Animal Leash Locking Member for Adjustable Collar Loop
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Solution Overview
Problem
Slip leads, commonly used for controlling animals, pose safety risks due to their reliance on tension, which can lead to unexpected loosening or tightening, causing discomfort and potential injury, while traditional collars require adjustment and may not be easily managed by non-owners, lacking convenience and safety.
Innovation Solution
An animal leash with a strap and quick-release connector, featuring a locking member that allows the collar loop to be adjusted and fixed, providing a secure and adjustable fit around the animal's neck, combining the convenience of a slip lead with the safety of a collar.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a slip lead is used to maintain control of animals, then convenience is improved (no collar required), but safety deteriorates (potential for choking, tissue trauma, and vertebrae damage due to tension-based tightening)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the convenience of a slip lead with the safety features of a traditional collar by integrating a collar structure into the leash itself. The collar portion includes a locking member that can be adjusted and secured to prevent both loosening and excessive tightening, thereby merging the operational simplicity of slip leads with the protective qualities of collars.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking member is designed to be alterable between locked and unlocked states, allowing dynamic adjustment of the collar loop size. This enables the collar to be easily adjusted during use while maintaining a secure, fixed size when locked, providing both flexibility and safety.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a traditional collar is used with a leash, then safety is improved (reduced risk of injury), but ease of operation deteriorates (requires adjustment and proper fitting)
Solution Approach 1:
The collar portion of the leash is designed to be self-adjusting through the locking member mechanism. Users can easily adjust the collar loop size by simply moving the locking member along the strap without requiring complex tools or procedures, making the system user-friendly while maintaining safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking member provides dynamic adjustability, allowing the collar loop size to be changed easily during use. The ability to switch between locked and unlocked states enables quick adjustments without requiring the leash to be removed or complex manipulation.
3Device complexity
If a slip lead relies on tension to stay around the animal's neck, then device complexity is reduced (simple design), but reliability deteriorates (unexpected loosening or detachment)
Solution Approach 1:
The locking member is pre-configured to engage with the strap at specific locations, creating predetermined locking positions. This preliminary arrangement ensures that once the locking member engages, the collar loop size is fixed and cannot accidentally change, preventing loosening or detachment while maintaining a relatively simple design.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking member acts as an intermediary element between the two ends of the strap, providing a mechanical connection that prevents the strap from slipping or detaching. This intermediate component adds reliability without significantly increasing overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An animal leash including a strap having a first end and a second end and a quick-release connector coupled to the strap. A first portion of the strap extends from the quick-release connector to the first end and a second portion of the strap extends from the quick-release connector to the second end. A locking member is coupled to the first and second portions of the strap to form a collar loop. The locking member may be alterable between: (1) a locked state in which a size of the collar loop is fixed; and (2) an unlocked state in which the size of the collar loop is adjustable.