Compact Emergency Leash With Manual Rewind and Latch Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional self-retracting leashes for pets are often bulky, heavy, and prone to breaking, making them unsuitable for miniature pets and requiring improvements in design for lighter weight and robustness, along with the ability to be easily latched and unlatched for controlled extension and storage.
Innovation Solution
A leash system featuring a lightweight, compact design with a leash container housing and a rotatable spool mechanism that allows manual control over the leash's extension and retraction, including a latch system for preventing unwanted extension and easy user operation, along with optional features like glow-in-the-dark tags and GPS tracking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a spring-driven self-winding leash retraction system is used, then the leash can automatically retract, but the leash container housing becomes large and heavy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the spring mechanism from the leash container housing, extracting the automatic retraction function while eliminating the associated weight and size. The leash is designed to be manually retracted by the user, keeping only the essential containment and dispensing functions in the housing.
Solution Approach 2:
The user manually performs the retraction function by pulling the leash back into the container, making the system self-service rather than relying on an automatic spring mechanism. This eliminates the need for heavy mechanical components while maintaining the core functionality.
2Ease of operation
If a spring-driven self-winding leash retraction system is used, then the leash can automatically retract, but the leash container housing becomes large
Solution Approach 1:
The spring mechanism is completely removed from the design, extracting the automatic retraction capability while significantly reducing the container housing size. The simplified housing only needs to contain the leash and provide manual retraction access.
Solution Approach 2:
The leash container housing can be designed with flexible or thin-walled construction since it no longer needs to accommodate large spring mechanisms, allowing for a more compact and lightweight structure that is easier to carry on small pets.
3Ease of operation
If a conventional self-winding leash system is used, then automatic retraction is achieved, but the system is prone to breaking
Solution Approach 1:
The complex spring-driven mechanism is removed, eliminating the multiple moving parts and potential failure points. The simplified manual retraction system has fewer components that can break, significantly improving reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The leash design accepts that the leash portion may wear and can be replaced, while the simple container housing remains durable. This approach prioritizes overall system reliability by using simple, replaceable components rather than complex permanent mechanisms.
4Ease of operation
If a conventional self-winding leash system is used, then automatic retraction is achieved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spring mechanism and associated complex components are extracted from the design, leaving only the simple container housing and manual retraction function. This dramatically reduces device complexity while maintaining the essential leash dispensing capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A leash includes a container housing to be carried on a collar, chain, harness or other similar restraint, readily available for use. An outer end of a leash strap can be pulled by a user to dispense the leash strap for use, and the leash can be retracted and rewound in the container housing. The leash can be latched in a retracted configuration to prevent unwanted extension of the leash, and can be unlatched by a user for extension or storage of the leash in the retracted configuration. In one form the leash includes a thumb wheel that can be turned by a user on an inner rotatable spool in an unlatched position, and rotation of the thumb wheel is prevented in a latched position.