Dog Harness Top Buckle and Composite Strap Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current dog harnesses and restraint devices are difficult to attach, often restrictive, and can cause injury to both the dog and the handler, particularly for individuals with impairments, and may lead to strangulation due to metal collars.
Innovation Solution
A dog walking restraint system comprising a neck collar with O-rings and a body collar with a slide adjuster and clip, allowing easy attachment and adjustment, providing even tension to discourage pulling without impeding the dog's gait, and featuring a design that can be used by individuals with limited dexterity or vision impairment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If tightly fitting plastic buckle pieces are used on the side or under the dog, then the harness fits the dog's body tightly, but it becomes difficult to see and fasten the buckle
Solution Approach 1:
The buckle is repositioned from the side or under the dog to the top of the dog's back, changing the spatial dimension of attachment. This allows the handler to easily see and fasten the buckle while maintaining a secure fit, as the top position is both visible and accessible without requiring the handler to reach underneath or behind the dog.
2Reliability
If a front-connect assembly is used, then the harness provides restraint, but it restricts the movement of the dog's front legs and can be injurious
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful front-connect assembly is removed entirely from the design. Instead, the harness uses a back-connect configuration where the leash attaches at the top of the dog's back, providing effective restraint without interfering with the dog's front leg movement or natural gait. This extraction eliminates the source of injury while preserving the restraint function.
3Reliability
If metal prong collars with tightening systems are used, then the collar provides strong restraint, but it requires complex assembly and disassembly that is nearly impossible for people with impairments
Solution Approach 1:
The complex metal prong tightening mechanism is replaced with a simple plastic buckle system. The buckle allows one-handed operation with a single motion to fasten and unfasten, eliminating the need for threading metal prongs through holes or manipulating small components. This substitution makes the harness accessible to people with impairments in hand strength, coordination, or vision while maintaining effective restraint.
4Reliability
If metal collars are used, then the collar provides strong restraint, but it cannot be cut off in an emergency and can cause fatal injury
Solution Approach 1:
The collar is constructed from composite materials including a flexible plastic buckle and a cuttable strap material. The plastic buckle can be easily broken or cut with pliers in an emergency, and the strap material itself is designed to be cuttable. This composite construction maintains effective restraint during normal use but allows rapid release in emergencies, eliminating the fatal strangulation risk associated with solid metal collars.
Data Source
AI summary
A body collar is configured to fit around a body of an animal and comprises a collar strip, a first ring and a buckle. The first ring is attached to the collar strip. First and second portions of the buckle are attached to respective first and second ends of the collar strip. The first portion of the buckle and the second portion of the buckle are configured to be removably attached to each other in a configuration of the body collar being fitted around the body of the animal. The first portion of the buckle to be inserted through a second ring of a neck collar and fit around the body of the animal through a third ring of the neck collar to be removably attached to the second portion of the buckle.