Multifunctional pet leash storage device

The present invention is a multifunctional pet leash storage device for collecting and disposing animal waste. The multifunctional pet leash storage device comprises a leash housing, a waste storage compartment, a sanitary compartment, a sanitary wipe dispensing slot, a sanitary bag dispensing slot, a leash securing hole, a front lid button, a rear lid button, a handle and a battery storage compartment. The sanitary compartment includes a sanitary wipe storage area and a sanitary bag storage area. The sanitary wipe dispensing slot and the sanitary bag dispensing slot are bilaterally symmetrical to each other. The bilaterally symmetrical arrangement of the sanitary wipe dispensing slot and the sanitary bag dispensing slot provides good balance characteristics to the multifunctional pet leash storage device and an easy access of the at least one sanitary bag and the at least one sanitary wipe from the sanitary compartment.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to the field of pet leashes, and more particularly, to a multifunctional pet leash storage device that provides an efficient way to store several accessories used while walking pets.

DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART

A wide variety of pet leash devices have been developed in the art. These devices provide comfort, control and safety to pet owners while walking or training their pets. Conventional pet leash devices available in the market come with sanitary containers for holding animal waste. Often, the pet leash devices are designed to hold necessary items such as waste collecting means, sanitary wipes, money or an extra leash, carried by the pet owners while going for a walk. Yet conventional pet leash storage devices have some drawbacks, principally being that they are bulky and uncomfortable to use and are not economical.

One prior art device described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,073,462 issued to Layman on Jul. 11, 2006, describes an organizer for assisting a user while taking a dog for a walk. The organizer has an adjustable belt with an interlocking buckle and an attached pouch. The pouch has a top lid and front, left and right surfaces. The user can insert a box of plastic bags in a bag compartment inside a side zipper in the left surface and the bags can be dispensed through an elongated slot in the front surface to collect dog waste. A solar energy panel is located on the lid and is in communication with a light-emitting diode. However, the organizer has no provision to hold the pet waste once it is retrieved from the ground and it does not have a light source to provide a wide beam of light. Moreover, the organizer has no provision to conveniently hold and dispense sanitary wipes to sanitize the hands of the user.

Another prior art device described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,257,473 issued to Ringelstetter on Jul. 10, 2001, describes a sanitary pet-waste collection pouch. The pouch includes an interior open-topped chamber for holding tied loaded plastic bags containing retrieved pet-waste, deep-side pockets for carrying a hand-sanitizer dispensing container. Even so, the sanitary collection holder's complex structure causes difficulty when cleaning the sanitary pet-waste collection pouch.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,035,809 issued to Fingerett on Mar. 14, 2000, describes a leash pouch for holding disposable bags and animal waste when walking animals. The leash pouch attaches to a leash using a mounting device to free the pet owner's hands. A disposable bag compartment is on the left surface of the pouch and a waste compartment is located on the right surface of the pouch. The pet owner picks up the waste with a disposable bag and places it in the waste compartment for later disposal. However, such a leash pouch requires an additional mounting device to attach with the leash and hence the leash pouch is not economical. Further, a user cannot easily access the waste compartment in the leash pouch.

Therefore, there is a need for a multifunctional pet leash storage device that provides an efficient way to manage several accessories used while walking pets in a single device. Such a device would provide an easily accessible storage compartment to hold the pet waste and a means to hold and dispense sanitary wipes. Moreover, such a device would have a simple structure and would be economical. Further, such a device would have storage means for securing the pet leash and a bright light source. The present invention accomplishes these objectives.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a multifunctional pet leash storage device for collecting and disposing animal waste. The multifunctional pet leash storage device comprises a leash housing, a waste storage compartment, a sanitary compartment, a sanitary wipe dispensing slot, a sanitary bag dispensing slot, a leash securing hole, a front lid button, a rear lid button, a handle and a battery storage compartment. The leash housing includes a top surface, a bottom surface, a rear portion, a front portion, a left surface and a right surface. The handle at the top surface of the leash housing includes a flashlight, a flashlight button and a leash button. The handle also can have a panic button which could set off an audible alarm as an additional accessory. The sanitary wipe dispensing slot and the sanitary bag dispensing slot are bilaterally symmetrical to each other. The sanitary compartment includes a sanitary wipe storage area and a sanitary bag storage area. The sanitary wipe storage area and the sanitary bag storage area store at least one sanitary wipe and at least one sanitary bag respectively. The bilaterally symmetrical arrangement of the sanitary wipe dispensing slot and the sanitary bag dispensing slot provides a good balance characteristics to the multifunctional pet leash storage device and an easy access of the at least one sanitary bag and the at least one sanitary wipe from the sanitary compartment.

The at least one sanitary bag is designed to collect animal waste. The waste storage compartment is adaptable to hold the at least one sanitary bag filled with the animal waste. The leash securing hole at the front portion of the leash housing secures a retractable pet leash. The leash button at the handle is pressed to lock and unlock the leash securing hole. When the leash securing hole is unlocked, the retractable pet leash is released from the leash securing hole. The sanitary wipe storage area and the sanitary bag storage area is refillable with the at least one sanitary wipe and at least one sanitary bag respectively. The at least one sanitary wipe is utilized to sanitize hands of a user. The waste storage compartment and the sanitary compartment include a lid cover thereof to open and close the waste storage compartment and the sanitary compartment. The front portion of the leash housing includes a front lid button that is pressed to open the lid cover of the sanitary storage compartment. The rear portion of the leash housing includes a rear lid button to open the lid cover of the waste compartment. The front lid button and the rear lid button eliminate the need for touching the at least one sanitary bag having animal waste directly.

The rear portion of the leash housing includes the battery storage compartment. The battery storage compartment stores and charges at least one battery for the flashlight. The flashlight generates a wide beam light that helps the user while walking a pet at night. The flashlight button located at the handle is utilized to switch on and switch off the flashlight. The batteries could also be used to power a panic alarm which would be activated by placing a panic button on the handle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now specifically to the drawings,FIGS. 1 and 2show a multifunctional pet leash storage device10for collecting and disposing animal waste. The multifunctional pet leash storage device10comprises a leash housing12, a waste storage compartment14, a sanitary compartment16, a sanitary wipe dispensing slot (not shown), a sanitary bag dispensing slot18, a leash securing hole22, a front lid button24, a rear lid button (not shown), a handle28and a battery storage compartment (not shown). The leash housing12includes a top surface30, a bottom surface32, a rear portion (not shown), a front portion36, a left surface (not shown) and a right surface40. The handle28at the top surface30of the leash housing12includes a flashlight42, a flashlight button44and a leash button46.

The sanitary compartment16includes a sanitary wipe storage area56and a sanitary bag storage area58. The sanitary wipe storage area56and the sanitary bag storage area58store at least one sanitary wipe48and at least one sanitary bag50respectively. The sanitary wipe dispensing slot (not shown) and the sanitary bag dispensing slot18are bilaterally symmetrical to each other. The bilaterally symmetrical arrangement of the sanitary wipe dispensing slot (not shown) and the sanitary bag dispensing slot18provides a good balance characteristics to the multifunctional pet leash storage device10and an easy access of the at least one sanitary wipe48and the at least one sanitary bag50from the sanitary compartment16. The at least one sanitary bag50is designed to collect animal waste. The waste storage compartment14is adaptable to hold the at least one sanitary bag50filled with the animal waste.

FIG. 2shows a retractable pet leash52designed to secure in the leash securing hole22at the front portion36of the leash housing12. The leash button46at the handle28is pressed to lock and unlock the leash securing hole22. When the leash securing hole22is unlocked, the retractable pet leash52is released from the leash securing hole22. The retractable pet leash52includes a snap lock54to connect with a pet collar (not shown) worn by a pet.

As shown inFIG. 3, the sanitary wipe storage area56and the sanitary bag storage area58are refillable with the at least one sanitary wipe48and at least one sanitary bag50respectively. The sanitary wipe dispensing slot20at the left surface38of the leash housing12is designed to dispense the at least one sanitary wipe48and the sanitary bag dispensing slot18at the right surface40is designed to dispense the at least one sanitary bag50. The at least one sanitary wipe48is utilized to sanitize hands of a user. The waste storage compartment14and the sanitary compartment16include a lid cover60thereof to open and close the waste storage compartment14and the sanitary compartment16. The front lid button24at the front portion36of the leash housing12is pressed to open the lid cover60of the sanitary storage compartment16. The animal waste collected in the at least one sanitary bag50is disposed by opening the waste storage compartment14. The rear portion (not shown) of the leash housing12includes a rear lid button (not shown) to open the lid cover60of the waste compartment14. The front lid button24and the rear lid button (not shown) eliminate the need for directly touching the at least one sanitary bag50having animal waste.

FIG. 4illustrates the at least one sanitary bag50emerging from the sanitary bag dispensing slot18located at the right surface40of the leash housing12. As shown inFIG. 5, the rear portion34of the leash housing12includes the battery storage compartment62. The battery storage compartment62stores and charges at least one battery64for the flashlight42. The flashlight42generates a wide beam light that helps the user for a pet walk at night. The flashlight button44located at the handle28is utilized to switch on and switch off the flashlight42. A panic button (not shown) could be located on the handle similarly to the flashlight button44, which could activate a panic alarm (not shown) powered by batteries in the battery storage compartment62. The rear lid button26at the rear portion34is used to open the lid cover60of the waste compartment14.

FIG. 6shows an exploded view of the multifunctional pet leash storage device10. The lid cover60utilizes a hinge means for strongly retaining with the waste storage compartment14and the sanitary compartment16. The handle28may be made of molded soft rubber to provide better grip and to reduce fatigue. The battery storage compartment62includes a lid66for closing and opening the battery storage compartment62having the at least one battery64.

Referring toFIG. 7, the sanitary compartment16having the sanitary wipe storage area56and the sanitary bag storage area58is illustrated. The sanitary wipe storage area56and the sanitary bag storage area58are refilled utilizing a novel packaging technology.

This invention may be altered and rearranged in numerous ways by one skilled in the art without departing from the coverage of any patent claims which are supported by this specification. For example, an accessory pouch (not shown) could be included to attach to the device at the handle to carry extra items, such as a cell phone.

The foregoing written description describes a multifunctional pet leash storage device10for collecting and dispensing animal waste. Finally, although the description above contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention.