Segmented Pet Harness for Reducing Joint Stress
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pet harnesses often place undue stress on a dog's leg joints or abdomen when providing mobility assistance, and they lack adjustability to accommodate dogs of varying sizes and serious mobility issues.
Innovation Solution
A harness assembly comprising a front and rear section connected by a detachable lifting leash, with adjustable and releasable latching mechanisms, allowing for support distribution across the chest, waist, and leg joints, and enabling lifting without excessive strain, along with a detachable lifting leash that can be used as a shoulder strap for easier handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a typical front harness provides support at the dog's chest or under each front leg joint, then mobility assistance at the front is improved, but stress on the leg joints increases
Solution Approach 1:
The harness is divided into separate front and rear sections that can be independently adjusted and attached to different parts of the dog's body, allowing support to be distributed across multiple points (chest, abdomen, hind legs) rather than concentrated at a single location, thereby reducing stress on individual leg joints
2Ease of operation
If a rear harness provides support under the hind leg joints and abdomen, then mobility assistance at the rear is improved, but stress on the abdomen increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rear harness section is designed with separate attachment points under the hind leg joints and around the abdomen, allowing the support load to be distributed across multiple anatomical points rather than concentrated on the abdomen alone
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the harness have different functions and configurations - the portions contacting the leg joints are designed to bear weight, while the abdominal portion provides support without excessive pressure, creating locally optimized support zones
3Ease of operation
If lifting is provided primarily at the leg joints or abdomen, then mobility support is improved, but stress concentration increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lifting function is segmented across multiple harness sections (front harness with chest support, rear harness with hind leg support, and abdominal support), distributing the lifting load across multiple body regions rather than concentrating it at a single point
4Ease of manufacture
If a fixed-size harness is used, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but adaptability to dogs of varying sizes decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The harness incorporates adjustable straps and flexible connection points that allow the size and configuration of the harness to be dynamically modified to fit different dog sizes and body shapes, transforming a static structure into an adaptable one
Data Source
AI summary
The invention presents a harness assembly for lifting and supporting an animal in mobility. The assembly comprises a front and rear harness sections releasably attached by a lifting leash. Both the front and rear harness sections can be used independently. Both the front and rear harness sections are comprised of upper and lower sections releasably attached to one another. The rear harness section lifts the animal from both the hips and waist resulting in less stress than other devices.