Pet tracking device assembly

Abstract

A pet tracking device assembly comprising: a housing comprising a housing body that is adapted to be detachably attached to a pet collar strap by a retaining assembly; the housing body comprising an internal volume for at least one transmitter circuit disposed within the housing for transmitting an outgoing wireless signal and at least one receiver circuit for receiving an incoming wireless signal; wherein the retaining assembly comprises a retaining clip with two opposed and biased retaining portions whereby the retaining portions are biased to engage and retain two oppositely arranged portions of the housing to detachably attach said housing with a section of the pet collar strap.

Description

PET TRACKING DEVICE ASSEMBLYTECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a pet tracking device assemblyBACKGROUND

[0002] Any references to methods, apparatus or documents of the prior art are not to be taken as constituting any evidence or admission that they formed, or form part of the common general knowledge.SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0003] In an aspect, the invention provides a pet tracking device assembly comprising: housing and a retaining assembly wherein the housing comprises a housing body that is adapted to be detachably attached to a pet collar strap by the retaining assembly; the housing body comprising an internal volume for at least one transmitter circuit disposed within the housing for transmitting an outgoing wireless signal and at least one receiver circuit for receiving an incoming wireless signal; wherein the retaining assembly comprises a retaining clip with two opposed and biased retaining portions whereby the retaining portions are biased to engage and retain two oppositely arranged portions of the housing to detachably attach said housing with a section of the pet collar strap.

[0004] In an embodiment, the retaining assembly further comprises a flexible cradle extending between the retaining portions of the retaining clip, the flexible cradlebeing arranged to sandwich the said section of the pet collar strap in between the flexible cradle and an underside portion of the housing.

[0005] In an embodiment, each retaining portion extends transversely relative to the flexible cradle to define a generally U-shaped region for receiving the housing body.

[0006] In an embodiment, the flexible cradle is suspended on two spaced apart cradle supporting members, wherein each cradle supporting member is elongate and extends between the retaining portions of the retaining clip.

[0007] In an embodiment, the cradle supporting members are integrally formed with the retaining portions.

[0008] In an embodiment, each retaining portion comprises a top section extending between two downwardly dependent sections, each downwardly dependent section being integrally formed with a respective cradle supporting section.

[0009] In an embodiment, the retaining portion and the cradle supporting portions form an endless body made from a rigid material.

[0010] Preferably, the rigid material is spring metal.

[0011] In an embodiment, the flexible cradle comprises a stretchable and compressible material configured to undergo stretching and compression simultaneously during use to accommodate the section of the pet collar strap.

[0012] In an embodiment, the housing body is generally elongate having a length extending between two ends of the housing body with a first pair of opposed side walls extending lengthwise from the top wall to the bottom wall and a second pair of opposed walls extending between the top and bottom walls at each end of the housing body.

[0013] In an embodiment, a first of the retaining portions is located on one of said first pair of sidewalls and a second of the retaining portions is located on the other of said pair of sidewalls.

[0014] In an embodiment, the ends of the housing body are located along respective end portions of the housing wherein each end portion depends downwardly and away from the central portion of the housing.

[0015] In an embodiment, the retention portions are located along the side walls extending from the central portion of the housing body.

[0016] In an embodiment, during use, bottom wall section of the central portion and the flexible cradle member is arranged to sandwich the section of the pet collar.

[0017] In an embodiment, the flexible cradle member does not extend below bottom wall sections of the end portions of the housing body.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Preferred features, embodiments and variations of the invention may be discerned from the following Detailed Description which provides sufficient information for those skilled in the art to perform the invention. The Detailed Description is not to be regarded as limiting the scope of the preceding Summary of the Invention in any way. The Detailed Description will make reference to a number of drawings as follows:Figure 1 is an exploded view of the pet tracker assembly 100 in accordance with an embodiment.Figure 2 is a side view of the pet tracker device assembly 100.Figure 3 is a top perspective view of the pet tracker device assembly 100.Figure 4 is an isolated view of the retention clip 120.Figure 5 is an exploded view of the pet tracker assembly 200 in accordance with an embodiment.Figure 6 is a side view of the pet tracker device assembly 200.Figure 7 is a top perspective view of the pet tracker device assembly 200.Figure 8 is an isolated view of the retention clip 220.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Figures 1 to 4 illustrate a preferred embodiment of a pet tracking device assembly 100. The tracking device 100 comprises a housing body 110 that is configured for being releasably attached to a pet collar strap 50 by a novel retaining assembly 120.

[0020] The housing body 110 comprises an internal volume defined by a top wall 112 and a bottom wall 114 with side walls 116 extending between the top wall and bottom wall to define a height for the housing body 110. The internal volume for the housing body 110 is provided for housing at least one transmitter circuit disposed within the housing for transmitting an outgoing wireless signal and at least one receiver circuit for receiving an incoming wireless signal. As will be evident from the foregoing sections, the housing body 110 is adapted for being positioned and maintained at a fixed location on the collar strap 50 preferably at a dorsal location to ensure best possible connectivity for the transmitter and receiver circuits housed within the housing body 110.

[0021] A retaining assembly is also provided for releasably retaining the housing body 110 to a section of the pet collar strap. The retaining assembly in the preferred embodiment is provided in the form of a retaining clip 120. The retaining clip comprises two opposed retaining portions 122 that are resiliently biased to engage with retaining formations or grooves 111 provided on the sidewalls of the housing body 110 to retain the housing body 110 in between the retaining portions 122 of the retaining clip 120.

[0022] The retaining assembly also comprises a flexible cradle member 124 that is suspended in between the retaining portions 122. The flexible cradle member 124 is suspended on two spaced apart cradle supporting sections of the retaining clip 120 that extend in between the retaining sections 122. The flexible cradle 124 is arranged to sandwich the said section of the pet collar strap 50 in between the flexible cradle 124 and an underside portion of the housing body 110.

[0023] Each of the retaining portions 122 together with the cradle supporting sections 126 that extend between the retaining portions 122 define a U-shaped region for receiving and retaining the housing body 110. Each retaining portion 122 of the clip 120 comprises a top section 122A extending between two downwardly dependent sections 122B and 122C. Each of the downwardly dependent sections 122B and 122C are integrally formed with a corresponding cradle supporting section 126 (See Figure 4) to form an endless rigid body which provides the retaining clip 120. The retaining clip 120 in the preferred embodiment may be made from sprung metal that has been bent to form the above described retaining sections 122 and the cradle supporting sections 126 extending between the retaining sections 122.

[0024] The flexible cradle 124 may be made from a stretchable and compressible material to allow the cradle member to undergo stretching and / or compression during use. One of the key advantages of the retaining clip 120 described in the preceding sections is that the retaining sections 122 of the retaining clip 120 can be snapped out of the retaining grooves 111 by pulling the retaining sections 122 out of the grooves 111 which requires a sufficient force to be applied that overcomes the biasing force acting on the bent retaining portions 122. The arrangement of the retaining clip 120 prevents any sliding of the housing body 110 relative to the pet collar 50 by applying a point force only on a small section of the collar strap 50 to fasten or sandwich that section of the collar in between the cradle member 124 (which is part of the retaining assembly) and the housing body 110. As a result, the collar strap 50 does not need to be tightened significantly to prevent slipping between the housing body 110 and the section of the collar strap 50.

[0025] The housing body 110 is generally elongate having a length extending between two ends of the housing body 110 with a first pair of opposed side walls 116 extending lengthwise from the top wall 112 to the bottom wall 114. A second pair of opposed walls 118 extends between the top and bottom walls at each end of the housing body 110. Each of the first pair of opposed side walls 116 comprises a corresponding profiled groove 111 that is adapted to engage with a respective retaining section 122 of the retaining clip 120.

[0026] The housing body 110 also comprises end portions 113 and 115 with the central portion 117 being located between the end portions 113 and 115. The end portions 113 and 115 of the housing body 110 depend downwardly and away from the central portion 117 of the housing body 110. The retention formations 111 are located along a portion of the side walls 116 that lies within the central portion 117 of the housing body 110. During use, bottom wall section of the central portion 117 for the housing body 110 and the flexible cradle member 124 are arranged to sandwich a section of the pet collar strap 50. Importantly, the flexible cradle member 124 does not extend below the underside sections of the end portions 113 and 115 of the housing body 110. Therefore, it is desirable to dimension the cradle supporting sections 126 of the retaining clip 120 in a manner to ensure that no part of the flexible cradle 124 extends below the end portions 113 and 115 of the housing body 110. As a result, the user could gradually place a finger or thumb in between the underside of the end portions 113 and 115 and the collar strap to achieve some leverage for disengaging the retaining portions 122 of the clip 120 from the retentiongrooves 111 of the housing body 110.

[0027] Referring to figures 5 to 8, in another preferred embodiment there is a pet tracking device assembly 200. The tracking device 200 shares many similarities with tracking device 100 in that it comprises a housing body 210 that is configured for being releasably attached to a pet collar strap 50 by a novel retaining assembly 220. The housing body 210 comprises an internal volume defined by a top wall 212 and a bottom wall 214 with side walls 216 extending between the top wall and bottom wall to define a height for the housing body 210. The internal volume for the housing body 210 is provided for housing at least one transmitter circuit disposed within the housing for transmitting an outgoing wireless signal and at least one receiver circuit for receiving an incoming wireless signal. As with housing body 110, the housing body 210 is adapted for being positioned and maintained at a fixed location on the collar strap 50 preferably at a dorsal location to ensure best possible connectivity for the transmitter and receiver circuits housed within the housing body 210. In an embodiment, there is provided a photo-voltaic cell 212A as a part of top wall 212.

[0028] A retaining assembly is also provided for releasably retaining the housing body 210 to a section of the pet collar strap. The retaining assembly in this embodiment is provided in the form of a retaining clip 220. The retaining clip comprises two opposed retaining portions 222 that are resiliently biased to engage with retaining formations or grooves 211 provided on the sidewalls of the housing body 210 to retain the housing body 210 in between the retaining portions 222 of the retaining clip 220.

[0029] The retaining assembly also comprises a flexible cradle member 224 that is situated in between the retaining portions 222. The flexible cradle member 224 extends between the retaining sections 222 as seen in Figure 8. The flexible cradle 224 is arranged to sandwich the said section of the pet collar strap 50 in between the flexible cradle 224 and an underside portion of the housing body 210.

[0030] Each of the retaining portions 222 together with the flexible cradle 224 that extend continuously between the retaining portions 222 define a U-shaped region for receiving and retaining the housing body 210. Each retaining portion 222 of the retaining clip 220 comprises a top section 222A extending between two downwardly dependent sections 222B and 222C. Each of the downwardly dependent sections 222B and 222C are integrally formed with flexible cradle member 224 (See Figure 8) to form an endless semi-rigid and flexible body which provides the retaining clip 220. The retaining clip 220 in this embodiment may be made from a stretchable and compressible material to allow the cradle member to undergo stretching and / or compression during use. The stretchable and compressible material comprising retaining clip 200 has been manufactured to form the above described retaining sections 222 and flexible cradle portion 224 extending between the retaining sections 222.

[0031] . One of the key advantages of the retaining clip 220 described in the preceding sections is that the retaining sections 222 of the retaining clip 220 can be snapped out of the retaining grooves 211 by pulling the retaining sections 222 out of the grooves 211 which requires a sufficient force to be applied that overcomes the biasing force acting on the bent retaining portions 222. A retaining portion grippingindent 225 has been provided on the inner surface of each retaining portion top section 222A to facilitate the overcoming of the biasing force. The arrangement of the retaining clip 220 prevents any sliding of the housing body 210 relative to the pet collar 50 by applying a point force only on a small section of the collar strap 50 to fasten or sandwich that section of the collar in between the cradle member 224 (which is part of the retaining assembly) and the housing body 210. As a result, the collar strap 50 does not need to be tightened significantly to prevent slipping between the housing body 210 and the section of the collar strap 50.

[0032] The housing body 210 is generally elongate having a length extending between two ends of the housing body 210 with a first pair of opposed side walls 216 extending lengthwise from the top wall 212 to the bottom wall 214. A second pair of opposed walls 218 extends between the top and bottom walls at each end of the housing body 210. Each of the first pair of opposed side walls 216 comprises a corresponding profiled groove 211 that is adapted to engage with a respective retaining section 222 of the retaining clip 220.

[0033] In compliance with the statute, the invention has been described in language more or less specific to structural or methodical features. The term “comprises” and its variations, such as “comprising” and “comprised of” is used throughout in an inclusive sense and not to the exclusion of any additional features.

[0034] It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to specific features shown or described since the means herein described comprises preferred forms of putting the invention into effect.

[0035] The invention is, therefore, claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the proper scope of the appended claims appropriately interpreted by those skilled in the art.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A pet tracking device assembly comprising: a housing and a retaining assembly wherein the housing comprises a housing body that is adapted to be detachably attached to a pet collar strap by the retaining assembly; the housing body further comprising an internal volume for at least one transmitter circuit disposed within the housing for transmitting an outgoing wireless signal and at least one receiver circuit for receiving an incoming wireless signal; wherein the retaining assembly comprises a retaining clip with two opposed and biased retaining portions whereby the retaining portions are biased to engage and retain two oppositely arranged portions of the housing to detachably attach said housing with a section of the pet collar strap.

2. A pet tracking device assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein the retaining assembly further comprises a flexible cradle extending between the retaining portions of the retaining clip, the flexible cradle being arranged to sandwich the said section of the pet collar strap in between the flexible cradle and an underside portion of the housing.

3. A pet tracking device assembly in accordance with claim 2 wherein each retaining portion extends transversely relative to the flexible cradle to define a generally U-shaped region for receiving the housing body.

4. A pet-tracking device assembly in accordance with claim 2 or claim 3 wherein the flexible cradle is suspended on two spaced apart cradle supporting members, wherein each cradle supporting member is elongate and extends between the retaining portions of the retaining clip.

5. A pet tracking device assembly in accordance with claim 4 wherein the cradle supporting members are integrally formed with the retaining portions.

6. A pet tracking device assembly in accordance with any one of claims 4 or 5 wherein each retaining portion comprises a top section extending between two downwardly dependent sections, each downwardly dependent section being integrally formed with a respective cradle supporting section.

7. A pet tracking device assembly in accordance with any one of claims 2 to 6 wherein the retaining portion, the cradle supporting portions and the flexible cradle member form an endless body made from a stretchable and compressible material.

8. A pet tracking device assembly in accordance with any one of claims 2 to 6 wherein the retaining portion and the cradle supporting portions form an endless body made from a rigid material.

9. A pet tracking device assembly in accordance with claim 8 wherein the rigid material is spring metal.

10. A pet tracking device in accordance with any one of the preceding claims wherein the flexible cradle comprises a stretchable and compressible material configured to undergo stretching and compression simultaneously during use to accommodate the section of the pet collar strap.

11. A pet tracking device assembly in accordance with any one of the preceding claims wherein the housing body is generally elongate having a length extending between two ends of the housing body with a first pair of opposed side walls extending lengthwise from the top wall to the bottom wall and a second pair of opposed walls extending between the top and bottom walls at each end of the housing body.

12. A pet tracking device assembly in accordance with claim 11 wherein a first of the retaining portions is located on one of said first pair of sidewalls and a second of the retaining portions is located on the other of said pair of sidewalls.

13. A pet tracking device assembly in accordance with claim 11 or claim 12 wherein the ends of the housing body are located along respective end portions of the housing wherein each end portion depends downwardly and away from the central portion of the housing.

14. A pet tracking device assembly in accordance with claim 13 wherein the retention portions are located along the side walls extending from the central portion of the housing body.

15. A pet tracking device assembly in accordance with any one of claims 13 or 14 wherein, during use, bottom wall section of the central portion and the flexible cradle member is arranged to sandwich the section of the pet collar.

16. A pet tracking device assembly in accordance with claim 15 wherein the flexible cradle member does not extend below bottom wall sections of the end portions of the housing body.

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