Abstract:
An attachment selectively attachable to a pet training device that emits signal upon actuation by the hand that grasps the pet training device. The attachment includes an aperture for selectively securing the attachment to a hand and at least one connector for securing the attachment to the pet training device.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/447,509, filed Feb. 28, 2011, and is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present disclosure is directed to an attachment to a pet training device, such as a clicker used to train a dog. 
         [0003]    Training animals to behave as desired is an important aspect of pet ownership, and to this end many training techniques have been utilized over the years. One ubiquitous method of training a dog, for example, uses a clicking device that takes advantage of the phenomenon famously documented by Ivan Pavlov in which an animal can, over time, be conditioned to associate a pleasurable event (in Pavlov&#39;s experiment, being fed) with an auditory sound or other event, even to the extent that the animal enjoys the auditory sound itself. 
         [0004]    In this method, the dog or other pet is repetitiously given a treat, or other reward, simultaneously with activation of a hand-held clicker after behaving in a desired manner. Eventually, the pet begins to associate the clicking sound itself as a reward, after which a pet owner may simply use the clicker to indicate to the pet approval of behavior. 
         [0005]    A typical pet clicker is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,674,153 and comprises a rigid housing surrounding an actuation member that, when actuated—usually by depression with the digit of a hand—emits a clicking sound. Usually, this sound is produced by the deflection of one end of a thin piece of metal relative to another end. Also, when the metal piece is affixed inside the cavity of a housing surrounding the metal piece, that sound may be amplified somewhat. A typical pet clicker may include an aperture at one end of the housing with which to attach the clicker to a key chain, wrist band, or other device to secure the clicker to a belt loop, a hand, etc. 
         [0006]    To be effective, the pet clicker is preferably activated as quickly as possible after the pet behaves in a desired manner. One problem that arises is that the pet clicker, when dangling from a wrist or a belt loop, is not ready for activation quickly enough to be of use, as the pet may have changed its behavior while a person grasps for the clicker and positions it in an orientation in which it can be manually actuated, after which the pet would be “rewarded” for the wrong behavior. Conceivably, a pet owner, when walking a dog, for example, could always keep the pet clicker in hand and ready to click the instant it is desired, but this is often inconvenient as the owners hands may be needed for, say, throwing a ball or other matters. 
         [0007]    What is desired, therefore, is an improved pet training apparatus that improves the speed at which a pet training device may be actuated from a position that is not grasped in a person&#39;s hand. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1A  shows a perspective view of a first exemplary attachment to a pet training device. 
           [0009]      FIG. 1B  shows a perspective view of the attachment shown in  FIG. 1A , secured to both the digit of a person&#39;s hand and a pet training device in a first orientation, and also shows a phantom view of a second orientation , displaced form the first orientation, of the attachment of  FIG. 1A  and the attached pet training device. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2A  shows a perspective view of a second exemplary attachment to a pet training device. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2B  shows a perspective view of the attachment shown in  FIG. 2A , secured to a pet training device. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0012]    Referring to  FIGS. 1A and 1B , an exemplary attachment  10  to a pet training device, such as the device  12  (in this example a dog clicker) is shown, in which an auditory sound or other activation signal is emitted upon activation after depression of an activation surface  30  on the device  12 . The attachment  10  may include a first end  14  selectively securable to the pet training device  12 . For example, because most existing dog clickers include an opening  32  for securing a key chain, wristband, etc., an attachment  10  for a pet training device that is a dog clicker  12  may have a first end  14  comprising an appropriately-sized peg-portion  16  and a flexible anchor  18  having a diameter in a relaxed state that is larger than that of the opening  32 , such that that the peg portion  16  may be inserted through the opening  32  and then used to pull the anchor  18  that so that it squeezes through the opening  32 , as well, after which the anchor  18  relaxes and secures the attachment  10  to the device  12 . It should be appreciated that other means of securing an attachment  10  to a pet training device may be appropriate, depending on the pet training device. Conceivably, for example, a pet training device may be equipped with a clevis-type mount, such that a first end  14  would only need an appropriately-sized aperture to line up with those on either side of the clevis, and a securing pin used to complete the connection. It is also desirable, though not necessary, that the first end  14  be selectively detachable from the device  12  so that it can alternately be attached to other pet training devices. For example, as can be seen in the figures, the anchor  18  may be squeezed back through the opening  32  to detach the attachment  10  from the clicker  12 . 
         [0013]    The exemplary attachment  10  may also include a second end  22  for selectively attaching the attachment  10  to a digit of a person&#39;s hand, such as a thumb. In this example, the second end  22  is a flexible ring that may expand to be squeezably secured to the desired digit. Also, as with the first end  14 , the second end may have other configurations, as appropriate, For example, the second end  22  may not be formed as a complete circle so long as it does not slip easily from the digit to which it is secured. Preferably, the second end  22  includes a tab  24  used to pull the attachment  10  from a person&#39;s digit after use. 
         [0014]    As can be readily appreciated from these figures, when the disclosed attachment  10  is used to secure a pet training device  12  to the digit of a person&#39;s hand, the training device  12  does not need to be grasped in hand, yet is always ready to be grasped, and may be activated virtually instantaneously with the very act of grasping the device  12  by depressing an activation surface  30  on the device  12 . To facilitate this feature, the attachment  10  may include a flexible neck  20  between the anchor  18  and the second end  22  that tapers in the direction of the first end  14 . The flexible neck  20  may serve two related functions. First, the taper of the neck  20  immediately adjacent the anchor  18  secures the opening  32  to the flexible neck  20 . Also, the flexibility of the neck  20  is such that the neck  20  permits the device  12  to be displaced in hand from a relaxed position as shown by the solid outline of  FIG. 1B  to a displaced position as shown by the phantom outline in this figure. In this case, the relaxed position refers to that to which the flexible neck region will cause the device  12  to return when displaced. In other words, the neck  20  acts to ensure that, whatever the angle or amount of deflection of the pet training device  12 , due to for example, holding a ball to be thrown, the pet training device afterward returns to its relaxed position where not only will the pet training device be ready to be grasped by simply closing the hand to which it is attached, but the activation surface  30  is also ready to be activated merely upon grasping the device  12 . 
         [0015]    Another feature of the attachment  10  is that its relative orientation with the device  12  may be reversed, and it will not lose its functionality. For example, in  FIG. 1B  the attachment  10  is shown in a configuration where the device  12  is secured to the digit that is used to activate the device by depressing the activation surface  30 . It is possible, however, to detach the device  12  from the attachment  10 , turn the device  12  over and reattach it so that the activation surface is facing away from the digit to which the device  12  is attached. In that case, when grasped, the activation surface may be activated using another digit, e.g. an index finger where the device  12  is attached to the thumb. This reversal may even be accomplished while the attachment is continuously secured to the thumb (or another digit) for long training periods where one digit becomes fatigued or sore after continual use, or to avoid repetitive stress injuries by a professional dog trainer, for example. 
         [0016]    In one preferred embodiment, the attachment  10  is approximately  2  inches in length and is advantageously integrally formed of the same flexible material. The inventors have discovered that Kraton G7720 G1 is a suitable material for the disclosed attachment, and preferably has a durometer of approximately 57. In this context, the term “approximately” means within 10%, although more preferably the durometer of the material used is within 5% of this number and even more preferably 2%. The inventors discovered that these disclosed ranges provide an appropriate balance between sufficient flexibility to securely extend over the digit of a person&#39;s hand, and the resiliency to both maintain a proper relative orientation of an attached pet training device  12  and to return a device  12  to that orientation from a deflected position. It should be understood that the dimensions suitable for the attachment  10  will vary based on factors such as the size of a person&#39;s fingers for which it is designed, the type and weight of pet training device to which it is intended to be attached, the size of any opening  32  on that device, etc. 
         [0017]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  show another exemplary attachment  40 . The attachment  40  preferably includes a member  50 , which like the second member  22  of the attachment  10 , is used to secure the attachment  40  to the digit of a person&#39;s hand. The attachment  40  preferably includes first and second flexible attachment rings  42  and  44 , respectively, used to squeezably secure the attachment  40  to either end of a pet training device  60  having an activation surface  62 . The member  50  also includes a tab  52  used to quickly remove the attachment  40  from a digit to which it is attached. The attachment  40  is also preferably integrally formed of the same flexible material, such as Kraton G7720 G1 with a durometer of approximately 57. 
         [0018]    Preferably the attachment rings  42  and  44  are not spaced an equal distance to either side of the member  50 . This advantageously causes the aperture of the member  50  to tilt at an angle relative to the actuation surface of the pet training device  50  to which it is attached, so that a digit inserted therein is directed downwardly towards the actuation surface. The present inventors have discovered that an appropriate angle is approximately 45-degrees, and that the attachment rings  42  and  44  be spaced apart from the member  50  by respective distances equal to or exceeding a 3:1 ratio and more preferably a 4:1 ratio through opposed flexible neck regions  46  and  48 . 
         [0019]    The attachment  40  includes the functional advantages of the device  10  as previously described. More specifically, when attached to the digit of a person&#39;s hand, such as a thumb, it may be displaced to, for example throw a ball, and yet return to a relaxed position where the device  60  is ready to be activated immediately upon being grasped by a person&#39;s hand. 
         [0020]    The terms and expressions that have been employed in the forgoing specification are used therein as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding equivalence of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims that follow.