Animal restraining and training device

A molded, elongated, substantially rigid plastic strip having a plurality of protuberances disposed on one surface. The strip is bendable in an arc transverse to its length to be disposed around the neck of an animal, so that the protuberances face inward toward the animal's neck. When force is applied thereto, the device causes the animal discomfort.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to an animal restaining and training device, 
and more particularly, to an improved animal restraining and training 
device particularly for dogs or other large animals which achieves its 
purpose in a humane manner without hurting or damaging an animal on which 
it is employed. 
Animal restraining and training devices more commonly called choke collars 
are well known. Among such known choke collars, is one consisting of a 
chain that fits around the neck of the animal, and which has a plurality 
of sharp barbs or metal hooks disposed thereon which, when the animal 
strains or pulls on its leash cutting into its neck, alerts the animal to 
the contrary instructions of the trainer or owner. Such a collar actually 
scratches and injures the animal, as well as severely chokes the animal 
when force is applied to the collar. Another known type of choke collar is 
simply a chain having loops at one or both ends, one end of which passes 
trough the other to form an easily tightenable collar. This type of choke 
collar tends to severely choke an animal when the animal strains and pulls 
on his leash, since there is no limit to the degree of closing of the 
loop. 
Moreover, both of the above described choke collars, being made of metal, 
are prone to rust over long periods of time and become a severe health 
hazard to the animal and owner. Furthermore, an animal provided with the 
described choke collars, can easily loose the same when a lead chain or 
leash is removed therefrom due to their loose fit when no force is being 
applied to them. 
There exists, therefore, a need for an animal restraining and training 
devices which does not exhibit the above-mentioned disadvantages. The 
present invention fulfills such a need. These objects and advantages, 
together with others will be obvious from the following disclosure. 
BRIEF STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an improved 
animal restraining and training collar for use in combination with a leash 
or lead which is disposed around an animal's neck. 
The collar comprises in combination, a flexible cincture and a separate 
flexible plastic strip having a plurality of spaced protubances extending 
therefrom. The cincture is provided with closure means for securing the 
collar about the neck of the animal in more or less conventional manner. 
The protuberances extend perpendicularly, unitarily with and from one 
surface of the plastic strip while the opposite surface of the plastic 
strip is provided with a plurality of quidinq elements through which the 
cincture passes and by which the cincture and plastic strip are removably 
held together. When placed on the animal, the protuberances face toward 
the neck of the animal, while the entire collar, as a whole, assumes the 
shape of the neck.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring now more particularly to FIG. 1, the animal restraining and 
training collar, generally depicted by the numeral 10, employs a cincture 
12, or belt of more or less conventional construction sufficiently 
flexible to be placed about the neck of an animal and secured by a buckle 
or other fastener 14, in conventional manner, and to which a lead or leash 
16 can be attached. Disposed over the cincture 12 is a flexible strip 18 
provided with integrally formed and perpendicularly extending 
protuberances 20. 
As may be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the strip 18, which may be made of any 
suitable molded flexible plastic such as polyethylene, polyurethane or 
polyamide or the like. The strip is generally rigid, but is capable of 
being bent into an arc so as to fit about the neck of the animal, when the 
cincture is so disposed. The strip 18 is an elongated flat plate somewhat 
shorter than the cincture 12 but substantially greater in width, and has 
two opposing surfaces 22 and 24. The protubrances 20 are located on the 
inner surface 24 (as seen when the collar is worn by the animal and 
extends outwardly therefrom. The protuberances are rigid, finger-like 
members, integrally formed with the strip 18, terminating in points which 
have rounded ends 26 such as clearly shown in FIG. 4. 
The protuberances 20 are arranged in staggered spaced relationship, 
uniformly in two axially alligned rows, each adjacent one of lateral 
marginal edges 28 and 30 of the strip 18. Thus, the protuberances 20 along 
one marginal edge, lie between adjacent pairs of protuberances 20 set 
along the other marginal edge, and are spaced from each other in each row 
twice the distance between protuberances, if all the protuberances were 
aligned along a common axis. 
Formed on the front or exposed side 22 of the strip 18 (as normally worn) 
are means for securing the strip to the cincture 12 in the form of a 
plurality of loops 32. The loops 32 are uniformly spaced along the length 
of the strip 18, between the staggered protuberance, so as to be 
sufficiently close to each other to securely hold the cincture 12 in place 
when the cincture 12 is threaded through the loops 32. Preferably, the 
strip 18, together with the protuberances 20 and the loops 32, are molded 
in an integral manner, at one time. Therefore, the loops 32 are preferably 
made by displacing the plastic material, from the strip 18 below each loop 
32 thereby having, below each loop 32, a conformingly shaped void 34 which 
similarly lies between each of the protuberances 20, as seen in FIG. 1. 
These voids 34 facilitate flexing or bending the relatively hard plastic 
strip 18 about a arc centered on an axis transverse to the length of the 
strip. 
The staggered disposition of the protuberances 20 (in two rows) is 
advantageous since the axial length between the ends of the strap is 
shortened to conform to the chord of the arcuately bent strip 18. Thus, 
when the strap is bent as shown, in broken lines in FIG. 2, the 
protuberances come closer together, so that each point 26 lies closer to 
the next adjacent point 26 than otherwise. Thus, when flexed, the strip 18 
allows the protuberance 20 to dig into the animal's neck separately and 
individually to assert a firm pressure on the animal's neck, yet be close 
enough so that the points 26, in each row co-act with each other to form a 
pressure line by which the pressure is spread over the length of the strip 
so that no one point digs so deeply into the animal's skin as to scratch 
or hurt the animal, such as will occur with known choke collars provided 
with metal barbs or hooks. 
The rounded points 26 on each of the protuberances 20, have the advantage 
that under no condition can the point itself be sufficiently sharp so that 
it cuts into the animal's skin. It further permits the entire strip as a 
whole, to shift about the neck of the animal, under stress or strain, 
produced by handling the leash yet applying the necessary "choke" pressure 
on the animal, when the strip 18 is bent in use. 
The loops 32 may have a depth (i.e height between the top and the surface 
of the strip), sufficient to allow varying thickness of cincture to be 
threaded through. Thus, a single strip 18 may be used for different 
cinctures or belts, as well as for different animals. On the other hand, 
the loops may be dimensioned for specific cinctures. Of course, it will be 
quite clear that the strip 18 and cincture 12 intended to be provided 
separately and independently, so that the combination can be made by the 
user himself. 
No matter what type of cincture is employed, the strip 18 is arranged so 
that the points 26 face inwardly around the neck of an animal to perform 
their restraining and training function. The outer face 22 and the loops 
32 perform a decorative function being visible over the cincture 12. The 
strip can be made in varying sizes and lengths in that it can be readily 
form collars of different sizes. 
The collar formed using the strip of the present invention provides 
numerous advantages. For example, in use it does not scratch or injure an 
animal in any way. Yet its function for restraining and training purposes 
in a firm but gentle manner when force is applied thereto. The strip is 
made of readily available commercial materials and may be manufactured by 
known plastic molding and punching techniques. In addition, the strip in 
combination with a cincture can be left on an animal at all times without 
chance of loss or any discomfort to the animal, and advantageously perform 
a decorative function. Still further, since it is made of flexible plastic 
material, the strip can be bent, yet it will not become distorted or rusty 
for long periods of use. Numerous other advantages of this invention will 
be apparent to those skilled in the art. 
It is to be understood that numerous variations of the present invention 
may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 
It is to be understood, therefore, that the present invention is not to be 
limited to the described embodiment, as set forth in detail hereinabove, 
except as defined in the appended claims.