as much as possible before it became disabled. Furthermore, as... Figure 16 As shown, the non-disabled hind leg of the disabled animal is located at the rear end 32 of the bracket base 30.

[0061] Pet mobile carrier assembly 10' includes a carrier base 30, a carrier animal support 60', and at least three casters 90 (the casters are in...) Figure 8 (As shown in the diagram). The animal support 60' is connected to the carrier base 30 and provides a surface on which the disabled animal's disabled forelegs and chest will rest. At least three casters 90 are connected to the bottom of the carrier base 30 and enable the pet mobility carrier assembly 10' to move across a surface, such as a floor. On the peripheral surface 36 of the base, a plurality of releasable connection points 180 are provided for securing the disabled animal to the pet mobility carrier assembly 10'.

[0062] In the animal support 60' of this embodiment, each side 60a of the animal support 60' has a raised lateral ridge 70' along its periphery. The raised lateral ridge forms a space 72' within the central portion 61' of the animal support 60' for receiving the disabled forelegs and chest of the disabled animal. It should be understood that the raised lateral ridge 70' is not necessary for the animal support 60' to function; a flat planar surface is equally acceptable. At the front end 31 of the support base 30 is a base recess 40, which generally has a radius to accommodate the non-disabled hind legs of the disabled animal when the disabled animal walks, thereby moving the pet movement support assembly 10'.

[0063] Figure 12 This is a top view of the pet mobility carrier assembly 10'. As can be seen in this embodiment, the carrier base 30 has a semi-circular rear end 32, parallel sides 30a, and a base recess 40 with an arched concave shape. As is apparent in this embodiment, the carrier animal support 60' has a similar shape to the carrier base 30. The similarity of shape is not important or critical to the invention. For example, the sides 30a may be parallel to each other along the main portion of the periphery between the front end 31 and the rear end 32, or they may be separated from each other from the rear end 32 toward the front end 31. Furthermore, the rear end 32 may be arched or perpendicular to the sides 30a.

[0064] Figure 13 , 14Figures 15 and 16 are the front view, rear view, and cross-sectional view of the pet moving bracket assembly 10', respectively. Figure 13 In the front view, the raised lateral spinous processes 70' are shown not completely surrounding the central portion 61', but rather outlining an open front portion 62a and an open rear portion 62b, which communicate with the space 72' between the raised lateral spinous processes 70' supporting the disabled animal's disabled forelegs and chest. The raised lateral spinous processes 70' facilitate holding the disabled animal's disabled forelegs and chest on the pet mobility carrier assembly 10' as the disabled animal moves and turns along the floor. It should be understood that the use of the pet mobility carrier assembly 10' with multiple casters 90 allows disabled animals with disabled forelegs to move in a substantially vertical position along the floor, thus enabling the disabled animal to achieve greater mobility with much less effort. A pair of releasable connection points 180 at the front are shown, with the restraint assembly detachably secured to the front end 31 of the carrier base 30. Animal body harnesses (such as...) Figure 16 (As shown) is typically used to secure a disabled foreleg and / or chest (especially when both forelegs have been amputated) to the pet mobility bracket assembly 10'. Figure 13 , 14 As shown in Figure 4, the rollers 90 at the front end 31 are spaced further apart than the rollers 90 at the rear end 32. This arrangement provides greater stability when the pet mobility carrier assembly 10 is attached to a disabled animal, where a larger portion of the animal's non-disabled body extends from the carrier assembly 10'.

[0065] Now for reference Figure 15 ,along Figure 10 The cross-sectional view along line 15-15 shows the cross-sectional shape of the pet carrier support 60' and the carrier base 30, which is a design for injection molding. More noteworthy is the low profile of the pet moving carrier assembly 10'. Figure 7 Similarly, in this embodiment, the heights H1 and H2 (also referred to as clearance heights) between the surface of the roller 90 on which it rests and the bottom 34 of the base of the bracket base 30 are similar to those shown in the diagram. Figure 7 The same applies. The thickness H3 of the animal support 60' between its bottom 64' and top 63' is approximately 6 inches (approximately 15.25 cm). The height H4 between the highest point of the central portion 61' and the highest point of the raised lateral vertebral protuberance 70' is approximately 3 inches (approximately 7.6 cm). The thickness H5 of the central portion 61' of the animal support 60' from the bottom 64' to the highest point of the central portion 61' is approximately 3 inches (approximately 7.6 cm). It should be understood that these height and thickness dimensions are not limiting but can vary depending on the size, leg length (i.e., height), and weight of the disabled animal.

[0066] Figure 16A perspective view of a disabled animal connected to a pet mobility carrier assembly 10'. In this view, animal 1 has a disabled foreleg. An animal chest harness 150 is used to secure the disabled animal 1 to the pet mobility carrier assembly 10'. As shown, the animal chest harness 150 includes an adjustable neck strap 152, an adjustable body strap 154, and an adjustable harness 156 connecting the adjustable neck strap 152 and the adjustable body strap 154. Straps 152, 154, and 156 are all adjustable to fit the size and shape of the disabled animal. A pair of carrier straps 158 are also connected to the adjustable neck strap, which are adjustable and extend from the adjustable neck strap 152 to a releasable connection point 180 at the rear end 32 of the carrier base 30. In this embodiment, the carrier strap 158 has an eyelet 125 at its distal end 159 that connects to the releasable connection point 180 at the rear end 32 of the carrier base 30, which is a twist-lock fastener as previously described.

[0067] Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described herein, the above description is merely illustrative. Those skilled in the art can make further modifications to the invention disclosed herein, and all such modifications are considered to be within the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A mobile support assembly for a quadruped with leg disabilities, the assembly comprising: A bracket base having multiple rollers disposed on the underside of the bracket base and configured to allow the component to move along the underlying surface; and A bracket support detachably connected to the bracket base, the bracket support being configured to allow at least one disabled leg of a quadruped to rest thereon; The bracket base and the bracket support together form a recess, the recess being configured to accommodate at least one non-disabled leg of a quadruped such that forward or backward movement of the at least one non-disabled leg within at least a portion of the recess pushes the assembly in a similar direction.

2. The component according to claim 1, wherein, The bracket support includes a raised ridge near its periphery.

3. The component according to claim 2, wherein, The raised ridge terminates near at least one end of the notch.

4. The component according to claim 2, wherein, The protruding ridge at least partially encloses a space in the central region of the bracket support, the space being configured to accommodate at least one disabled leg of a quadruped.

5. The component according to claim 4, wherein, At least one disabled leg of a tetrapod includes at least one hind leg of a tetrapod.

6. The component according to claim 4, wherein, The bracket support is also configured such that, when the assembly is in operation, at least a portion of the hind legs and rump of the quadruped is located within the space of the central region on the bracket support.

7. The component according to claim 1, wherein, The bracket support has a flat shape.

8. The component according to claim 7, wherein, The bracket support is disc-shaped.

9. The component according to claim 1, wherein, The bracket support includes: The first protruding ridge segment near the first longitudinal side of the bracket support; and The second protruding ridge segment is located near the second longitudinal side of the bracket support member, and the second longitudinal side is opposite to the first longitudinal side.

10. The component of claim 9, wherein, The first ridge segment and the second ridge segment terminate near at least one end of the notch.

11. The component of claim 9, wherein, The first and second convex vertebral segments form the boundaries of a space in the central region of the bracket support, the space being configured to accommodate at least one disabled leg of a quadruped.

12. The component of claim 11, wherein, At least one disabled leg of a tetrapod includes at least one foreleg of a tetrapod.

13. The component of claim 11, wherein, The bracket support is also configured to position at least a portion of the tetrapod's thorax within the space of the central region when the assembly is in operation.

14. The component of claim 9, wherein, The bracket support has an uneven shape.

15. The component of claim 14, wherein, The bracket support is saddle-shaped.

16. The component according to any one of claims 1-15, wherein, The bracket base includes multiple releasable connection points through which the quadruped can be secured to the component.

17. The component of claim 16, wherein, The plurality of releasable connection points are disposed on the surrounding surface of the bracket base.

18. The component of claim 16, wherein, The plurality of releasable connection points are configured to allow one or more straps to be releasably connected thereto to secure the quadruped to the component.

19. The component according to any one of claims 1-15, wherein, The plurality of rollers includes at least three rollers.

20. The component according to any one of claims 1-15, wherein, The plurality of rollers includes at least four rollers.

21. The component of claim 20, wherein, The rollers closer to the notch are spaced further apart than the rollers farther from the notch.

22. The component according to any one of claims 1-15, wherein, The notch is bow-shaped and has at least one radius of curvature extending inward to the central region of the bracket support.

23. The component according to any one of claims 1-15, wherein, The bracket base is a rigid base; and The bracket support includes padding material.

24. The component of claim 23, wherein, The bracket support includes a foam pad.

25. The component according to any one of claims 1-15, wherein, The bracket base and the bracket support have similar bottom geometry.

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