Retractable animal leash device

A new retractable animal leash device for holding and storing animal waste bags therein. The inventive device includes a housing having a spaced apart pair of side panels and a circumferential wall extending between the side panels. A handle is coupled the housing. The housing has an opening into the interior of the housing. A retractable elongate flexible leash is provided in the interior of the housing. The leash has a free end for attachment to an animal extending through the opening of the housing. Each of the side panels has a storage compartment in the interior of the housing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to retractable animal leashes and more 
particularly pertains to a new retractable animal leash device for holding 
and storing animal waste bags therein. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
The use of retractable animal leashes is known in the prior art. More 
specifically, retractable animal leashes heretofore devised and utilized 
are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious 
structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs 
encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the 
fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. 
Known prior art retractable animal leashes include U.S. Pat. No. 4,146,260; 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,469; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 274,379; U.S. Pat. No. 
5,174,620; U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,713; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,286,826. 
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and 
requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new retractable 
animal leash device. The inventive device includes a housing having a 
spaced apart pair of side panels and a circumferential wall extending 
between the side panels. A handle is coupled the housing. The housing has 
an opening into the interior of the housing. A retractable elongate 
flexible leash is provided in the interior of the housing. The leash has a 
free end for attachment to an animal extending through the opening of the 
housing. Each of the side panels has a storage compartment in the interior 
of the housing. 
In these respects, the retractable animal leash device according to the 
present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and 
designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily 
developed for the purpose of holding and storing animal waste bags 
therein. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of 
retractable animal leashes now present in the prior art, the present 
invention provides a new retractable animal leash device construction 
wherein the same can be utilized for holding and storing animal waste bags 
therein. 
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described 
subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new retractable animal 
leash device apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the 
retractable animal leashes mentioned heretofore and many novel features 
that result in a new retractable animal leash device which is not 
anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the 
prior art retractable animal leashes, either alone or in any combination 
thereof. 
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a housing having 
a spaced apart pair of side panels and a circumferential wall extending 
between the side panels. A handle is coupled the housing. The housing has 
an opening into the interior of the housing. A retractable elongate 
flexible leash is provided in the interior of the housing. The leash has a 
free end for attachment to an animal extending through the opening of the 
housing. Each of the side panels has a storage compartment in the interior 
of the housing. 
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features 
of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that 
follows may be better understood, and in order that the present 
contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional 
features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which 
will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention 
in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its 
application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the 
components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the 
drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being 
practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood 
that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose 
of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon 
which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the 
designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the 
several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, 
that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions 
insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present 
invention. 
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent 
and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the 
scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar 
with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a 
cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of 
the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention 
of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to 
be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new 
retractable animal leash device apparatus and method which has many of the 
advantages of the retractable animal leashes mentioned heretofore and many 
novel features that result in a new retractable animal leash device which 
is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of 
the prior art retractable animal leashes, either alone or in any 
combination thereof. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new retractable 
animal leash device which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and 
marketed. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new 
retractable animal leash device which is of a durable and reliable 
construction. 
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new 
retractable animal leash device which is susceptible of a low cost of 
manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly 
is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby 
making such retractable animal leash device economically available to the 
buying public. 
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new 
retractable animal leash device which provides in the apparatuses and 
methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while 
simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated 
therewith. 
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new 
retractable animal leash device for holding and storing animal waste bags 
therein. 
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new retractable 
animal leash device which includes a housing having a spaced apart pair of 
side panels and a circumferential wall extending between the side panels. 
A handle is coupled the housing. The housing has an opening into the 
interior of the housing. A retractable elongate flexible leash is provided 
in the interior of the housing. The leash has a free end for attachment to 
an animal extending through the opening of the housing. Each of the side 
panels has a storage compartment in the interior of the housing. 
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new 
retractable animal leash device that has two separate storage 
compartments: one for holding a quantity of resealable plastic bags and 
another for holding plastic bags filled with animal waste therein. 
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new 
retractable animal leash device that provides a user with a convenient and 
out of sight location for carrying bags containing animal stools therein. 
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various 
features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with 
particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this 
disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating 
advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should 
be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there 
are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 3 
thereof, a new retractable animal leash device embodying the principles 
and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the 
reference numeral 10 will be described. 
As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3, the retractable animal leash 
device 10 generally comprises a housing 11 having a spaced apart pair of 
side panels 12,13 and a circumferential wall 14 extending between the side 
panels 12,13. A handle 18 is coupled the housing 11. The housing 11 has an 
opening 19 into the interior of the housing 11. A retractable elongate 
flexible leash 20 is provided in the interior of the housing 11. The leash 
20 has a free end 21 for attachment to an animal extending through the 
opening 19 of the housing 11. Each of the side panels 12,13 has a storage 
compartment 25,26 in the interior of the housing 11. 
In closer detail, the housing 11 has an interior, a spaced apart pair of 
generally circular side panels 12,13 and a circumferential wall 14 
extending between the side panels 12,13 around the perimeters of the side 
panels 12,13. The housing 11 has a diameter extending across the 
circumferential wall 14 and an axis extending through the side panels 
12,13. The side panels 12,13 are coaxial with the axis of the housing 11. 
The housing 11 is preferably generally spheroid in shape such that the 
side panels 12,13 are flat and the circumferential wall 14 has an arcuate 
portion 15,16 adjacent each of the side panels 12,13. 
The circumferential wall 14 has an equatorial annular ridge 17 extending 
radially outwards therearound at a midpoint between the side panels 12,13. 
The ridge 17 preferably has a generally rectangular cross section taken 
generally perpendicular to the diameter of the housing 11. The ridge 17 
lies in a plane generally perpendicular to the axis of the housing 11. A 
handle 18 is coupled to the ridge 17. The handle 18 is extended in a 
direction generally parallel to the plane of the ridge 17. 
The housing 11 has a width defined between the side panels 12,13. 
Preferably, the width of the housing 11 is greater than about 2 inches. 
Ideally, the width of the housing 11 is about 4 inches. The ridge 17 has a 
diameter collinear with the diameter of the housing 11. Preferably, the 
diameter of the ridge 17 is greater than about 31/2 inches. Ideally, the 
diameter of the ridge 17 is about 7 inches. 
The housing 11 has an opening 19 into the interior of the housing 11. The 
opening 19 is positioned on the ridge 17. A spring loaded retractable 
elongate flexible leash 20 is provided in the interior of the housing 11. 
The leash 20 has a free end 21 for attachment to the collar of an animal 
extending through the opening 19 of the housing 11. The free end 21 of the 
leash 20 preferably has a fastener 22 such as a spring bolt clip for 
releasable attachment to the collar of an animal swivelably coupled 
thereto. A leash brake actuator 23 and a brake lock actuator 24 are 
provided on the handle 18. The actuators are operationally connected to 
the retractable leash 20 to halt further extension of the leash 20 from 
the housing 11. 
Each of the side panels 12,13 has a storage compartment 25,26 in the 
interior of the housing 11. Each of the side panels 12,13 has a 
compartment door 27,28 substantially closing the storage compartment 
25,26. Preferably, the compartment door 27,28 of each of the side panels 
12,13 has an arcuate edge portion 29 and a straight edge portion 30. The 
straight edge portion 30 of the compartment door is pivotally coupled by a 
hinge to the associated side panel. The arcuate edge portion 29 of each of 
the compartment doors defines an arc has an arc angle greater than about 
180 degrees such that the arcuate edge portion 29 extends along an arc 
greater than the arc of a semi-circle but less than the circumference of 
the complete circle. Each of the compartment doors has an elongate handle 
depression 31 that extends into the interior of the housing 11 when the 
compartment door is closed. The handle depression 31 is spaced apart from 
the straight edge portion 30 of the compartment door 27,28 with the length 
of the handle depression extending generally parallel to the length of the 
straight edge portion 30 of the compartment door 27,28. Each of the 
compartment doors also has a latch 32 for releasably holding the 
compartment door to the associated side panel of the housing 11. The latch 
32 is positioned on the arcuate edge portion 29 of the compartment door 
such that the handle depression 31 is positioned between the latch 32 and 
the straight edge portion 30 of the compartment door. Ideally, each of the 
compartment doors has a maximum width of about 23/4 inches and a length 
between the latch 32 and the straight edge portion 30 of about 33/4 
inches. 
In use, one of the storage compartments is designed for storing resealable 
plastic bags 33 therein. Preferably, the flexible bags 33 are opaque so 
that the contents, such as animal stools, held in each of the bags 33 
cannot be seen through the bag. In use, the other storage compartment is 
designed for storing filled plastic bags 33 therein until the user can 
dispose of the filled bags 33. 
As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the 
present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. 
Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and 
operation will be provided. 
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the 
optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to 
include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of 
operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to 
one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those 
illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are 
intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the 
principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and 
changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired 
to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and 
described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may 
be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.