Deformable Elizabethan collar

Abstract

Introduce a mechanism that allows a part of the bell-shaped Elizabethan collar to be deformed. 【Solution means】A fan-shaped sheet (20) made of transparent plastic, which is divided into five compartments, and shallow cuts (23) are made between the second two compartments from both ends and the central compartment to form three petal parts (24). A connecting tool (30) for detachably connecting the compartments (22) at both circumferential ends of the sheet to hold them in a funnel shape, and three tapes (40) provided with locking parts for detachably joining the folded tapes to each other from the other end to the central area of the tape near the outer edge of each of the three petal parts, and a tape passage part (50) provided near the inner edge of the sheet so as to be located outside the funnel shape. When in use, it is characterized by a configuration in which the petal part with the tape fixed can be warped outward in a funnel shape. An Elizabethan collar.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a deformable Elizabethan collar.

Background Art

[0002] When a dog or a cat is injured due to surgery or a wound, an Elizabethan collar, which is a protective device, is worn to prevent the animal from licking the wound and worsening it. However, since the Elizabethan collar needs to be worn constantly for a certain period until the wound heals, there is a demerit that it may cause additional stress to the animal. For example, when a dog goes out for a walk with an Elizabethan collar on, the edge of the collar gets caught in the grooves of the concrete on the ground many times, pressing on the throat and skin. Also, when eating food, the animal cannot bend down because the Elizabethan collar hits the floor or the food dish, and is forced into an inconvenient posture. Furthermore, by repeating these burdens, the skin of the animal's neck may become inflamed due to friction.

[0003] Therefore, in addition to the recommended funnel-shaped "bell-type Elizabethan collar", there is also an option to use a soft cushion "doughnut-type Elizabethan collar", but it is troublesome to change it every time the animal goes for a walk or eats, and it also causes stress to the animal. Furthermore, compared to the bell-type, the doughnut-type Elizabethan collar uses an opaque material, which not only narrows the animal's field of vision but also has a shape that makes it easy for the animal to lick its body, so the doughnut-type cannot always be used.

[0004] As a prior art related to the bell-type Elizabethan collar, Utility Model Registration No. 3235515 (Patent Document 1) has a structure in which a plurality of petal parts 3 each having a cushioning material and a plastic thin plate for maintaining the shape built in a cloth bag are connected in series to form a corolla shape. A cloth with high strength and stretchability is arranged on the inner peripheral part 4 that contacts the animal's neck, and it is provided with a detachable connector 5 that becomes a funnel shape when worn on the animal. However, this collar does not have a mechanism for deforming the funnel shape.

[0005] In addition, Utility Model Registration No. 3126976 (Patent Document 2) includes a mesh member formed in a horseshoe shape by cutting out a part of a ring shape having required inner and outer diameters with a mesh material, a reinforcing frame member formed along the entire length of the peripheral edge of the horseshoe shape of the mesh member with a flexible thin plate material and attached to the peripheral edge of the mesh member, and a connecting tool for removably connecting both circumferential ends of the horseshoe-shaped mesh member to hold the mesh member in a funnel shape. This is lightweight and has excellent breathability, but the funnel shape remains maintained.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] Even if an Elizabethan collar was originally something to be worn to "restrict an animal's behavior," it was thought to solve this problem by inventing an Elizabethan collar that does not interfere with the animal's behavior during walks or meals and does not give the animal more stress than necessary. Also, by making the mechanism simple and easy, it was thought to create an item that would not be a burden on the human owner.

[0008] The object of this invention is to develop a new Elizabethan collar that does not give stress to an animal while maintaining the shape of a conventional bell-type Elizabethan collar that makes it difficult for the animal to lick its wounds.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] Introduce a mechanism that deforms a part of the conventional bell-shaped Elizabethan collar so that it does not come into contact with surrounding obstacles when walking, eating, etc.

[0010] More specifically, the Elizabethan collar of the present invention has the following configuration.

[0011] That is, the present invention is a fan-shaped sheet in which a part of the central and surface of a transparent plastic disk is cut off at a predetermined angle, and is divided into five sections by making four folds at substantially equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Further, shallow cuts are made between the second two sections from both ends and the central section to form three petal parts. A connecting tool for detachably connecting the sections at both ends in the circumferential direction of the sheet and holding them in a funnel shape, and three tapes provided with locking parts for detachably joining the folded tapes to each other from the other end to the central area of the tape near the outer edge of each of the three petal parts, and a tape passing part provided near the inner edge of the sheet so as to be located outside the funnel shape for passing the tape and folding it back. When in use, by pulling out the tape and stretching the folding width to change the joining position closer to the outer edge, the petal part fixed with the tape can be warped outward in the funnel shape. An Elizabethan collar is provided, characterized by such a configuration.

[0012] In the Elizabethan collar of the present invention, it is preferable that a cloth material provided with an elastic body inside is fixed along the inner peripheral edge of the sheet to exhibit a function as a cushion.

[0013] In the Elizabethan collar of the present invention, it is preferable that a tape passing part is provided above the cloth material fixed to the inner peripheral edge.

[0014] In the Elizabethan collar of the present invention, it is preferable that the inside of the plastic sheet in the connecting section is hollowed out and a mesh material is attached to that part.

Effects of the Invention

[0015] Attach a sheet to the neck of an animal, pull out an appropriate amount of the other end of the tape toward the outer edge of the sheet, and then join locking parts, for example, a pair of fastener surfaces, so that the sheet can be warped like a petal. The warped part is prevented from hitting the surroundings during a walk or a meal. By returning the pull-out to its original state, it functions as a normal Elizabethan collar.

[0016] Normally, while maintaining the shape of a general bell-shaped Elizabethan collar, for example, when going for a walk, by simply changing the amount of tape pulled out, the plastic sheets of the first, second, and third petal parts that touch the ground can be warped outward. As a result, the edge part of the plastic sheet becomes a rounded shape and will not get caught in the uneven grooves on the ground even when walking.

[0017] Also, during a meal, by warping only the second petal part that forms the bottom surface, the animal's mouth area is more exposed than usual, so the Elizabethan collar does not hit the floor or the food dish, and the animal can take a posture that makes it easier to eat the food.

[0018] As described above, since the petal part can be easily deformed by operating the tape, the trouble of attaching and detaching the Elizabethan collar specifically for eating and other purposes can be saved, and stress can be reduced for both the owner and the animal.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] The structure and usage of the Elizabeth collar of the present invention will be described below with reference to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0021] The deformable Elizabeth collar mainly includes a sheet having a shape (hereinafter referred to as "sector shape") in which a part of the center and the surface of a disk are cut out at a predetermined angle as shown in FIG. 1, a cloth material provided on the inner peripheral edge of the sheet, three tapes having one end fixed at regular intervals on the outer peripheral edge of the sheet, and three passing portions provided on the cloth material for folding back and passing the other ends of the respective tapes.

[0022] The sheet is made of transparent plastic and is evenly provided with four folds as shown in FIG. 1, thereby being divided into five sections. Cuts about one-fourth of the length in the radial direction of the sector are made on the outer edges of the two folds between the first, second, and third petal portions, thereby forming three petal-shaped sides.

[0023] Connectors such as snap buttons are attached to one end section (the first connection section) of the sheet in two rows in the circumferential direction. Connectors that couple with the connectors in the first connection section are also attached to the other end section (the second connection section) of the sheet in two rows in the circumferential direction. The connectors are not limited to two rows, and it is also possible to provide more rows as long as the rows can be selected and coupled according to the size of the animal's neck when wearing around the back side of the animal's neck. Note that the connectors are not limited to snap buttons, and for example, fastener tapes may be used.

[0024] In addition, in order to prevent the Elizabeth collar from rotating due to the movement of the animal itself, the first connection section and the second connection section use a combination of an inner mesh material and a plastic material forming an outer frame, and are lighter than the three petal portions. In this way, by using the mesh material for a part of the connection section, it is possible to improve the air permeability due to the mesh structure, reduce the weight of the entire connection section, and suppress the unexpected rotation of the Elizabeth collar during wearing.

[0025] The inner peripheral edge of the sheet is the part that contacts the animal's neck, and a cloth material is attached thereto. Inside the cloth material, an elastic body, such as a sponge, is provided so as not to impose a large burden even if the tip of the Elizabethan collar hits an object and presses on the neck or throat, thereby forming a cushion. In this way, by fixing the cloth material along the inner edge of the sheet, the frictional resistance is increased, and it has an anti-slip function. At the same time, by providing an elastic body inside the cloth material, the pressure is dispersed, and the load on the part where the animal's skin contacts the sheet can be reduced. If the cloth material itself is a material that exhibits elasticity, it is also possible to omit the internal elastic body.

[0026] Also, on the cloth material (outside the funnel shape), a passage portion with both ends fixed to the cushion is provided for passing the tape. In this way, by providing the passage portion of the tape on the cloth material, the smooth movement of the tape can be facilitated. Note that the position of the passage portion is not limited to the cloth material, and it may be provided on the plastic material near the inner edge of the sheet.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 4, the tape is provided with a first fastener surface (loop) over most of its length, but a second fastener surface with a loop (hook) opposite to the first fastener surface is attached to one end, forming a locking portion. One end of the tape is fixed near the outer edge of the first, second, and third petal portions, and the other end extends in the radial direction of the fan shape, passes through the passage portion, and is folded back so that it can be surface-bonded by a pair of fastener surfaces. Note that the locking portion is not limited to a pair of fastener surfaces, and for example, bonding by a magnet such as a magnetic tape may be used.

[0028] By attaching the sheet around the neck of an animal such as a dog and fastening the connecting tool at an appropriate position, an Elizabethan collar in the shape of a funnel as shown in FIG. 2 can be formed. It basically lives in the shape shown in FIG. 2. In FIGS. 2 and 3, the side surface of the tape and the outer edge of the sheet (second petal portion) are slightly separated for easy understanding of the positional relationship, but this is for the purpose of explanation, and in reality, the two are firmly fixed.

[0029] For example, when going for a walk, as shown in FIG. 3, the ends of the three tapes that have passed through the passing portion and are folded back are pulled out toward the outer edge of the plastic sheet. By this operation, the outer edges of the first, second, and third petal portions are warped outward. After pulling out an appropriate length, the pair of fastener surfaces can be joined to fix them in the warped state. Thus, as long as the locking portion is provided so as to be able to convert the joining of the tapes in the state where the petal portion is not warped (the first joined state) and the joining of the tapes in the state where the petal portion is warped (the second joined state), the specific configuration is not limited.

[0030] Also, during meals, only the tape of the lowermost second petal portion can be pulled out to warp only the second petal portion. When returning to the shape of a normal Elizabethan collar, it is only necessary to remove the joined tape ends.

Explanation of Signs

[0031] Elizabethan collar 10 Sheet 20 Fold 21 First connecting section 22a Second connecting section 22e Cut 23 First petal portion 24a Second petal portion 24b Third petal portion 24c Mesh material 25 Connector 30 Tape 40 Loop 40a Hook 40b Passing portion 50

Claims

1. A fan-shaped sheet is formed by cutting out the center and part of the surface of a transparent plastic disk at a predetermined angle, and the sheet is divided into five sections by making four creases at approximately equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and shallow cuts are made between the second two sections from both ends and the central section to form three petals; A connector for removably connecting the sections at both ends of the circumferential direction of the sheet to each other and maintaining the funnel shape; Three tapes, one end of which is fixed near the outer edge of each of the three petals, and a fastening portion is provided from the other end to a central region of the tape for removably joining the folded tapes to each other; a tape passing portion for passing the tape and folding it back, the tape passing portion being provided near the inner edge of the sheet so as to be located outside the funnel shape, This Elizabethan collar is characterized by a configuration in which, when in use, the tape can be pulled out to extend the width of the fold and change the joining position toward the outer edge, thereby allowing the petal portion to which the tape is fixed to be bent back toward the outside of the funnel shape.

2. 2. The Elizabethan collar according to claim 1, wherein a fabric material having an elastic body therein is fixed along the inner peripheral edge of the sheet, thereby functioning as a cushion.

3. 3. The Elizabethan collar according to claim 2, wherein a tape passage portion is provided on an upper portion of the fabric material fixed to the inner peripheral edge.

4. 4. An Elizabethan collar as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the inside of the plastic sheet of the connecting section is hollowed out and a mesh material is attached to that portion.

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