Collar for mounting around the neck of an animal

A collar for mounting around the neck of an animal, such as a dog, the collar including i) a first part with an inside for receiving the head of the animal, the first part having a flared shape, such as the shape of a truncated cone, and including a peripheral flexible wall defining the flared shape, the wall extending between a first opening leading into the inside and an opposite second opening leading into the inside, and ii) a second part joined to the first part at the second opening, the second part defining a sleeve for extending around the neck, wherein the peripheral flexible wall including a recess extending towards the first opening and defining an enlargement of the second opening.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a temporary, protective collar that can be applied to the neck of an animal to prevent contact between the animal's head and other parts of its body. The collar is useful, for instance, after surgery to allow wounds to heal or to allow topical medications to be applied in a manner that will not be disturbed by the animal.

In particular, the collar of the invention is of the type that includes a first part with an inside for receiving the head of the animal and having a flared shape, such as the shape of a truncated cone, with a peripheral flexible wall extending around the inside and defining the flared shape, the wall extending between a first opening into the inside and an opposite second opening into the inside, and a second part joined to the first part at the second opening and defining a sleeve for extending around the neck of the animal.

BACKGROUND ART

Protective collars, often called “Elizabethan” collars in view of the appearance that some have when in place, have long been used in veterinary medicine to protect against contact between an animal's head and other parts of its body. The collars are used, for instance, after surgery to prevent an animal from biting or chewing at dressings or areas below its neck, or from pawing or scratching at dressings or areas on or about its head.

Frequently such collars have taken the general form of truncated cones. Such collars have been closed and thereby retained in place around the animal's neck by such things as interlocking tabs, snaps, lacing, staples, and the like. Such collars frequently need to be offered in a variety of sizes or size ranges to accommodate animals of various sizes, and the effective size range of a particular collar is often limited by the closure mechanism used. Such closure mechanisms are also frequently cumbersome and time-consuming to use.

Examples of such collars include “Buster” disposable collars as shown by way of example in WO 95/22891.

What is needed is a collar that is quickly, easily, and accurately fittable and removable in a manner that will not cause trauma to the animal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a novel protective collar which may be easily applied without causing trauma to the animal, even when the animal is lying on its side after surgery, and which may remain reliably in position after such placement. Preferably, the collar is supplied to the end-user in an assembled state, which does not require any further assembling before the collar is applied to the animal.

The above object is achieved in that the wall of the collar of the aforementioned type has a recess that extends towards the first opening and defines an enlargement of the second opening.

Thus, through the invention, by flattening the first part by hand, such as against a table on which the animal is lying, a relatively wide passage is provided through which the head as well as a portion of the neck of the animal may be passed without causing trauma to the animal; by the invention, pulling the flattened collar over the head of the animal can be done without meeting any significant resistance.

In one embodiment, the sleeve is an annular band formed of a stretchable material, which allows the sleeve to expand as the collar is pulled over the head of the animal. In another embodiment the second part is formed to selectively assume two different configurations, one wherein it assumes the shape of a sleeve for surrounding the neck of the animal, and another wherein the second part is sideways open, with a loose portion that is subsequently wrapped around a part of the neck of the animal such that the second part assumes the shape of the sleeve.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

InFIG. 1is shown a perspective side view of an embodiment of the present protective collar10for mounting around the neck and head of an animal; for the purpose of the following discussion the animal will be assumed to be a pet, such as a dog.

More specifically, the collar10comprises two parts, viz. a flared first part20joined to a sleeve-like second part40. The first part20comprises a circumferential wall W which is flexible in nature and which defines an inside sized for receiving the head of the animal. The material of the flexible wall W is such that the first part20is elastically deformable, i.e. such that the first part20will seek to return to the its normal, flared shape after any reasonable deformation, in particular such as one arising from manual forces applied onto the first part20. Preferably, the wall is transparent, allowing a person to see the head of the animal inside the first part20.

At the base of the first part20shown to the left inFIG. 1the first part20has a first opening22delimited by one peripheral edge23of the wall W and leading into the inside of the first part20. A second opening24also leading into the inside is located opposite the first opening22and is delimited by another peripheral edge of the circumferential wall; the second part40of the collar10is joined to the first part20at the second opening24, and defines an extension of the first part20. As will be understood, through the generally tapered or flared shape of the first part20the second opening24is smaller than the first opening22.

InFIG. 1, the first part20is shown as having a hollow frusto-conical flared shape; other, similar hollow flared shapes may also be foreseen. Through the flexible nature of the peripheral/circumferential wall W a person manipulating the collar10may bring the first part20to temporarily assume a deformed flattened shape, as shown inFIG. 2a, in which the collar10may be easily pushed over the head and neck of the animal, as discussed further below. In the flattened state, the first opening22of first part20will tend to appear oval, in contrast to its normal circular or almost circular outline.FIG. 2bis an illustration where certain elements have been removed to allow the ovalised opening24, with an extension thereof (discussed below), to be better discernible.

The collar10will normally be delivered from the factory to the end-user in a configuration wherein the first part20assumes the aforementioned flared shape; for this the wall W of the first part20may be a molded flexible plastic structure manufactured by injection molding using a mold having a flared cavity. Alternatively, the first part20may be factory-made on the basis of a flat plastic sheet which defines the peripheral wall W and which is bent so as to form a cone, after which overlapping edges of the plastic sheet are joined at overlap29in a permanent manner by gluing, welding or by stitches31,32, seeFIG. 2awhich also shows a protective soft lining applied to the wall W along the peripheral edge23, as well as the other edge at opening24. Such a bending, but without any permanent joining, is normally done by the end-user by prior art collars of the type shown, by way of example, in U.S. Pat. No. 8,181,609.

The second part40is joined to the first part20to as to form an extension thereof. More particularly, preferably the second part40is stitched or otherwise permanently joined to the first part20along the edge thereof that defines the aforementioned second opening24. Stitch39along that edge and shown inFIG. 2aillustrates the connection between the first part20and the second part40; as explained below, the second part40is, however, only joined to a portion of the perimeter of the wall W at the second opening24.

Shown inFIGS. 2aand 2bis a recess R or cut-away portion of the wall W, the outline of which recess R is shown by numeral26. The recess R extends in and along the flared wall W from the second opening24towards the first opening22and defines an enlargement of the second opening24. As mentioned below, a patch42of a stretchable flexible material, such as a textile, may cover part of the aforementioned enlargement;FIG. 2bshows the opening24with the enlargement defined by recess R, without any patch42.

InFIG. 3b, a schematic view of a dog1is shown; the back of the neck8anatomically is often such that the neck in cross-section is more oval than circular. The present invention involves one particular advantage when the protective collar is applied when the animal is lying on its side after surgery; flattening the first part20by hand towards a table on which the animal1is lying provides a relatively wide passage defined by the opening24with the enlargement, through which passage the head5as well as a portion of the neck8of the animal1may pass without causing trauma to the animal1. Thus, pulling the flattened collar10over the head5of the animal1can be done without meeting any significant resistance.

FIG. 1shows the second part40according to one embodiment, in a first configuration forming a cylindrical sleeve, with through going holes H that may allow for a through-flow of air; in this first configuration the second part40serves to position and fix the collar10in relation to the animal which has its head5in the inside of the first part20, as shown inFIG. 3a, by tightly surrounding the neck8of the animal1. In contrast, inFIG. 4athe second part40of this embodiment is in a second configuration used when placing the collar10around the neck of the animal1.FIG. 4bperhaps better shows the second part40in this second configuration; as seen, the second part40of this embodiment preferably comprises a preferably stretchable band joined to the first part20along a portion of the wall W, such as by the stitch39, and having a free end46,48which may be folded against an opposite end47,49and fixed thereto, such as by Velcro, to define the first configuration. In the second configuration the band of the second part40may be placed freely around the neck of the animal1; the stretchable band is not joined to the wall W in the area of the aforementioned recess R at opening24but will span around the entire second opening24when in the configuration shown inFIGS. 1 and 3a.

As will be clear to the skilled person the second part40may alternatively comprise an annular band of an elastically stretchable material attached to the edge defining the second opening24, such as by the stitch illustrated by numeral39inFIG. 2b. Using such a band which is annular, i.e. preformed as a closed ring, may be preferable in some instances.

FIGS. 5aand 5bare enlarged inside and outside views, respectively, showing the collar10in the area of the aforementioned recess R having the general outline marked by numeral26. A flexible stretchable patch42is preferably stitched or otherwise attached to the wall W along line27so as to cover the recess R. The patch42is covered by the free end46of the band of the second part40when the latter is in the first configuration and represents a safety measure by reducing the risk that an animal attempting to free itself from the collar10may introduce its hind paw into the inside of the collar10at the area of the recess. Velcro parts49′ may be applied to cooperate with the band.

FIG. 6is a schematic side view showing the fundamental constituents parts20,40of the collar10of one embodiment.FIGS. 7a-7cshow the constituent parts of the described embodiment ready for being shaped and assembled at the factory, namely the flat band defining the second part40, the flat patch42and a flat flexible sheet of a plastic material defining the wall W after having been bent or rolled into the desired flared shape of the first part20. The band has a first portion of length L which is joined to the wall W along arc of length L′ shown inFIG. 7c.FIG. 7cshows the plastic material sheet with edges25,25″ configured to subsequently overlap, curved edges defining the openings22,24, and cut-away portion with respective edges26′,26″ defining the recess R after bending/folding of the plastic sheet.

Materials for the collar may, by way of example be: flexible plastic sheet forming the first part20: transparent PP second part40, and patch42: perforated neoprene.

Although not shown in the drawings, for the purpose of reinforcement the band forming the second part40may be provided in the area of the edges with a narrow elastic padding in the form of a material strip bent as a U and attached to the band so as to extend along the edges thereof shown inFIG. 7a.