Abstract:
A leash includes a housing, a spool assembly, a trigger, and a switch. At least a portion of the housing includes a photoluminescent material. The spool assembly is rotatably mounted inside of the housing and is configured to selectively wind a leash. The trigger is movably mounted on an inner section of the grip portion, the trigger being configured to inhibit rotation of the spool assembly in response to actuation of the trigger, and configured to rotate the spool assembly in response to release of the trigger. The switch is mounted on the housing, the switch being configured to move between a locked position in which the trigger is locked in an actuated position, and an unlocked position in which the trigger is free to operate.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/127,385, filed Mar. 3, 2015 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/267,319, filed Dec. 15, 2015, the contents of which is hereby incorporation herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field of Invention 
         [0003]    The invention relates generally to retractable leash handle assemblies. More particularly, one embodiment is directed to a leash having glow in the dark features on the leash body and/or handle. 
         [0004]    2. Background of the Invention 
         [0005]    Animals such as dogs are regularly walked by their owners for exercise and for other purposes. Such animal walks can occur during daylight hours but also often occur after dark. While it is known to carry a flashlight or other lighting source during nighttime hours for reasons of safety, the pet owner typically must hold the animal&#39;s leash in one hand, and the other hand often is carrying a plastic bag that may or may not be filled with animal waste. 
         [0006]    Some conventional leashed enable a person having a pet tethered to a leash cord to fluidly adapt to changing spatial relationships between the person and the pet. A housing typically encloses a mechanism for automatically retracting the leash into the housing. Retractable leash assemblies generally operate in two modes. A first mode provides a spring loaded tension on a retractable leash cord. The spring-loaded tension causes the leash cord to retract as slack develops, extend as the owner allows the pet to roam at a further distance, and stops the leash from dragging on the ground. A second locking mode removes the spring-loaded tension and stops the leash from either retracting or extending. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    It has been found that it is desirable to provide an improved animal tethering device (leash) that improves nighttime safety without additionally encumbering the animal&#39;s owner with additional devices to carry, etc. A leash includes a housing, a spool assembly, a trigger, and a switch. At least a portion of the housing includes a photoluminescent material. The spool assembly is rotatably mounted inside of the housing and is configured to selectively wind a leash. The trigger is movably mounted on an inner section of the grip portion, the trigger being configured to inhibit rotation of the spool assembly in response to actuation of the trigger, and configured to rotate the spool assembly in response to release of the trigger. The switch is mounted on the housing, the switch being configured to move between a locked position in which the trigger is locked in an actuated position, and an unlocked position in which the trigger is free to operate. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of this original disclosure: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  illustrates an elevational side view of a leash apparatus according to embodiment; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a top perspective view of the leash apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the mold that forms the photoluminescent component of the leash apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0012]    An improved leash apparatus  4  in accordance with the disclosed and claimed concept is depicted generally in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The leash apparatus  4  can include a housing  8  upon which is situated a retractable tether apparatus  12 . The housing  8  includes a main body portion  8   a  and a grip portion  8   b  and has a hollow interior region  16  that carries therein a retraction mechanism of the tether apparatus  12  that is operable to move the tether apparatus between a retracted position partially retracted into the interior region  16  and a deployed position at least partially extended from the interior region  16 . The retraction mechanism is not expressly depicted herein for reasons of simplicity of disclosure, but it is understood to include structures such as actuation buttons, locking devices, spring-operated rotatable spools, and the like that are generally well known. The grip portion  8   b  may be integrally fabricated with the housing, or in alternative embodiments be fabricated separately from the housing and subsequently fastened to the housing. 
         [0013]    In one embodiment, the retraction mechanism can include a spooling assembly rotatably mounted in the housing, a trigger  10  movably mounted to the grip portion  8   b,  and a dual-position switch  14  for locking the trigger  10  in an actuated position. Actuating the trigger  10  inhibits the spooling mechanism from rotating. Releasing the trigger  10  enables the spooling mechanism to rotate freely to extend or retract the leash. Optionally, the spooling assembly is spring biased to cause the leash to retract in response to the trigger  10  being in a released position and in the absence of an external force of a preset value being exerted on a leash wound on the spool assembly. The dual-position switch  14 , located proximate to the grip portion  8   b,  operates in a first locked position to lock the trigger  10  in an actuated position, and in a second unlocked position that enables the trigger  10  to operate freely. The trigger  10  and the dual-position switch  14  are positioned proximate to each other so that the same hand can grasp the grip, actuate the trigger  10  with one finger, and operate the dual-position switch  14 . 
         [0014]    The trigger  10  can be movable mounted to a radially inner section of the grip portion  8   b,  proximate to an upper most portion of the housing. The location of the trigger  10  enables a user to actuate the trigger  10  with an index finger, which using the remaining fingers of the grasping hand to hold onto the grip portion  8   b.  Actuating the trigger  10  inhibits the leash from extending from or retracting into the housing  8 . The dual-position switch  14  can be movably mounted to an upwardly facing surface of the housing  8 . The dual-position switch  14  operates in a first position to lock the trigger  10  in an actuated position, and operates in a second position to enable the trigger  10  to operate freely. 
         [0015]    The tether apparatus  12  additionally includes a tether  20  that is elongated and flexible and is connected with the retraction mechanism and further includes a clasp  24  that is disposed at an end of the tether  20  at a location distal to the housing  8 . The leash apparatus  4  is depicted in  FIG. 1  in the retracted position, but  FIG. 1  also depicts in dashed lines a schematic representation of the leash apparatus  4  being in the deployed position. 
         [0016]    A forward facing portion of the housing  8  has an orifice  18  with a center portion through which the tether  20  passes. The housing  8  also includes an anti-wear ring  22  mounted in the orifice  18 . The anti-wear ring  22  buffers the leash through the orifice to reduce the frictional wear on the tether  20  due to the tether  20  rubbing against the portion of the housing  8  defining the orifice  18 . The anti-wear ring  22  also inhibits the tether  20  from forcing the housing  8  halves apart during extension and retraction of the tether  20 . According to an illustrative embodiment, the anti-wear ring  22  is fabricated as a unitary structure and formed from a lubricious material, such as nylon or delrin. 
         [0017]    As discussed above, in operation, actuating the trigger  10  inhibits the tether  20  from extending out of or retracting into the housing  8 . Releasing the trigger  10  enables the tether  20  to pass freely through the orifice  18  and the anti-wear ring  22 . Placing the dual-position switch  14  in a first locked position while the trigger  10  is actuated locks the trigger  10  in an actuated position. Alternatively, placing the dual-position switch  14  in a second unlocked position enables the trigger  10  to operate freely. If the trigger  10  is in a released position, the dual-position switch  14  is inhibited from being moved into the first locked position. When the trigger  10  is in a released position, the tether  20  is subject to a spring bias that tends to retract the tether  20  into the housing  8 . This spring bias reduces slack in an extended portion of the tether  20 , which may result from changes in the spatial relationship between a person and an animal tethered to the tether  20 . 
         [0018]    The grip portion  8   b  generally forms an arc. The midpoint of the arced grip assembly is substantially co-linear with the center of the orifice  18 , which reduces the tendency of the handle  8  to rotate about an axis in response to externally exerted forces, such as those applied to a leash by tugging animals. 
         [0019]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the housing  8  can include a support  28  and to further include a polymeric coating  32  that is disposed on the support  28 . The support  28  in the depicted exemplary embodiment is a hollow polymeric or metallic shell that is relatively rigid and that includes a handle portion that can be grasped by the pet owner when the leash apparatus  4  is being used. The exemplary support  28  is depicted in  FIG. 2  as including a first support portion  36  and a second support portion  40  that have the interior region  16  situated generally therebetween. The first and second support portions  36  and  40  can be formed in any of a variety of fashions, such as by or other appropriate methodology. 
         [0020]    The polymeric coating  32  is formed from a polymeric material such as PVC to which a photoluminescent component  34  can be added, the polymeric coating  32  being molded and/or cured in situ on an exterior surface  42  of the support  28 . More particularly, the polymeric coating  32  in the depicted exemplary embodiment is molded on the exterior surface  42  with the use of a mold  44  within which the support  28  is at least partially received prior to the molding operation. 
         [0021]    The mold  44  is depicted herein as including a first mold portion  48  and a second mold portion  52  within which at least a portion of the support  28  is situated and is retained in a given position therein by the mold  44  or by other structures that are cooperable with the mold  44 . 
         [0022]    In one embodiment, the photoluminescent component  34  (glow in the dark material) can be thermoplastic rubber (TPR), in which portion of the housing is made. For example, portions of the housing  8  including the grip portion  8   b  can be formed from the polymeric coating  32  with the photoluminescent component  34 . Accordingly, in one embodiment, the housing  8  or portions of the housing  8  are molded using a material that includes the photoluminescent component  34 . That is, the thermoplastic material (or other suitable material) is formed or infused with glow in the dark material  32  prior to the molding or form process. In another embodiment, the glow in the dark material  32  is added to the housing  8  after the molding process. It is noted that any suitable glow in the dark material  32  can be disposed on the housing, including but not limited to glow in the dark tape, glow in the dark paint and any other suitable glow in the dark material  32 . Moreover, the glow in the dark material  32  can be disposed on a suitable portion of the housing  8 , and can include the entire housing  8 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the glow in the dark portions of the housing  8  include the grip portion  8   b  and the outer peripheral portion of the main body portion  8   a  of the housing  8 . 
         [0023]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , when the first and second support portions  36  and  40  are received within a cavity  56  of the mold  44 , a gap  60  exists between the support  28  and the surface of the mold  44  that faces the cavity. The mold  44  additionally includes an inlet  64  through which uncured polymeric material  68  having a photoluminescent component  34  is received into the gap  60 . That is, the mold  44  and the support  28  are situated adjacent one another with the gap  60  being in therebetween, and the uncured polymeric material  68  is received in the gap  60  and is caused to be cured in situ on the exterior surface  42  of the support  28 . In the depicted exemplary embodiment, the first and second support portions  36  and  40  are simultaneously received in the cavity  56  mold  44 , and the uncured polymeric material  68  is cured as a single polymeric  32  coating coats the entirety or a substantial portion of the entirety of the exterior surface  42  of the support  28 . It is understood, however, that in other embodiments the first and second mold portions  48  and  52  could be individually coated with the uncured polymeric material  68  and may likewise separately have the uncured polymeric material  68  cured in situ on the exterior surface so that when the first and second support portions  36  and  40  are physically connected to one another the leash apparatus  4  is formed with the polymeric coating  32  being in a cured state on the exterior surface  42  of the support  28 . 
         [0024]    It is understood that numerous other methodologies may be employed to form the photoluminescent component  34  on the exterior of the housing  8 . It is also understood that the housing  8  potentially could be molded or otherwise formed in its entirety of a material having a photoluminescent component  34 . 
         [0025]    In use, the leash apparatus  4  and, more particularly, the photoluminescent component  34 , is subjected to electromagnetic radiation such as visible light, which causes photoexcitation of the photoluminescent component  34 . Such photoexcitation causes the photoluminescent component  34  to emit visible light via photoluminescence. The tether  20  can then be deployed from the housing  8  and attached to an animal, and the animal can then be walked in a safe fashion during nighttime hours. 
         [0026]    The improved leash apparatus  4  avoids the need to provide batteries or other power source for active light sources such as LEDs or incandescent lights, which simplifies use and avoids complication. Such photoluminescence can be activated prior to initiation of the walk and can be refreshed or recharged with the use of street lights, house lights, and the like without limitation. The improved leash apparatus  4  thus advantageously enhances safety by providing visible light at nighttime via photoluminescence, which helps to alert drivers and other to the presence of the animal and its owner. 
         [0027]    While only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that various changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, the size, shape, location or orientation of the various components can be changed as needed and/or desired. Components that are shown directly connected or contacting each other can have intermediate structures disposed between them. The functions of one element can be performed by two, and vice versa. The structures and functions of one embodiment can be adopted in another embodiment. It is not necessary for all advantages to be present in a particular embodiment at the same time. Every feature which is unique from the prior art, alone or in combination with other features, also should be considered a separate description of further inventions by the applicant, including the structural and/or functional concepts embodied by such features. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of the embodiments according to the present invention are provided for illustration only, and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.