Halter for animal

Abstract

A halter for an animal, in particular a horse, comprises two jaw straps, a muzzle strap and a neck strap constituting a strap subassembly. A head strap, adapted to reach behind the head of the animal, is connected to the strap subassembly. Two connectors of the head strap each have a predetermined release strength. The muzzle strap, the head strap, the neck strap and the jaw strap are made of a strap material that is a webbing material coated by a flexible plastic material. The strap material has an ultimate tensile strength at which the strap material ruptures. The predetermined release strength of each connector is lower than the ultimate tensile strength of the strap material so that the head strap releases from the strap subassembly when at least the predetermined release strength is applied on the head strap.

Description

[0001] HALTER FOR ANIMAL

[0002] Field of the invention

[0003] The present invention generally relates to the field of halters for animals, such as horses. More specifically, the invention relates to a halter that is both solid and safe as it is intended to predictably release or break in case the halter worn by the animal gets caught in an object such as a branch, for example.

[0004] Background of the invention

[0005] Halters for animals, especially for horses, have been around for ages. They are traditionally made of leather straps interconnected by metallic connectors and adjusting buckles. Such traditional halters have multiple drawbacks: from a maintenance perspective, leather is not a material that is easily cleaned. Halters accumulate dust and dirt and the leather straps can get stained from a horse’s sweat, permanently deteriorating the halter’s appearance. From a safety perspective, leather straps are quite strong, and horses are prone to getting injured if their halter gets caught in a projecting object, such as a branch, as the horse’s reflex is to pull strongly on its halter with its head and neck. In the event that at least one leather strap of the halter breaks, the horse likely avoids getting injured, but the halter needs to be replaced.

[0006] Some attempts have been made to try to solve at least one of these drawbacks. For example, US4502265 to Horrigan discloses a breakaway safety halter made of either leather or woven strips of plastic, which uses cooperating flexible hook-and-loop fabric fastener strips as a safety release mechanism. However, the force required to breakaway both cooperating strips of fasteners varies depending on the length of, and how well, the cooperating strips have been pressed together. Indeed, the longer and the better the cooperating strips of fasteners are in close contact, the larger the force required to break them away. It is therefore difficult to predict how much force is required before this safety mechanism releases the head strap.

[0007] There is therefore a need for an improved halter that is safe for animals.

[0008] Summary of the invention

[0009] It is an object of the present invention to provide a halter that overcomes or mitigates one or more disadvantages of known halters, or at least provides a useful alternative.

[0010] The invention provides the advantages of being capable of safely and predictably releasing so that the animal wearing the halter does not get injured. The halter of the present invention is also easily maintained, easily reparable and optionally makes it easy to identify a horse from a distance.

[0011] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a halter for placing on a head of an animal. The halter comprises a muzzle strap adapted to fit around a muzzle of the animal, a neck strap adapted to reach underneath the head of the animal proximate a neck of the animal, two jaw straps, two connectors and a head strap. The two jaw straps are adapted to be disposed on a different side of the head of the animal. A first one of the two jaw straps connects a left side of the muzzle strap to a left side of the neck strap and a second one of the two jaw straps connects a right side of the muzzle strap to a right side of the neck strap. The two jaw straps, the muzzle strap and the neck strap constitute a strap subassembly. Each one of the two connectors has a predetermined release strength. The head strap is adapted to reach behind the head of the animal. The head strap comprises the two connectors, each connector being located on a different side of the strap subassembly. Each extremity of the head strap is connected to a different side of the strap subassembly. The muzzle strap, the head strap, the neck strap and the jaw strap are made of a strap material. The strap material is a webbing material coated by a flexible plastic material. The strap material has an ultimate tensile strength at which the strap material ruptures. The predetermined release strength of each connector is lower than the ultimate tensile strength of the strap material so that the head strap releases from the strap subassembly when at least the predetermined release strength is applied on the head strap.

[0012] The flexible plastic material may be polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).

[0013] The muzzle strap, the neck strap, the jaw strap and the head strap may be of at least 3 mm thick and 20mm wide, for example 3,5 mm thick and 25 mm wide.

[0014] At least one of the muzzle strap, the neck strap, the two jaw straps and the head strap may be of a different color than the rest of the straps.

[0015] Each extremity of the head strap may be connected to the different side of the strap subassembly through a respective one of the two connectors.

[0016] The head strap may comprise a left portion, a right portion and a top portion, where the left portion and the right portion are connected to their respective side of the strap subassembly. The top portion is connected to the left portion and to the right portion through the two connectors.

[0017] The two connectors may be two buckles, each having a closing pin adapted to bend and disengage from one of a plurality of holes in the head strap when the predetermined release strength is exceeded.

[0018] The two connectors may be two buckles, each one of the two buckles having a buckle frame and a replaceable pin adapted to detach or break from the buckle frame when the predetermined release strength is exceeded. The head strap may have a plurality of holes for adjusting a length of the head strap and the pin is then a closing pin engaging one of a plurality of holes.

[0019] Alternatively, each one of the two connectors may be a clevis joint. The clevis joint has a mating portion connected through a clevis pin between two prongs of a fork. The clevis pin is adapted to shear or break when the predetermined release strength is exceeded. The clevis pin is replaceable with a new clevis pin when broken. The fork may comprise at least two set of holes to receive the clevis pin at different distances from the strap subassembly.

[0020] In accordance with another embodiment, there is provided a kit comprising the halter as previously described and at least one additional pin. The at least one additional pin has a different physical characteristic than the pin comprised with the halter.

[0021] Brief description of drawings

[0022] These and other features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings wherein:

[0023] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a halter in use in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 is an isolated view of the halter of Figure 1 ;

[0025] Figure 3 is a partially cut-away perspective view of a strap used in the halter of Figure 1 ;

[0026] Figure 4 is detailed perspective view of a release connector used in the halter of Figure 1 ;

[0027] Figure 5 is a detailed perspective view of a release connector for a halter in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 6 is a halter kit comprising the halter of Figure 1 and additional pins, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 7 is a side view of two additional pins in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. Detailed description of the invention

[0030] The present invention relates to a halter for an animal, and especially for a horse.

[0031] Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention where there is provided a halter 10 for placing on a head of an animal 12, in the present example a horse. The halter 10 comprises a muzzle strap 14 which is adapted to fit around the muzzle 16 of the animal 12, a neck strap 18 adapted to reach underneath the head of the animal proximate a neck 20 of the animal 12, two jaw straps 22 (one on each side of the animal 12), two release connectors 24 (one on each side of the animal 12) and a head strap 26. The muzzle strap 14 may be designed in two portions, a top muzzle strap 14a and a lower muzzle strap 14b. A lower strap 23 may be used to connect the lower muzzle strap 14b to the neck strap 18. This is best shown in Figure 2, now concurrently referred to. The two jaw straps 22 are adapted to be disposed on a different side of the head of the animal 12, more precisely along the jaw 28. A first one of the two jaw straps 22 connects a left side of the muzzle strap 14 to a left side of the neck strap 20 and a second one of the two jaw straps 22 connects a right side of the muzzle strap 14 to a right side of the neck strap 18. The muzzle strap 14, the neck strap 18, the jaw straps 22 and the head strap 26 may be interconnected either by wrapping an end of a strap around another one, or, as depicted in Figure 2, by using connectors 29. The two jaw straps 22, the muzzle strap 14, the neck strap 18 and the lower strap 23 constitute a strap subassembly 31 .

[0032] The head strap 26 may be connected to the strap subassembly 31 through the release connectors 24. Alternatively, and as shown in the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, the head strap 26 may be made of three portions: a left portion 30, a right portion 32 and a top portion 34. The left portion 30 and the right portion 32 are connected to their respective side of the strap subassembly. In the present example, the left portion 30 and the right portion 32 are connected to the strap subassembly 31 through connectors 29 located proximate the neck strap 18. The top portion 34 is itself connected to the left portion 30 and to the right portion 32 through the two release connectors 24.

[0033] Figure 3 is now concurrently referred to. All the straps of the halter 10, that is the two jaw straps 22, the muzzle strap 14, the neck strap 18 and the head strap 26 are made from the same strap material 36: a webbing material 38 coated by a flexible plastic material 40. The flexible plastic material 40 may be polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). This coating of flexible plastic material provides many advantages to the strap material 36 over conventional leather: the strap material 36 is easier to clean, is water and perspiration resistant, is cheaper than leather, may be designed to have a higher ultimate tensile strength (for equivalent cross sections) than leather, and may come in a variety of colors. A combination of different colors may indeed be used for the different straps of the halter 10, making it possible to customize halters, in turn making it easy to distinguish from one another animals wearing such customized halters, especially from a distance.

[0034] The muzzle strap 14, the neck strap 18, the jaw strap 22 and the head strap 26 are typically of a cross section measuring at least 3 mm thick and 20mm wide, for example 3,5 mm thick and 25 mm wide. The webbing material 38 itself measures at least 1 mm thick and 15 mm wide, for example 2 mm thick and 20 mm wide. The size of the webbing material 38 and of the strap material 36 may be selected according to the type of animal, to its weight or to its strength. The different straps may use different sizes of strap material 36 and of webbing material 38. The strap material 36 has an ultimate tensile strength at which the strap material ruptures. This ultimate tensile strength of the strap material 36 is selected to be higher than a predetermined release strength of each release connector 24. Hence, if the halter of an animal gets caught in a branch or in another static object and the animal pulls strongly with its head to get untangled, one or both release connectors 24 will break, thereby releasing the head strap 26, or at least the top portion 34 of the head strap 26. Figure 4 is now concurrently referred to. Each one of the two release connectors 24, which may resemble standard buckles, are designed to have a predetermined release strength that is lower than the ultimate tensile strength of the strap material 36. The predetermined release strength is the force at which the release connector 24 will yield when straps connected to it are pulled apart. More precisely, the predetermined release strength corresponds to the tensile load passing through head strap 26 that will make the release connector 24 release the head strap 26.

[0035] In order for the release connector 24 to predictably release the head strap 26, at least one of its components is designed so as to yield predictably. In particular, according to one embodiment, each release connector 24 has a frame 42 and a closing pin 44. The closing pin 44, which is designed to engage one of the plurality of holes 46 in the top portion 34 of the head strap 26, is the component adapted to detach, bend, break, shear or otherwise yield and disengage from the hole 46 in which it was inserted in the head strap 26 when the predetermined release strength is exceeded. This releases the head strap 26 from the strap subassembly 31 , or at least releases the top portion 34 of the head strap 26 from at least one of the left and right portions 30, 32 of the head strap 26.

[0036] Design of the closing pin 44 so that it breaks or yields sufficiently when subjected to a load corresponding to at least the predetermined release strength is achieved either by using different pin materials having different physical characteristics, and in particular different Young’s modulus, different yield strength and different ultimate tensile strength, or by giving the closing pin 44 a shape that will make it yield, bend or break as intended. For example, the closing pin 44 could be made of plastic, glass-fiber or carbon-fiber reinforced composite material, aluminum, steel or any other known and adequate material. The closing pin 44 may have a round, square, rectangular or polygonal cross-section of various sizes. The holes 46 in the head strap are sized to accommodate one or many sizes of closing pins 44. Advantageously, the closing pin 44 is designed to be replaceable so that when it breaks or is plastically deformed, it can easily be changed for a new one.

[0037] Figure 5 is now concurrently referred to. In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the release connectors 24 are each made of two parts connected by a pin, similar to a clevis joint 48 wherein a shear pin 50 (also known as a clevis pin in this application) engages a set of holes 51 in both a mating portion 52 and a two-pronged fork 54. Either one of the mating portion 52 and the fork 54 is connected to the head strap 26 while the other one is connected to the strap subassembly 31 (via the right or left portion 32, 34 or not). In the present example depicted in Figure 5, the mating portion 52 is connected to the top portion 34 of the head strap 26 while the fork 54 is connected to the right portion 32 of the head strap 26. Physical characteristics of the shear pin 50 such as diameter, material, shape, cross-section or size, similarly to the design options of the closing pin 44, are selected so that the shear pin 44 shears or breaks when the predetermined release strength is exceeded. Conveniently, the shear pin 50 is easily replaced at minimal cost when broken. A length adjuster may be used in combination with the clevis joint 48 to adjust the length of the head strap 26. Such a length adjuster may take the form of a second set of holes 56 to receive the shear pin 50 at different distances from the strap subassembly 31 .

[0038] Figure 6 is now concurrently referred to. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a kit 60 is provided that includes the halter 10 as described in any of the embodiments above and at least one additional pin 62 of a similar type (either closing pin 44 or shear pin 50) but having at least one different physical characteristic than the pin 44 or 50 provided with the halter. These different physical characteristics affect the predetermined release strength of the additional pin 62, which is intended to be different (higher or lower) than the predetermined release strength of the pin 44 or 50 comprised may be halter 10. Such physical characteristics may be diameter, material, shape, cross-section or size. By being designed to break or yield at different predetermined release strengths, the additional pin 62 renders the halter 10 more adaptable to different animals or different strength of animals within the same species (for example, a horse, a mare or a foal). In the example depicted in Figure 6, the kit 60 includes the halter 10 and two pairs of additional pins 62, since the halter 10 uses two release connectors 24, each having one closing pin 44. Each pair of additional pins 62 is shown having different shape and different size (and potentially different material as well) than the release pins 24 of the halter 10.

[0039] Figure 7 is now referred to. As a non-limiting example, when the release connector 24 is a clevis joint, both shear pins 50 may have similar engaging diameters 64 to engage the set of holes 56 in both the mating portion 52 and fork 54, but may have a reduced cross-section 66 or design detail to create stress concentration that can be easily calibrated to obtain rupture of the shear pin 50 at the load corresponding to the predetermined release strength. In Figure 7, the shear pin 50 has a constant engaging diameter 64 (except for the unloaded circlip groove 68 at the extremity of the pin), whereas the additional pin 62 has a local reduced cross-section 66, where shear is likely to occur, placed between two engaging diameters 64.

[0040] The present invention has been described with regard to preferred embodiments. The description as much as the drawings were intended to help the understanding of the invention, rather than to limit its scope. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the scope of the invention as described herein, and such modifications are intended to be covered by the present description. The invention is defined by the claims that follow.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:1 . A halter for placing on a head of an animal, the halter comprising: a muzzle strap adapted to fit around a muzzle of the animal; a neck strap adapted to reach underneath the head of the animal proximate a neck of the animal; two jaw straps adapted to be disposed on a different side of the head of the animal, a first one of the two jaw straps connecting a left side of the muzzle strap to a left side of the neck strap and a second one of the two jaw straps connecting a right side of the muzzle strap to a right side of the neck strap, the two jaw straps, the muzzle strap and the neck strap constituting a strap subassembly; two connectors, each one of the two connectors having a predetermined release strength; and a head strap adapted to reach behind the head of the animal, the head strap having the two connectors, each connector being on a different side of the strap subassembly, each extremity of the head strap being connected to a different side of the strap subassembly, wherein the muzzle strap, the head strap, the neck strap and the jaw strap are made of a strap material, the strap material being a webbing coated by a flexible plastic material, the strap material having an ultimate tensile strength at which the strap material ruptures, and wherein the predetermined release strength of each connector is lower than the ultimate tensile strength of the strap material so that the head strap releases from the strap subassembly when at least the predetermined release strength is applied on the head strap.

2. The halter of claim 1 , wherein the flexible plastic material is polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

3. The halter of claim 1 , wherein the flexible plastic material is thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).

4. The halter of claim 1 , wherein the muzzle strap, the neck strap, the jaw strap and the head strap are at least 3 mm thick and 20mm wide.

5. The halter of claim 1 , wherein the muzzle strap, the neck strap, the jaw strap and the head strap are 3,5 mm thick and 25 mm wide.

6. The halter of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the muzzle strap, the neck strap, the two jaw straps and the head strap is of a different color than the rest of the straps.

7. The halter of claim 1 , wherein each extremity of the head strap is connected to the different side of the strap subassembly through a respective one of the two connectors.

8. The halter of claim 1 , wherein the head strap comprises a left portion, a right portion and a top portion, the left portion and the right portion being connected to their respective side of the strap subassembly, the top portion being connected to the left portion and to the right portion through the two connectors.

9. The halter of claim 1 , wherein the two connectors are two buckles, each one of the two buckles having a pin, the pin being a closing pin adapted to bend and disengage from one of a plurality of holes in the head strap when the predetermined release strength is exceeded.

10. The halter of claim 1 , wherein the two connectors are two buckles, each one of the two buckles having a buckle frame and a pin, the pin being a replaceable pin adapted to detach or break from the buckle frame when the predetermined release strength is exceeded.11 . The halter of claim 10, wherein the head strap comprises a plurality of holes for adjusting a length of the head strap, the pin being a closing pin engaging one of a plurality of holes.

12. The halter of claim 1 , wherein each one of the two connectors is a clevis joint, the clevis joint having a mating portion connected through a pin between two prongs of a fork, the pin being a clevis pin adapted to shear or break when the predetermined release strength is exceeded, the clevis pin being replaceable with a new clevis pin when broken.

13. The halter of claim 12, wherein the fork of the connector comprises at least two set of holes to receive the clevis pin at different distances from the strap subassembly.

14. A kit comprising the halter of any one of claims 9 to 13, and at least one additional pin, the at least one additional pin having a different physical characteristic than the pin comprised with the halter.

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