Animal Harness With Segmented Chest Straps For Lateral Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing animal harness designs either fail to provide sufficient control over a quadruped's lateral movement, leading to potential injuries for both the animal and the human, or compromise the proper distribution of pressure, resulting in musculoskeletal issues.
Innovation Solution
An animal harness featuring a girth strap with a leash attachment point, a fixed chest strap coupled to opposite lateral regions, and a free-moving chest strap with releasable connectors, allowing for adjustable fitting and control over the animal's center of gravity and lateral movements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If additional leash attachment points are added to provide influence over the animal's movement, then control over the animal is improved, but proper distribution of pressure is sacrificed causing injuries
Solution Approach 1:
The harness divides the chest strap into two separate straps (first chest strap and second chest strap) that can be independently adjusted and attached to different leash attachment points. This segmentation allows the harness to provide control in multiple directions while distributing pressure across different regions of the animal's chest, preventing concentration of force on a single point.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the harness are designed with specific functions: the girth strap provides circumferential support, the first chest strap provides lateral control, and the second chest strap provides additional directional control. Each strap is positioned and sized to optimize its local function while contributing to overall pressure distribution.
2Ease of operation
If leash attachment points are positioned on lateral aspects to provide influence over center of gravity, then control over animal direction is improved, but ability to compel lateral changes in direction is sacrificed
Solution Approach 1:
The first and second chest straps serve multiple functions: they provide structural support for the harness, distribute pressure across the chest, and serve as attachment points for leash control. The combination of lateral attachment points and the configuration of the chest straps enables both directional control and lateral steering capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The harness adds a dimensional aspect to control by positioning attachment points on opposite lateral aspects of the chest rather than just on the dorsal aspect. This lateral dimension allows the handler to influence the animal's center of gravity while maintaining the ability to compel lateral directional changes through asymmetric leash tension.
3Device complexity
If a single leash attachment point is used on the dorsal aspect, then the harness design is simple, but sufficient influence over the animal's movement is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The chest strap is segmented into two separate straps with distinct attachment points, allowing the harness to provide control in multiple directions while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure that builds upon the traditional single-attachment-point design.
Data Source
AI summary
A device and method for handling an animal comprising an animal harness. The animal harness comprises a girth strap further comprising a leash attachment point, a fixed chest strap coupled to opposite lateral regions of the girth strap, first and second attachment rings, and a free moving chest strap removably coupled, at both ends, to the attachment rings via releasable connectors. The animal harness may further comprise a midline strap coupled to the girth strap and the fixed chest strap. The straps may further comprise an adjustable slide buckle. The girth strap and the fixed chest strap may further comprise a releasable buckle.